Arnold Continues Stripper Fixation With New York Pravda Party

arnold_nyc_2007_strippers.jpg

Perhaps taking a cue from Arnold's Boston office holiday party last year during which stripper antics were performed on a pole in Creative Director Pete Favat's office, Arnold New York management hired five strippers for its New York office party held at Pravda reports Agency Spy reports.

It seems the ladies stripped down to nothing but pasties and thongs leaving employees, Agency Spy reports, "shocked and horrified" with female employees "alienated" and male employees "guilty." While a full on strip show might not be the best entertainment of an office holiday party, pictures of the event make it all look like a harmless, burlesque-like show. In fact, the one lone female caught observing the so-called strip tease is smiling. Yes, smiling. Hardly indicative of "shock and horror." OK, so it's only one picture and to be fair, hardly indicative of the entire evening.

Certainly, strippers removing their clothing at an office party is bound to make some people uncomfortable and even angry. In fact, from a purely moral high ground, strippers have no place at all at an office party. Then again, the advertising industry isn't exactly a pillar of perfection. As much as this may have irked some in attendance, none of the female "strippers" pictured conjure anything remotely close to anything seedy or hookeresque. In fact, they look like flappers from the roaring 20's, hardly the image of old school Times Square hookers.

If, as Agency Spy reports, the ladies "stripped down to pasties and thongs, crawled around and generally, did what strippers do," where are the pictures? Why are we seeing just the "clean" images? Where is the photographic proof to back up this alleged ugliness? Please, do tell.

by Steve Hall    Comments (26)     File: Agencies, Opinion, Racy     Dec-17-07     
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Comments

And if any ladies there who were offended wish to contact me, we can do a class action thing. It’s easy. I’ll show you.

Posted by: Steve Biegel on December 17, 2007 10:45 PM

Steve Hall,

With all due respect, methinks you believe the images appear tame because when placed alongside your typical AdRants fare, well, they are tame. But it hardly helps to offset an industry’s already lousy reputation in the sensitivity department. It’s all so old school and outdated, like much of Arnold’s work. And it certainly corroborates what some of us know about Arnold as an agency, in terms of their professionalism. Keep in mind that this shop brags about its inclusive spirit, with its own Tiffany R. Warren leading the diversity charge. Is this spectacle an example of the true Arnold?

Posted by: Arnold Whoreshack on December 17, 2007 11:32 PM

What is this, an episode of "The Office," but less funny?

Posted by: Faith on December 18, 2007 12:54 AM

This episode tells you what their customers are like and their company values.

Posted by: Small Business Marketing on December 18, 2007 06:04 AM

Arnold Whorehack,

Call it old school and outdated but titillation has been around since the days of cavemen and will be here until the human race ceases to exist. It doesn't make it right but it is what it is. Now if they had some Chippendale-style male strippers, that might have evened things out a bit:-)

Posted by: Steve Hall on December 18, 2007 08:51 AM

What a great demonstration of creative thinking this is!

A: "What shall we do for out party?"

4 hours of brainstorming on clients time later:

"Well, we need to appeal to our predominately male 21-25 demographic so...erm...get some strippers!"

Appeal to the lowest common denominator - sums up most of the industry really.

Or maybe I'm just turning into George Parker...?

Posted by: Floyd on December 18, 2007 09:55 AM

Steve Hall,

To be clear, the comment wasn’t meant to say that strippers are old school and outdated; rather, that Arnold’s decision to present strippers at an office party is old and outdated—and it ultimately says something about Arnold.

American Express recently presented a study showing Baby Boomer bosses’ attitudes about things like holiday parties. One comment stated these bosses recognized the multi-generational workforce barely wants to attend these events. Based on the Arnold spectacle, can you blame them? It’s not a party when the “entertainment” is dictated by (probably) old men who are out of touch with other generations.

You seem to have some familiarity with strippers. So you should realize the girls don’t come cheap. What do you think Arnold paid to get five? Up to $1000 easily, we’ll bet. We’d also bet the overwhelming majority of Arnold employees would have preferred seeing the loot put to better use—hey, how about raffling it off to an employee? Or just having more booze on hand. Having half-naked females at conventions is the norm. At an advertising agency party, it’s just plain gross.

This attempt to appear to be hip and cutting edge really looks pathetic, IMHO.

Happy holidays.

Posted by: Arnold Whoreshack on December 18, 2007 11:25 AM

You all take yourselves and your sexuality too seriously. Relax.

Posted by: Frumpy on December 18, 2007 12:25 PM

Frumpy,

You sound like a stripper.

Posted by: Humpy on December 18, 2007 12:48 PM

That's funny because there is a decent amount of talk about strippers at a holiday party in closerlook's holiday video this year.

http://www.closerlook.com/company/holiday_videos/2007/

Posted by: Aaron CT on December 18, 2007 01:06 PM

Speaks volumes about how Arnold regards it's employees by holding them hostage at a Christmas party for the enjoyment of the low rent nimrod who made the choice to hire strippers and the person who signed their check. Sad what has happened to that agency and the standards they project.

