Welcome back Pole Dancer to Science of Slink! Today we are discussing my opinion on whether Pole Dance should be in the Olympics. We are going to explore: What problem is it addressing, Would it be good for individual movers or businesses? (Spoiler: the research suggests probably not,) Who would be harmed, and an overarching question: Why do we treat sports as more than or better than other types of movement? We are wrapping up by seeking a resolution with the question: What can we focus on instead?

To start, let’s look at what problem Pole in the Olympics addressing. The desired perception is wanting more status or "legitimacy" for the activity. The perception is that the more legit feeling the exercise is, the easier it is to break into the activity as not only a mover but also as a studio owner. Furthermore, there has historically been an association (even though it may be a loose one) between sports-focused campaigns and distancing pole from its stripping roots.

Secondly, Would it be good for individual movers or businesses? Unfortunately, the research suggests probably not. "little evidence of an increased uptake of sporting activity following an Olympic Games event." (Mahtani KR, Protheroe J, Slight SP) This means that though people may find it interesting, there isn’t a direct benefit to business owners. "Since the turn of the century, a growing number of empirical studies has increased the realization that elite sport does not automatically initiate positive societal impacts. Moreover, the various ‘dark sides’ of elite sport seem to be underestimated." Negative impact may include sexism, exploitation, discrimination, injuries, distorted body image, etc. (De Rycke, J., & De Bosscher, V. 11(3))

Lastly, who would be harmed? Strippers would be further marginalized. The perception of strippers is based on societal ideals that don’t often account for not only strippers being human but also the increased safety in areas with sex work. This leads us to a bigger question: Why do we treat sports as more than or better than other types of movement?

So What we can focus on instead: Overall, I think we have more important priorities if our goal is to make pole dance accessible & equitable:

• Helping address discrimination by payment processing services (the ACLU is currently pressuring Mastercard about this)

• Decriminalization of SW more broadly

• Pushing back on age verification bills that require collecting IDs or biometrics (both a security and privacy risk to users & and huge burden on businesses)

Join pole instructor & personal trainer Rosy Boa as she chats with experts about the evidence-based practices you can introduce to your pole journey to improve your pole journey and feel better. The Evidence-Based Pole Podcast aims to help pole dancers feel better on and off the pole by talking with experts and diving into relevant scientific research to find evidence-based insights we can apply to our pole journeys. It’s a production of Slink Through Strength, the inclusive, evidence-based online pole studio, which can be found online at slinkthroughstrength.com.

Edited by: Simone Rossette

Simone.rossette77@gmail.com

Sources:

This BBC article has some really clear examples of whorephobia: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/10/18/pole-dancing-in-the-olympics-international-sports-federation-recognition-helps-pave-the-way/?noredirect=on

https://www.bbc.com/sport/41652997

https://www.dailydot.com/irl/notastripper-pole-dancing-instagram/

Yes a Stripper podcast: https://yesastripperpodcast.com/

Mahtani KR, Protheroe J, Slight SP, et al. Can the London 2012 Olympics ‘inspire a generation’ to do more physical or sporting activities? An overview of systematic reviews. BMJ

Open 2013;3:e002058. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2012-002058

De Rycke, J., & De Bosscher, V. (2019). Mapping the potential societal impacts triggered by elite sport: a conceptual framework. International journal of sport policy and politics, 11(3), 485-502.