Burks, Grad Research Assignment: Discussion Questions on Article or Essay (1 of 7)

Barton, Bernadette. Stripped. 1st. New York: New York University Press, 2006.

Questions regarding “The Toll”:

1. Discuss the answer to “the toll”? If there is no answer, then what is left and how do you (the dancer) deal with it?

2. Where does the work go from the point of realization that there is nothing beyond the toll?

Answers regarding “The Toll”:

1. According to both Barton and my personal experience within the sex industry, there is no answer to the toll dancing takes on a person physically, mentally or emotionally. In the essay, “The Toll”, in Bernadette Barton’s book Stripped her twenty plus pages of the researched results of dancing ends with no resolution. There is no proposed answer by her or myself. Barton goes on for pages and pages detailing the how damaging the job is and leaves the essay abruptly, much in the same way as the industry leaves the dancer at the end of the day. The cycle of pain, lies, distrust and loss is a constant part of the dancers life forever. All she can do is think about it frequently, or ignore it. What’s left? Bitterness and frustration are the first words that come to mind. We must move forward to a place that people can access.

2. There are a few options for moving forward within the artwork after the point of realization that there is no cure or answer. One is to stop making art all together because the nihilistic perspective calls for exactly that; nihilism. Another option is to decide what is important about the pain and loss and what you want to say about it. Are you mad and want people to know that? Do you want to make others aware? Do you aim to start a conversation about the ethical treatment of people? What does pain, loss and innocence look like? What is new about this subject that no one has ever experienced? Should it be tongue in cheek or serious? Is a statement about loss an pain enough or does it need something more profound? Isn’t the fact that people are treated like shit by other people profound enough? The answer? Yes.