The woman of Auckland turned out in big numbers and little tops for the premiere public Kiwi Fire performance. It was the ultimate girls' night out for many, who saw it as the chance to have a few drinks and act up a little.
Psychologist Sara Chatwin says there are several
motivations for women to attend a dance revue such as Kiwi Fire.
"Men have been attending female strip revues for decades," she says. "There are clubs all over the country that cater for men who want to be titillated by a pretty piece of flesh. But to have this kind of good time is fairly new for us.
"It's flying in the face of tradition. We're not used to this."
Men might also feel a little aggrieved by an apparent double standard about such shows, Chatwin says. Whereas a group of men heading out to a strip revue is regarded as sleazy, women can have a night out and it will be seen as being "all in good fun".
Women of all ages attend shows such as those put on by Manpower Australia or Kiwi Fire. Married women who have had no chance to look at another man for years might go because it provides a legitimate way to do so.
However, attendance at a strip revue is much more than just a sexual thing for women, Chatwin says.
"It's about energy, humour and dance as much as hard bodies.
"Women go out to have a good time. It's a release and for fun. It's almost like empowerment - and there's the perceived naughty component."
Chatwin says the combination of alcohol, having a girls' night out, and stepping out of their comfort zone might mean women act out of character. "These things for women don't come up often so most women are determined to make the most of it.
"There is a certain amount of excitement and the women do tend to get a bit hyped up. When you take a person out of familiar surroundings they tend to lose inhibitions.
"It's girl power."
