Make It Rain Movie

The Pole As An Icon of Sexy?

Angela — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:06:13 +0000

This vintage photo of Madonna is one of her hottest photos ever. Madonna fans all over the world are scouring the internet for copies of this back issue. They love it! Does that mean that it’s sexy? Maybe you have to already be a big fan of Madonna to love it so much. And would this same photo be so sexy without the presence of the pole?

The stripper pole. Love it or hate it, it has somehow become an iconic symbol of sex appeal in American culture. The pole is a challenge to learn and work. It requires strength, agility and a sense of sexual daring and danger that many women simply don’t have. Most strippers don’t choreograph or rehearse routines, but they do have to practice pole tricks.

As a side note, I have to say that it’s interesting that women work so hard to conquer the enormous phallic symbol of the stripper pole in order to assert feminine sexuality. It almost encourages a certain laziness in men in the sense that it requires no effort or imagination on their part. I think at the end of the day, that’s where the dividing line is between sexy and sleazy. Sexy is subtle. It’s a suggestion. Sleazy is overt, crass, obvious and easy.

Anyway, before I get all pseudo-intellectual on y’all, Let me show you this video I saw on YouTube. It shows every reaction from sheer delight to extreme disgust as women take to the poles on the subway in New York City.

If you’re one of the people who hates the pole, you’re definitely gonna hate this video! I suggest not clicking it. Otherwise, have a look. What’s your reaction? How would you have responded if you’d have been on that train?

Stripping In Real Life

Angela — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:11:35 +0000

So, I’ve never actually been to a strip club. Honestly, it’s not something I’ve ever given much thought to until I met with Shandra this spring and came on board this film. Strip clubs and people who frequent them were almost the same as television shows to me. I knew they existed. I knew some people made a living because they existed. But they were mostly pretend and had no actual bearing on my life. Every once in a while when they came up in conversation, they were referred to in one of two ways: either they were havens of rest where men could relax and women could express their inner divas while shedding their inhibitions or they were dens of iniquity with horrors and evil torments behind every pole and around every corner.

We’ve all seen the bad movies that tell the story of the single mom who regretfully and shamefully strips in order to put food in her babies’ mouths. Or, on the other end of the movie spectrum is the sleazy–borderline porno–flick that shows a young hot chick who is completely in control of her life and is strategically using her sexiness to advance her dream to be a dancer, nurse, teacher or insert stereotypical female aspiration here. Real life isn’t like that. And before you bring it up… Sure, anecdotally there are stories like NeNe Leakes‘ who credits a temporary stint on the pole for reinstating her confidence after an abusive relationship. But I’m not talking about a few months in a club. I’m not talking about the pole dancing class at your gym. I’m talking about a girl without options. Someone who knows this world like it’s home. It’s not a story to her. It’s life. And it’s neither the end of humanity as we know it, nor is it a golden path to easy money and free living. It’s much more insidious than that. It’s seductive. And addictive. And lucrative. It’s also sticky. Real sticky. So much so that getting out can be virtually impossible. Possibly fatal. That’s the story of Make It Rain. It’s a sexy thriller that never forgets to stay true to the heart of the woman at its core.

And truth be told, I still have yet to set foot in a club. That’s yet a whole other blog post for a whole other day. (The time draws near.)

Welcome!

Angela — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 01:40:29 +0000

Since this is our first post, we’ll start by introducing ourselves! We’re women filmmakers on a mission! We’re on a mission to tell a great story. On a mission to make a great film. On a mission to challenge your thoughts about stripping!

Diane Desio is the woman whose life has inspired this movie. When she turned 18, she was tired of making minimum wage and working three jobs.
Not having any money for an education, and not wanting to depend on anyone to help her, she turned to a different lifestyle ‐ stripping. To Diane this was a chance to live a better life. She immediately enrolled in college and within a short amount of time became the first woman on both sides of her family to get a Bachelor’s degree. When she finished school, she thought dancing was behind her until she realized the jobs and money would not happen quickly, so she turned to the fast life once again. Diane isn’t the only young woman to fight this battle. She wants to use this film to reach out to all the women whose lives have been forever altered by the club life.

Shandra McDonald-Bradford is a filmmaker who immediately connected to Diane’s story. Recognizing the parallels between Diane’s story and all the classic struggles of femininity, Shandra felt that this was every woman’s story. At the same time, the similarities between substance addiction and the lure and dangers of the sex industry were fascinating parallels that made for a unique story. Shandra’s mission is to tell heart‐warming and meaningful stories that people from all races and walks of life can relate to in their own lives.

Angela Harvey came on board after the script was originally created. She wrote some revisions and jumped right in with both feet as a producer. Angela loves to see unique and unsung voices celebrated in independent film and she feels that Diane’s voice is definitely one of those that should be heard.

The world of exotic dancing is layered. The nuances of good, evil and in between can be hard to spot. Make it Rain is a movie that digs right into those nooks and crannies and keeps you guessing. Stay connected with us as we make this exciting film happen!