Posted by: disgusted on December 18, 2007 02:35 PM

They weren't strippers. They were talented burlesque dancers. This was a show people. It was fun and pretty much everyone had a good time and a laugh. Who organized this? Not the so-called "old men" you are referring to. Our 24-year-old hip female party/event planner did and she did well! Our office is about 70% female, as most agencies in NYC are – and we all enjoyed as much as the men. It’s easy for some to make comments like this and assume the old and outdated call the shots because that’s probably how it goes in the environment you work in.

Posted by: lonefemale on December 18, 2007 05:17 PM

“like this and assume the old and outdated call the shots because that’s probably how it goes in the environment you work in”

Uhhhh, no. You assume too much, but hey, 'hip' 24-year olds know it all in agencies, don’t they. Of course you’d think it’s cute. How many people do you really think were just being nice and putting up with it though? Focus on the work instead of the parties, then maybe VW might come back.

Parties Wanted.

Posted by: La Cage aux Arnold on December 18, 2007 05:32 PM

Parties Wanted?

THIRD!

oh wait i 'm 14th

3.14 perfect.

Posted by: nancy Krabbenhoeft on December 18, 2007 07:02 PM

clearly bad press is better than no press...Arnold Who??? (cares)

Posted by: disgusted on December 18, 2007 08:32 PM

First, closerlook owes me about five minutes of my life. That video was lame.

Second, Arnold claims they weren’t strippers, but they were talented burlesque dancers? You mean like exotic dancers? Have you all not been apprised that it’s the Dove Real Beauty era, where we frown on the demeaning of women and viewing them as sexual objects? Were you not around for the fall of Neil French? Or when Steve Biegel cried sexual harassment? And now you’re going to let a 24-year-old female take responsibility for it all? Are we to believe she had carte blanche, with no one approving the party details? Do you really expect anyone to believe the 70% female Arnold staff thought this spectacle was cool?

Next, you’ll be trying to convince us the closerlook video deserves a Cannes Gold Lion.

Posted by: Celine Dion on December 18, 2007 08:54 PM

Is everyone so judgmental, you talk of Burlesque dancers as if they display a form of morality that is so beneath this audience that their mere presence offends you. Whether you like it or not Burlesque is theater, theater with edge but theater nonetheless-it's not some seedy peep show, there are a ton of high falutin' burlesque bars frequented by the young and hip in New York. No doubt, it's risky to have them at an office party but if this says anything, it says that Arnold is not judgmental and uptight and can be relevant because they are taking chances to shake up what could be a really boring holdiay party.

Posted by: catherine on December 19, 2007 12:19 AM

La Cage Aux Arnold
-you concentrate on work and not our holiday party.

Posted by: really.... on December 19, 2007 12:32 AM

I can do both–I’m good like that.

Posted by: La Cage aux Arnold on December 19, 2007 12:57 AM

"burlesque" dancers don't strip down to thongs and pasties and crawl upstairs with the intention of reveaing beneath the thong views, and also simulate having sex with props. Admire the spin "young and hip" one

Posted by: disgusted on December 19, 2007 07:07 AM

as an office party theme (prohibition era) and a form of entertainment (burlesque dancers) it sounds intriguing. i have to image no one was [i]forced[/i] to watch if they didn't want to.

i'd love to hear the alternative ideas that some of the dissenters here have. cause it seems as though everyone has a lot of naysaying to do, as if they have great ideas of their own they would have preferred. have at it, you witty ad folks, you.

Posted by: karl on December 19, 2007 10:25 AM

The Arnold supporters are really funny. Defending the idiocy by arguing Burlesque is an art form is pretty hilarious too. You Arnold supporters are such fine art connoisseurs. Probably jaunted off to the Met to catch an opera performance after the party. Honestly, where does one go to hire Burlesque dancers? Strippers are easy to find. But is there a website or phone listing for Burlesque dancers? Do these legitimate artists charge less than strippers, as certified massage therapists charge different rates than the topless body rubbers offering happy endings? The photos of the Burlesque dancers certainly didn’t display an artistic reverence. Was it a tribute to Gypsy Lee Rose or Josephine Baker? Would the Arnold men be proud if their wives/girlfriends/sisters/daughters were professional Burlesque dancers performing at agency parties? Ditto the allegedly non-offended Arnold females. This event clearly wasn’t some Tailhook scandal, and definitely doesn’t deserve the attention it’s garnered. But please, let’s not defend it either.

Posted by: Steve Biegel on December 19, 2007 08:51 PM

The "shock and horror" is because the strippers, dancers, whatever they are, were so fat.

Damn glad you didn't post pics of them in pasties and thongs.

Posted by: Cashmoney on December 20, 2007 05:43 PM

stop calling them fat!

Posted by: Jennifer Love Hewitt on December 20, 2007 05:52 PM

Oh now that is fucking hilarious "Jennifer" :-)

Posted by: Steve Hall on December 20, 2007 06:52 PM

Yawn. A lame party gimmic for a lame agency. I don't understand why all agencies still feel the need to have stupid holiday parties. They should just divide the thousands these things cost and add to their employee's bonus (if they get one.)

Posted by: palndrom23 on January 2, 2008 03:30 PM

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