A Biopic of Portland’s Most Famous Stripper Is a Powder Keg Debate About Sex Work
Whether or not stripping is art isn’t exactly an anchor of the film’s narrative. It’s more like a powder keg. Just about everyone in the film has an opinion. Most of the counterpoints come from men. Las Vegas’ former bandmate, Kevin Shapen, says stripping is entertainment, which is different from art. Her brother, Kristoffer Osthus, says Las Vegas romanticizes stripping, and worries that her male audience might see her job differently. “Do they think that she’s truly giving an art performance, or do they just think that she’s another stripper?” he says.