We spend loads of taxpayer dough promoting our town as a "World Class Sports Mecca;" however at this unfortunate moment we're coming off as a bunch of country bumpkins, don'tcha think?
Interesting story in the Standard-Examiner this morning reporting on a blemish in the otherwise successful 2011 Dew Tour event.
Scott Schwebke reports that a featured team of Studio 4-A pole sports competitors who had been scheduled to perform during the Dew Tour after-party at Ogden's Scrapyard Arena were unceremoniously banned from the stage mere minutes before their performance was to begin:
Although the SE article labels this unfortunate glitch as the event promoter's own "business decision," it's pretty clear from even a casual reading of Mr. Schwebke's story what really happened here. Somebody in Boss Godfrey's chain of administration command (OPD Top Brass it appears) obviously had their mind in the gutter, confusing this... with something like this, and intimidated a flummoxed Ms. Huddleston into pulling the plug on what ought to have been a highly impressive athletic performance event.
It's difficult to understand the responsible authorities' deplorable lack of sophistication in this instance. What's the matter with these people? Don't they read the Standard-Examiner?
Needless to say, the jilted pole competitors were a mite embarrassed and upset. According to Ms. Lujan (whom we spoke with on Tuesday), she in fact even sent this highly articulate email to the Ogden City Council, relating in detail the facts surrounding this unfortunate mixup, and offering, among other things, an opportunity for the Council to invite these remarkable athletes back, in order to help educate some of the more "backward" elements in our community about her chosen sport. (Check it out gentle readers; it's literally brimming with interesting and informative links):
So what say our readers? Should we officially invite Ms. Lujan and her fellow competitors back to our town, to perform at our next big Ogden City event, and even issue a public apology, perhaps? Who knows? Maybe we could even persuade the ever-gracious Boss Godfrey to make amends and beg forgiveness on bended knee!
Here's the City Council's contact info, in the event you'd like to take action on this:
As everyone knows, we spend loads of taxpayer dough promoting our town as a "World Class Sports Mecca;" however at this unfortunate moment we're coming off as a bunch of country bumpkins, don'tcha think?
And one other thing. Don't forget to chime in with your comments. It would be quite enlightening to hear what the lumpencitizens of Emerald City think about this unfortunate blunder, we believe.
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22 comments:
I wonder, did our antithalian mayor suggest that face painting would be a more family friendly form of after party entertainment? That was, after all, his substitute for arm wrestling contests at the Ogden Summer Fest he family-friendlyied into oblivion.
If they were really concerned about negative influences on our kids they should have pre extends the lyrics of IceCube. His lyrics were more than suggestive.
I was there and it really wasn't the city. The organizers already hired an aerial company. Those pole performers were never invited to perform, but showed up anyway then got pissed when they were turned away. It wasn't that they do pole, it was because they were not hired or invited. They are just women scorned.
That is not what was reported, IWT. There is precedence for this kind of silly behavior. A school teacher was harassed by parents for showing a movie about the Holocaust and a spineless Ogden School District official enabled it; Mixed Martial Arts, despite its popularity, was taken out of a county fair ... Someone is fibbing about what occurred with the pole dancing ...
Doug Gibson
Here's another troubling discrpancy:
Mr. Schwebke's story reports that "Lt. Scott Conley, who is in charge of vice enforcement for the Ogden Police Department, said he was unaware that the pole performers were going to be appearing at the Scrapyard until he was contacted by the media following the after-party."
Yet I spoke with Ms. Lujan on Tuesday, and she told me that Connely was physically present on the scene on Friday night.
Somebody's fibbin' alright.
Perhaps the whole brouhaha has it's roots in the mayor's "pole envy"?
We'll always come off as a "backward bunch of country bumpkins," so long as that little cherry picker from rural Harrisville is occupying the mayor's chair.
The liars are the women from studio 4A. Det. Conley wasn't aware of them because they weren't even on the roster of performers. They are blaming ogden city for something they weren't involved in.
Studio Soiree was invited to perform, and weeks prior to the event. Ogden has been anti pole for some time. It was an unfortunate series of events, that resulted in this weirdness!
This is a highly colored version of events from the Studio 4A/Soiree side. Ogden dancers had already been invited to perform. The women from Soiree showed up uninvited. While I totally see the line between pole sport and erotic pole dancing, the fact is to perform pole well you've still gotta be in booty shorts and a sports bra. You need plenty of skin to stick to the pole for tricks. While plenty of 12-year-olds are looking at porn or leafing through VS magazines, I think it's still pretty understandable why Dew Tour organizers wouldn't want pole at a family event.
Soiree has a history of saying and doing whatever they want to get whatever they want. They are pretty sketchy ethically, and while I don't doubt Godfrey didn't want the poledancers there, it wasn't his call to pull them. It wasn't some crazy city/cop pressure to stop them from performing. They showed up unexpectedly and then threw a hissy fit when they were turned away. I'm sure plenty of people will dismiss me as pro-gondolajuncttionbossgodfreyandcronies. I'm not. I think he's a jacka** who looks like a used car salesman, but frankly I'd rather not have the Dew tour leave Ogden because some sketchy ladies felt like lying about what really happened.
