Should pole dancing be an Olympic event? / LJWorld.com

Asked at Massachusetts Street on February 23, 2010

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“I don’t think it should be. I think golfing or MMA (mixed martial arts) should be considered before pole dancing.”

— Geoff Benzing, artist, Lawrence

“Probably not, because of the ideals the Olympics are supposed to stand for, but I say, ‘Why not?’”

— Zachary Thompson, cook, Kansas City, Kan.

“No, it should not be an Olympic event, but the X games might be the proper venue for it.”

— Mikey Pokorny, stand-up comedian, Independence, Kan.

“No, I don’t think it has the athleticism of the other Olympic sports.”

— Lisa Gard, emergency room doctor, St. Louis

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RoeDapple 7 years, 3 months ago

Oh Lord, here we go!

Flap Doodle 7 years, 3 months ago

The bottom of the barrel has been reached. The barrel's been turned over & now they're digging OTS questions out of the ground.

Stuart Evans 7 years, 3 months ago

is it just the Pol's who aren't allowed to dance at the Olympics now? I understand the Czech's get pretty rowdy during their dancing, we should probably cut them off too.

Maddy Griffin 7 years, 3 months ago

Obviously most of you have never pole-danced or you would know how athletic it really is. I'm sure it would bring in a lot more viewers. Let's ask AnnaUndercover what SHE thinks.

classclown 7 years, 3 months ago

Will spectators be able to tip the dancers? Will the dancers go around the arena asking who wants a lap dance?

Stuart Evans 7 years, 3 months ago

they still play a game like that in Turkey. But I think they at least wear pants now.

RoeDapple 7 years, 3 months ago

"Let's ask AnnaUndercover what SHE thinks."

Ya really thinks we'll have to ask?

Mel Briscoe 7 years, 3 months ago

autie, agreed. lame ass topic.

Mel Briscoe 7 years, 3 months ago

ret, you're right. and they were also held in greece..... naked...... olive oil.... wrestling...... in greece..... do you see any recurrent theme running here?.......

Cait McKnelly 7 years, 3 months ago

I read this question out loud to my husband. His comment was, "It's too early for April."

BrianR 7 years, 3 months ago

snap_pop_no_crackle (anonymous) says... "The bottom of the barrel has been reached. The barrel's been turned over & now they're digging OTS questions out of the ground."

Which is a considerable feat in itself considering the temperature outside. Maybe digging OTS questions out of frozen tundra could be an Olympic event.

vuduchyld 7 years, 3 months ago

More athleticism: pole dancing or curling?

Melissa Sigler 7 years, 3 months ago

um...why?

how about toe wrestling.

Boston_Corbett 7 years, 3 months ago

Air Hockey. Air Guitar. Trivia. Crosswords. Rock-Paper-Scissors. Lawn Dart Catch.

jonas_opines 7 years, 3 months ago

They'd be the first athletes to receive their endorsement contracts all in small bills.

Leslie Swearingen 7 years, 3 months ago

You know, I really get into curling, the strategy of the game and all. I love to watch the sweepers clearing the ice before the rock as it slides down toward the target. The British captain had a fit of anger and broke her broom. They are hanging on by a thread as it is. Men 1 Canada 2 Norway
3 Great Britain 3 Switzerland
5 Sweden
6 Germany
7 France
8 China
8 Denmark 10 United States Women 1 Canada 2 Sweden
3 China
4 Switzerland
5 Germany
6 Japan
7 Denmark
8 Great Britain
9 Russian Federation 10 United States The ideal is that your rock will slide down, the sweepers will do their job right, the rock will knock the other rocks out of the target and yours will stop right on the bulls eye.

jonas_opines 7 years, 3 months ago

/and the one advertising coke would take on an entirely new meaning.

(rimshot)

K_Verses_The_World 7 years, 3 months ago

Well, I'm stranded in the city that never sleeps Some of these women they just give me the creeps

Bob Dylan - Honest With Me

Mel Briscoe 7 years, 3 months ago

anyone who would seriously consider this needs to be drug tested.

1029 7 years, 3 months ago

Yes. And the uniforms should be painted on.

kristyj 7 years, 3 months ago

only if stuff like this can happen...

Fat Woman Pole Dance Fail by rerro

RoeDapple 7 years, 3 months ago

Cow chip throwing? punkin chunkin? lap dancing?

BorderRuffian 7 years, 3 months ago

Why not do a new, more realistic Biathalon - Belly-crawling and prairie dog shooting?

bblbfolks 7 years, 3 months ago

Just what the Olympics needs...more guys at home spanking it to the telecast.

classclown 7 years, 3 months ago

Egg toss? Three legged racing? That one where you put your head on the end of a bat , spin around several times, then run for the finish line?

AnnaUndercover 7 years, 3 months ago

@reticent_irreverent Thank you for the link.

@honeychild Before I started stripping for a living, I would have agreed that this is an absurd question. But now I know how hard it is to sharpen your skills enough to pole dance at even a basic level.

It's gymnastics and dance on a vertical pole. Yes, you can do it in a sexually provocative way, but you can perform in the same space for other reasons.

