This reporter is utterly baffled by scandal around Sarah Tressler, the Houston Chronicle society journalist that was reported by Houston Press as working as a stripper in the evenings and then blogging about her adventures. Mostly because we're pretty sure if we went back to performing in a corset and high heels at nights while people yelled perverted puns at us, the Houston Press would probably give us a raise instead of a pink slip. Then again, Tressler mixed with the elite of Houston money, and we do write-ups on steampunk dildos, so it's probably not a direct comparison.
Nonetheless, she's become a national name as a result of her... exposure, and appeared on Good Morning America to talk about the whole affair. We're certain that she'll land herself a book deal out of this, or at least another writing job somewhere that will capitalize on her notoriety. Barring that, there's always stripping.
This brings us to a few words of encouragement for Ms. Tressler. We have no feelings about her activities one way or the other. The sex industry in general baffles us, but it's not in our hearts to judge how anyone makes a living. In fact, plenty of peelers have done just fine.
She Took it Off...: Hemme started out as a cheerleader before moving on to Mt. San Jacinto College as a dance major. Once done with academia, she worked as a model and a burlesque dancer in the Purrfect Angelz dance team. Her modeling career was fairly successful, though she thoughtfully asked her dad if it was okay for her to bare all in Playboy after he had previously requested she keep her fun bits under wraps. He acquiesced, and she continued to do well showing off her obvious physical talents.
Then...: Her other talent? Beating the shit out of people. Hemme was part of the WWE's Diva Search, which was admittedly another sign that the company had decided that women's wrestling was more about tits than athleticism. Though Hemme proved damn scrappy, having grown up as a tough tomboy who idolized the Undertaker, she was mostly steamrolled by the likes of Trish Stratus and Victoria.
Eventually, she moved on to TNA where she asserted herself as much more than eye candy. Despite open derision from fellow wrestlers and the audience, she clawed her way inch by inch until she was a respectable contender. Unfortunately, a training injury shortened her career and derailed a high stakes match against Awesome Kong. She was never quite the same afterwards and moved into a backstage role with TNA. Too bad. Her finisher, a split legged guillotine leg drop from the turnbuckle, was a thing of absolute beauty.
He Took it Off...: Male strippers make up 30 percent or less of the industry, but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't count. Before he was on American Idol, Hernandez was a gymnast, but also spent some time as a stripper in a club in Phoenix, Arizona. He worked mostly nude, and for the almost exclusively male clientele at Dick's Cabaret for three years, according to a manager.
Then...: Hernandez didn't make it to the end of the seventh season of American Idol, but that doesn't mean he lost his dreams of being a singer. He opened for no less than John Legend in 2009, and released the fairly well-received I Am Who I Am. It's not exactly superstardom, but he's riding high on the #196,045 on Amazon's charts while our own work stalls at #309,157.
Okay...maybe this one wasn't the best example. How about...?
