Pole Dancing in Utah ????

I know I told you a bit about the controversy earlier...but here is just one of about a dozen stories fox 13 did on the event.



We were also fortunate to be covered by KSL news, Standard Examiner, Davis County Clipper, Salt Lake Tribune, and shock radio.

It has been a crazy couple of weeks and I just can't wait for it to be over:)

Here is a column that a journalist did in support of our event:

Count us among those intrigued about the Miss Pole Dance Utah competition slated for May 16 at the Davis Conference Center in Layton.

It's an athletic event. That's what dancing is, athletics that requires strong physical conditioning. While they pole dance, contestants will have to be dressed and stay dressed. Any so-called "wardrobe malfunctions," says Meagan Burroughs, whose Ogden dance and fitness studio is one of the sponsors, will result in immediate disqualification and a quick hook off the stage.

Still, a county official has expressed concern over the potential prurient appeal of the competition. Davis County Commissioner Bret Milburn wants to know more about what exactly a pole-dancing competition is. As we mentioned, we, too, are interested.

But Milburn is concerned it's adult entertainment. After taking a peek at the event's Web site, misspoledanceutah.com, the commissioner said, "I have an issue with how it is portrayed on its Web site. It doesn't show me any sort of athletic component to it. It doesn't speak fitness. This speaks something else."

We went to the Web site. There is an attractive woman dancing in a manner that might be considered akin to gymnastics. The site makes it clear the Davis event is trying to move pole dancing from an entertainment largely considered prurient into an athletic competition.

We have to disagree with Milburn's assessment that there is no athletic or fitness connected to pole dancing. We'd be willing to wager a fitness bar that Commissioner Milburn can't imitate the athletic move of the pole dancer on the Web site. We know we can't.

All joking aside, in the past few years, pole dancing has become a preferred option toward physical fitness for many women. That's why there will be many women at the May 16 event. Some will be there with their teenage children, as ages 12 and under will not be admitted. The pole dancing will focus on the physical aspects of the competition. Those seeking a prurient thrill will be disappointed.

"This is just tricks, no hips involved, no bootie popping, no provocative movements or sexual gestures, including touching yourself," Burroughs told the Standard.

We'll be very disappointed if this event doesn't stay on the conference center's calendar. We don't want it to suffer the same type of prejudice that has hampered mixed-martial arts cage fighting, another athletic competition that is rapidly growing in popularity but has been shut down by officials who are out of touch with the changing culture in Utah.


Below is a letter to the editor that an obviously closed minded individual wrote concering pole dancing and it's one degree from prostitute:

Rationalization is "to create an excuse or more attractive explanation" (Webster's). It hides true motives behind a fake explanation which its users hope others will buy. The Standard Examiner editorial board provides a fine example in their support of public pole dancing, with the disingenuous excuse that such entertainment involves athletic moves and is "akin to gymnastics." Uh huh.


The counter to rationalization is to find the main purpose or motive. What is the main purpose of pole dancing? Anyone old enough to vote knows it is to erotically entertain. Duh. Grondahl's cartoon on the same page deftly demonstrates this point: the man watching the dance rationalizes, but his wife is smart enough to see through him. I'm sure that many accomplished prostitutes are able to perform athletic moves akin to gymnastics. Perhaps we should have a prostitution skills competition? The difference is one of degree only.


The editorial derides "officials who are out of touch with the changing culture of Utah." They seem to think that changing culture is necessarily good. They have demonstrated their blindness to the negative effects of some culture change, however, in their own paper. Once the Examiner had a strong ethic of honesty in requiring all authors they published to identify themselves by name. Now they publish anonymous sniping at letters to the editor, somehow in the name of free speech. It has the opposite effect of course. It takes greater fortitude to put your name out there when you know it may be attacked, even more when the attacks are anonymous, and worse, with the attack implicitly supported by the paper. This is indeed changing culture; from responsible to yellow journalism. I suppose there will be attacks and ridicule of this letter. Anonymous of course. That way the Examiner can claim they have nothing to do with it, while giving tacit support and endorsement. Rationalization and changing culture indeed.


David A. Cook
Syracuse