A Fishnet of Words: Con vs. Camp vs. Retreat vs. Intensive vs. Workshop vs. Jam vs. Sensual vs. Sexy vs. Exotic vs. Erotic

Claims and realities about the usage of words in pole right now. Not to get caught up in semantics, but words are a choice.

Not to get caught up in semantics. Unraveling and cutting the fishnets.

TLDR version: Have you ever gotten caught up in a pair of fishnet stockings? Nothing makes sense at that point. Where does the tangle begin, where does it end? You don’t really know until you’re either over it and cut them off or spend time unraveling it. Let’s do that with two sets of trending words in pole right now. Let’s cut and unravel the fishnet around words to come to some agreement that usage is important because, if not, people will stay stuck or get caught up.

This is going to be a long one, so let me figure out the best way to set this up for y’all. I want it to land and either shock some sense into yall or give yall enough info to make a decision without getting so triggered. First off, I am not the ‘word warden’ or the ‘definition district attorney’. I have multiple ways I identify, and playing authority ain't one. Let’s be clear. I’m not telling you what to do or what you need to do. What I am, is an observer and emergent teacher in the industry of pole that is fed the fuck up with the trend choices trickling through the community sects that are threatening my capacity to make a living and the integrity of my art. I have an internal agenda along with an external one that I need you to acknowledge.

In this 'claims vs. realities', there is no right or wrong way to speak; there is usage choice and consequence. For me, words are one of the more vehement arguments that will show me who you are. Words communicate, and what a hefty responsibility that is, especially when language is coded and reality is loaded with perspectives. So, in this written contention where English and AAVE are the languages that I speak with fluency, I’m gonna “do the best with what I got,” word to Mariah Carey. 

Back to those trends that I'm observing. I don’t know if, or how, yall are observing the word usage in pole descriptors presently. Chile, the words are wording. And to me, much of the word usage in pole is not making good on their claims. Which is a shame because this sort of usage feeds institutional beasts, nurtures capitalism, and has non-human personhood effects.

Somehow, with this voicing, I will ignite a consensus of belief that just leaves us at ‘it is what it is’ . I hope to question your beliefs. I'm tryna see where we stand by the end of this, making decisions from there to relate or not. And if we don’t click, can we articulate our differences without projections and with full honesty? I'm really curious to know not only where you stand but also how you take that stance.

Observation: Let’s Share The Payload To Come Together For A Shared Purpose

Jam, Workshop, Conference, Camp, Retreat, Intensive—some of these are not like the others and some of these have specific methods that support their usage.

Let’s talk about coming together to share a purpose. First, lay aside what you understand about economic systems and concentrate on the concept of ‘giving and receiving’. Knowledge share is a collective effort— full stop. If you disagree, peace! Close this mothafucka right now. Anyway, the passing around, passing down, impartation of knowledge is something done when one and another come into an agreement. You tracking?

Now, how do agreements come to be? Mostly, there are understood relationships and conditions. Knowledge share = learning with another, okay? Okay. As we learn in different environments and under different conditions, there also comes unique learning events to bring people existing under those differences together for a shared purpose. In the industry of pole I’ve noticed that there are a few titles that exist for events where a host of people come together for a purpose of learning. The events are often titled jams, workshops, conferences, camps, retreats, and intensives. These words on their own, with no economic system consideration, should already be dredging up some experience associations and even meaning for you. Lay those formal definitions aside too. The words themselves have contextual implied meaning without you having to look them up.

I think it’s important to see that within an economic system that is generous, these words are not in competition with each other. They hold no estimation of value, though each has meaning. However, within an economic system like capitalism, they are competitors, and that is where the shit is hitting the fan. What I am observing is the usage of these words to compete in marketing for money rather than the usage of them to indicate meaning, informing exchanged experience.

I could get into the definitions of all those words, but fuck that. I’m not arguing in the loop of common semantics. What I am stating is that meaning is a felt and lived experience in consensus—things that we all share. In this case, it’s this damned pole and the concept of learning. You got me fucked up if you think I’m finna argue Webster’s vs. Wikipedia, cause this ain’t that. And that’s where many of yall got it fucked up. There’s so much competition for money that most don’t focus on meaning, which, in my opinion, is exponentially more valuable and deposits into survival alongside that paper dollar (when folk ain’t undercutting each other's ability to make a living).

Observation: Let’s Move Our Bodies To Objectify Ourselves Or Something About Ourselves