Sarah
Why would you malign car salesmen like that?
Another "family friendly" plea. Please, please, what about the children?
Nonsense. Moral crusaders irk.
Sarah:
Sad this little tempest in a teapot erupted following what was, by most accounts, a remarkably successful event for all concerned: promoters, spectators, city of Ogden.
Albert: Good point. My grandpa sold used cars and car parts and was a spectacular man. My apologies to car salesmen everywhere.
South Bench: I don't oppose strip clubs or burlesque shows. I've even performed at Club Wet before. I think it's ridiculous that they shut down the Lighthouse. But the thing is you go to a club expecting to see skin. You don't expect to take your kids to a pole performance at the Dew Tour, even if it's sport pole that's still a lot of skin showing. There is something beautiful and sensual about well-done pole. I wouldn't expect to see pole at Summerfest, why would it be okay at Dew tour? For something aimed at an older crowd? Awesome. Go for it. For something that potentially has younger kids and teens coming? Probably not the most appropriate. And that's the Dew Tour's call to make, which they did.
Curm: Indeed.
what a hornet's nest you've stirred up with this one, Rudi -- LOL
Once again, Yes, the pole performers were absolutely invited. No one just shows up to random events with a pole hoping to be able to put it up somewhere and just do whatever they want on it. Thats ridiculous. I have plenty of invitations still in my email from several different people for both Friday & Saturday night. Anyone who was actually there, and wants to be honest-knows what truly happened. The pole performers were invited, we prepared, and we showed up as we were supposed to-on time and ready to go. Lynda told us no. The reasons she initially gave us were, and I QUOTE: "the City of Ogden says they will not give us our license to operate the events this weekend if we allow pole performers..." she firmly stated that Detective Connelly had been sent to relay that message to her. We know Det.Connelly was there, and that following their discussion, this decision was made. I spoke to Det.Connelly after the fact, who states he did not say that to Lynda, and that the city was not involved in this decision. Either way-that is what we were told-straight from Lynda's mouth. Bottom line, someone is lying. For whatever reason, the 'decision' to X the pole at the last minute was made-and it was made as a result of ignorance & intimidation, not positive discussion. Thats not the way to make decisions. They will never turn out well when made that way-as we can see.
The letter I wrote following the incident, was with the information I was given by Lynda at the event. The message is that we would love the chance to share what we do with the community. If for no other reason, than to allow people to make up their own minds about it. I do hope we can get the chance to perform at another event in the area...although none of us are 'hard up' for opportunities. I have been lucky to travel all over the globe performing and competing, and I stay very busy with events. It's just always nice to go someplace new and meet new people. For me, this would have been a first appearance in Ogden.
My message really is this: Honesty, education and communication go a long way.
P.S. The above comment by 'Anthony' was written by me: Chastitie Lujan. Sorry, my google accnt is apparently under my hubby's name :)
Feel free to email me directly, or check out any of my sites as listed in my letter to the city. Hope they help!
hello kitties claws are coming out! Wow who knew strippers would beat a dead horse this hard. You showed didn't performe now go home lick your wounds and try again. Ogden city doesn't hate pole dancers I'm aware of a studio located right in the heart of downtown ogden, and as far as I know they teach pole fitness as well. Maybe ogden didn't like the strippers from slc coming onto ogden's strippers turf. Trust me girls, there is enough utah for everyone so how about we all just stick to our own cities. however i wouldn't mind watching slc strippers vs ogden strippers pretty sure it would get pretty good ratings. And don't get all hater on me because i'm calling you strippers, one; you dance on a pole two; your not wearing that much clothing three; you where the same high heels as the strippers. So if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and sounds like a duck.. well sorry girls its still a duck. nough said.
Once again for the ignorant...There are NO strippers involved in this conversation. Please refrain from commenting until further enlightened. Twice again: This isn't about not performing. It's about ignorance...back to the first thing. Educate yourselves. Be honest. Communicate. Live and learn. 'Nough said!
Chastitie Lujan
CEO, Pole Dance Intl & Aerial Arts Intl Magazines
N.American Regional VP-Intl Pole Sports Federation (IPSF),
International Aerial Dance Artist & Pole Athlete
www.polesports.org
www.poledanceintlmagazine.com
polegoddess@hotmail.com
As for me, I'd totally tap that. Yep, I'd hit that.
Exactly right, Ms. Lujan. And let me additionally point out that there's a big difference between folks who suffer ignorance inadvertantly, and those (like "Nough Said" above) who exhibit it deliberately, flagrantly and willfully.
This just has to be the efforts of the reincarnated Joy Beech. Damn I missed her protecting me from myself and all the other good she accomplished. Great to know that she's back and on the job.
Pole dancing--my gawd! The outrageousness of it all!
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