We get close up and personal

in This One’s for the Ladies

by Kathia Woods

Many stigmas are attached to exotic male dancers, especially black ones. Prostitution, gay, weak, are some of the monikers related to this profession. "This One for The Ladies" is a documentary highlighting the camaraderie among black male exotic dancers and their fans. On paper, this movie can come across as an extended episode of Real Sex, but it shows a group of people who have a built a sense of community under the of umbrella of erotica.

We are introduced to the various dancers, but most importantly, to the women that facilitate their profession.

Unlike female exotic dancers, the men must perform in informal spaces. There aren't drink specials or a professional DJ, but the women don't care. They come to escape and have fun.

This film introduces us to dancers such as Satan, Twins Tyga and Raw Dog, and Dom Blaze.

The scene stealers in this movie are the women who support the dancers. Yes, there is the obvious physical attraction, but, it is a family affair.

I like that we get to see that this isn't some cheap tawdry affair, but it’s about folks that come from the bottom of the bottom connecting. The men are comfortable in their sexuality; however, we learn through the confessionals that for many of them, it was a way out. An escape from the all too common route of crime and jail.

I also liked that the women are three-dimensional beings. We see that they have lives and relationships. They understand that it’s escapism.

We see that the common denominator is the hardship of growing up in the hood. They all have experienced some form of sadness.

It's easy to view this movie as being about desperation. You look at these women, and they aren't poster child attractive. The men are sexy. There is plenty of room to jump to assumptions; but this is far from the truth.

Tyga and Raw Dog purchased a house for their parents and overcame their mother's addiction challenges. Satan's moniker screams intimidation but, out of character, he is a charming guy who understands that this profession enabled him to avoid becoming a statistic.

All the above are the good takeaways from this film. One may come for the salaciousness but, will stay for the story.

The lesson ultimately is that one should never judge a book by its cover, and we all need a little escapism.

An escape from the all too common route of crime and jail?

Diversity - it's a movie about black male exotic dancers and their fan base. So, its focus is that community and they get to speak for themselves.

Scale-this movie receives a strong 8. It could have gone the obvious route filled with sex but it chooses to give us a personal subjective, and that is always better.