As a former competitive ballet dancer and current stripper, I understand why this can and perhaps should qualify as an Olympic sport. The Olympic Committee should give it a fair chance.

Rae Hudspeth 7 years, 3 months ago

Which begs the question also.. why is ballroom dance an Olympic sport? IMO, dance is an art, not a sport,. I have to say, though, that competition pole-dancing (not the short pole versions you often see at the bird and the outhouse) is quite as athletic as gymnastics.

classclown 7 years, 3 months ago

When is poker going to be an Olympic event?

classclown 7 years, 3 months ago

Will the stage they perform...uhm... compete on be a raised one?

classclown 7 years, 3 months ago

Will the competitors be walking around with a jar or coffee can asking the spectators for money for the jukebox?

beatrice 7 years, 3 months ago

Okay, but it needs to be a Winter Olympics sport.

Mel Briscoe 7 years, 3 months ago

anna, i actually do realize that pole dancing can be quite athletic... not saying its not something that requires strength and skill. but seriously, even if the woman is dressed in a sweat suit, wearing granny panties and an old ladies bra underneath, it will always and forever be associated w/ stripping. and that is NOT a sport. i am not demeaning it and saying it is just pure sleeze and fluff but a sport it is not.

gl0ck0wn3r 7 years, 3 months ago

International Rochambeau competition: on ice! EXTREME EDITION!

AnnaUndercover 7 years, 3 months ago

@honeychild My abs agree that it's athletic and requires strength and skill.

And my legs, my back, and my arms, which I can barely raise each Sunday morning, lol.

AnnaUndercover 7 years, 3 months ago

@scottpewenofkit I love your comments.

LoveThsLife 7 years, 3 months ago

I could see this being a really funny SNL skit. However, SNL really isn't that funny anymore so never mind.

gphawk89 7 years, 3 months ago

Considering the controversies at recent Olympics, I believe that ANY sport that involves subjective judging should not be a medal event. For example, skating. You could win a medal for going the fastest, doing the greatest number of jumps without falling, jumping the highest or the longest distance without falling, etc. Yes, there could still be ice dancing for the crowds to enjoy, but it wouldn't be for a medal. Hopefully this would eliminate most of the whining that has become commonplace in recent years. Pole dancing would not be a medal event, unless it involved climbing as high as possible on the pole before falling.

beatrice 7 years, 3 months ago

RI, did you borrow your avatar from Vlad the Impaler?

jehovah_bob 7 years, 3 months ago

R_I,

Curling is actually Scottish where they invent things like golf, and hagus,

and have you seen the women's curling teams . . . HAWT!

It could only get better if the sweepers were wearing French maid uniforms,

though, I haven't seen the French team yet.

classclown 7 years, 3 months ago

"all of a sudden all the innuendos start to fly"

==============================

Because that's what most people here are good at. Practically everyone here does it at some point or another. It happens in practically every story and every blog. After all, it's all in good clean fun. Quit being a sourpuss and let other people have some fun.

Boston_Corbett 7 years, 3 months ago

Long Pole, Short Pole, Women's Pole, Men's Pole, Slalom Pole, Horizontal pole, Curling Pole, Jump Pole, Field Pole, Compulsory Pole, Bipole, Tripole.

Poles of the world unite.

Solidarność

eotw33 7 years, 3 months ago

Would we have to pay a cover to watch? If yes, then no, if no, then totally.

beatrice 7 years, 3 months ago

On what planet was pairs dance skating related to war?

classclown 7 years, 3 months ago

A pipe gives a wise man something to ponder and a fool something to stick in his mouth. : p~

jehovah_bob 7 years, 3 months ago

bea,

On that note would the medals be on ribbons or will the presenters just tuck them in their shorts?

And how are they going to blacklight an entire arena?

beatrice 7 years, 3 months ago

No to the question. I'm afraid if it is made a "sport," the "athletes" would be compelled to blog.

ugh.

LoveThsLife 7 years, 3 months ago

"Hey!! isn't that guy mikey Pat from Saturday Night Live?"

ooooh I see it now Pat as an Olympic stripper...er I mean pole dancer....yikes!

Brad Maestas 7 years, 3 months ago

This unfathomably stupid question doesn't even warrant an answer.

jonas_opines 7 years, 3 months ago

Garblebargle poor journalism stupid question garble

Meanwhile, 100 comments and counting.

chuckle

trinity 7 years, 3 months ago

oh SNAP to bea&py's posts from this afternoon! hoorah, love 'em! :)

Katara 7 years, 3 months ago

beatrice (anonymous) says... On what planet was pairs dance skating related to war?

Yes Py, I'm with ya! At the awards ceremony, would the strippers, er, I mean, athletes have to bend over backwards and pick the award up with their teeth? Instead of the national anthem, would they just play a bad '80s rock song by Poison? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Obviously, beatrice, you are woefully ignorant as to the vital role that synchronized swimming played in the War of 1812.

And teeth are not what they would use to pick up their awards.

Overall, I guess I'm okay with it being in the Olympics but only if they include competitive pastie twirling.