Are Truck Stop Strip Clubs The Source Of All Human Loneliness?

As I watched the documentary made by two women, named Natalia Leite and Alexandra Roxo, on truck stop strippers, as a man, I felt quite intrigued. But as I continued to watch and understand what they were trying to achieve my heart went out to them and those they represented. It’s such a bizarre feeling of curiosity, sympathy, and remorse with an even stranger sense of hilarity.  The documentary was so heart wrenchingly awkward that it was difficult to watch one of the segments completely, without taking a break and reading something uplifting. 

Coming from New York, they had held several more traditional jobs in order to maintain and live in the expensive city. These two women literally went out of their way to tell a story few understand or even want to understand. They decided that they wanted to see the stigmatized and mysterious lifestyles women resort to survive; going city to city to understand them.

Their first segment in this docu-series is called Every Woman, and in it they travel to Moriarty, New Mexico to experience the life of truck-stop strippers. The cinematography is quite beautiful as the women prepare for their first night at Club 203. It’s extremely nerve racking and for me caused a serious feeling of anxiety. The way the girls filmed and told the story, really connect, and you cant help but feel for them.

As you watch, you come to understand in a way, that I really don’t think I would have understood otherwise. They interview other strippers and truck drivers to really depict how they both exist. 

A lonely life is the best way to describe the sentiment of both stripper and truck driver. 

If I'm being honest, my lifelong opinion of strippers has been pretty ignorant, probably typical and mixed absurdity with perversity. I had always thought, somewhat embarassingly, that women ultimately picked this life for themselves in order to exploit money from lustful men. But that, as it turns out, wasn’t always the case. Many of the women had no other real option to provide a comfortable living. Some of the women only did so to strictly provide their income and lifestyle. While one of the girls interviewed truly enjoyed her job, where she tried to connect with the lost neglected souls that came through her club. 

From a trucker’s standpoint the road is long and lonely. On the road away from family and friends for weeks at a time, and in some cases nothing to return to at all. This life often attracts the bent out of shape, rough men with very few other options. While some men are quite soft and really care about the girls and even offer up their form of encouraging advice and praise. Some of the men we’re very harsh and cared little for the girls only seeking the basest rewards on offer.

Critics are always a part of every debatable topic and have tried to degrade what these women are trying to do, calling it a new spin on the “Simple Life.” These women aren’t out partying or having a good time; it often proved very difficult for them as they tried to broaden the public’s eye on something generally misunderstood. Whether or not their intentions were pure, after watching this documentary, I feel like I understand at least a little better how lonely strippers and truck drivers can be.

You can learn more by watching the documentary here.