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Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011 | 2 a.m.
Justice
More from Justice
Justice is an occasional blogger for the Las Vegas Weekly — a sister publication of the Las Vegas Sun.
To read more of her posts, visit the Weekly’s website at lasvegasweekly.com.
My stripper friend is visiting from out of town to work with me. I warned her it’s going to be insane because the rodeo is in town.
I’m genuinely excited about it this year, which is a lot different from the past. In previous years, I was annoyed by everything about the cowboy invasion. I avoided work for the entire duration of the rodeo last year.
I didn’t like country music. I didn’t like the crowds of cowboys and I didn’t like their attitudes. Admittedly I never gave them a chance. I think I assumed, without any investigation, that they were crazy, right-wing, misogynistic hillbillies. I’ve had a few individual encounters with cowboys at work that broke this stereotype for me. Sort of. I mean, I’ve never met a non-Republican cowboy but that’s OK, I suppose.
I used to have a regular strip club customer who was a cowboy. Let’s call him Dan. Dan would always wear his camel-colored felt cowboy hat, a button-up shirt and a suede vest. He was conspicuously tall and thin, like a dead tree, and had a thick wheat-colored mustache that he styled perfectly with the ends curled up nice and stiff. Dan could be spotted from anywhere in the small club because of his height and unusual sense of style. He was like a cowboy caricature but was baffled as to why he was so easily remembered by everyone at the club.
Justice
“Well you have a very distinctive look,” I told him over the loud music. “What? I stink?” he responded. “She just told me I stink” he told the bartender. I tried to clarify but I don’t think I succeeded. He forgave me anyway. He’s sweet like that. Cowboy Dan never bought himself lap dances but was very generous with his money. He tipped very well and bought lots of tequila. It was a delight to spend a shift at work with him.
Another cowboy who I adored was also gentlemanly and totally hot. He was a tall young Texan. He wore a black cowboy hat and most of my memory about him makes me blush. I think I liked the jeans. I tried on his cowboy hat and I learned that there is a custom that if you try on the hat, you have to try on the cowboy.
Both he and Cowboy Dan were very generous, friendly and respectful. They were perfect customers. Both were examples of how wrong I was about cowboys. I’m looking forward to meeting many more of them during the rodeo.
And I’ve come around on country music and am actually looking forward to hearing it at work. It’s my favorite kind of music these days. It’s bizarre to hear country at a strip club, where classic rock and R&B are the norm.
I’ve heard several strippers explosively express their frustration with country music during the rodeo. I’m going to just have to try not to sing along.
I’ve successfully talked my visiting stripper into sneaking out of work early to hit the cowboy parties. This is going to be fun.
Sun NFR coverage
Justice, whose identity we are protecting, earned a bachelor’s degree from UNLV in 2008.
Was the good impression left by the men a result of them being cowboys or was it their individual character?
I'm confused.
Cowboys just looking for a little Justice.
Cowfolks are welcome to come, have fun and spend some money. But it would be nice if we had no cowfolk zones for regular people. That music is just plain annoying, and the hats/boots are exceedingly rural and obnoxious.
Comment removed by moderator. - -
Hey westvegas, so you think some wanna be who's blinged out, all hat and no cattle is where it's at? A rappa, thug? Some actin' out fool playin' DJ. White powder, rock jock?
I'll take the cowboy.
BTW
Pardon, if you were being sarcastic.
I enjoy the heck out of playing poker with the ones with both hats and cattle. Great poker players, great stories. The ones without the cattle are usually donating to the table, though. I certainly can't fault them for that. :)
I just wish they would all leave that d*mn music at home. Look, this webpage even has a Gilley's ad on it. OMG.
westvegas, you need to read the story again. Give it a chance. Justice learned to appreciate western music. You are out west you know.
"How boring, stick to stripping."
HackDelahunts -- Justice wrote a good piece here, and deserves respect for that. My advice to you is found on the signs all over the French Quarter -- "be nice or leave!"
Along with what 2bxx hinted at and westvegas posted I'll add there's the real thing (a rarity) and the type we used to call "all hat and no cattle." The latter deserve no respect. Like 2bxx's blinged-out wannabes.
"Well, there are three things men can do with women: love them, suffer for them, or turn them into literature. I've had my share of success and failure at all three." -- Stephen Stills in a 1971 interview in Rolling Stone Magazine
Stripper + bachelor degree = pretentiousness squared
Pleasant article, interesting to have this gal's perspective. Cowboys come from all cultures around the world, and for the most part, Americans have a very narrow view and opinion about cowboys. Many "cowboys" are well-educated, hard working, and extremely well mannered. Then you have the exceptional "outlaw cowboys" who are obnoxious, attracting negative attention to themselves and giving the rest of the cowboy world a bad rap.
Nevada is "Cowboy Country" anywhere outside of Las Vegas. Most view Las Vegas as a state unto itself.
Blessings and Peace,
Star