The cover of the “Collector’s Edition” Stormy Daniels issue of Penthouse magazine, which was on sale at her appearance at the Penthouse Club on Wednesday. (photo by Danae Columbus for UptownMessenger.com)
Danae Columbus, opinion columnist
“I’m here for Stormy,” said famed New Orleans horn man James Andrews, one of several hundred people who paid a $20 cover charge to see 39-year old Scotlandville, La., native Stephanie Gregory Clifford’s three-song performance at New Orleans’ Penthouse Club last night. Labeled “Pet of the Century” in the latest edition of Penthouse, Daniels has successfully used her 2006 encounter with now President Donald Trump to build her brand and her bank account as the woman whose very public body could topple the presidency.
When Daniels appeared on the stage shortly after 10 p.m, the mostly millennial, mostly white crowd roared their approval of her “American Woman” opening song and American flag-themed costume similar to the real flag she is wearing on the Penthouse cover. Daniels is a consummate performer with significant athletic skills which she displayed with ease and style. The audience was filled with an unusual number of women who seemed to be enjoying the show even more than the men. As Daniels gleefully gyrated to the music’s beat, even the club’s regular pole dancers were tossing bills onto the stage. “Throughout the porn industry, Stormy is known for her fierce work ethic, unflappable demeanor and for standing up for herself,” reports Penthouse.
Though now a wealthy wife, mother, horse owner, actress, writer, producer, and winner of numerous porn industry Oscar-style awards, Daniels’ early life was not easy. She was born “a poor white girl on the base of the bayou” outside Baton Rouge and raised by a single mother who frequently left her alone. Daniels became interested in horses in her late teens and wanted to become a veterinarian. Though she received a partial college scholarship, Daniels could not afford room and board and began dancing to finance her studies.
According to former stripper Jennifer Ward, the ideal exotic dancer is a “beautiful, intelligent, educated, sexually empowered woman who doesn’t do drugs, doesn’t get drunk and doesn’t prostitute herself.” She also considers pole dancing “her job and not a party.” Unfortunately, this caliber of exotic dancer is often hard to find. Women enter the sex industry for many reasons. Some, like Daniels, need a means to finance their education or future business plans. Some are mothers or grandmothers just trying to earn a few extra bucks to support their families. Others are seeking an easy work environment where they continue their addiction to drugs or alcohol.
Mazimizing revenue potential as an exotic dancer requires a woman to be part athlete, willing and able to bend and contort her body on the stage, and part sex kitten, ideal for petting. Women like Daniels who can master both skills often move up to feature entertaining, erotic modeling or pornography. Several financial reports peg the pornography industry’s current value at $97 billion, more than the NFL, the NBA and Major League Baseball combined. It’s an equal-opportunity employer open to all hard-working individuals, regardless of race or sex.
For Daniels, the strip club was a quick stopover toward a bigger goal. Like many performers, it’s a space she frequently returns to whenever she want to feel the audience’s love while picking up several thousand dollars at a time. Thus, she has embarked on her national “Make America Horny Again” tour. Daniels’ special T-shirts were available for purchase last night, and next stop is tonight at Baton Rouge’s Penthouse Club.
Daniels has been making the most of what God gave her. She is able to easily create a sexual fantasy that drives men crazy. It was probably that same earthy desire which attracted Donald Trump. Daniels says she “bonded with Trump as a person” and believes Trump is “more human and multi-dimensional ” than she originally thought. They discussed his business and hers.
The public will probably never know the depth of the Daniels/Trump relationship. What we do know is that Daniels has said she accepted a $130,000 payment in 2016 to keep quiet about Trump and recently sued to undo the non-disclosure agreement. In April 2018 she also sued Trump for libel. If she wins her case against Trump, Daniels plans to donate the proceeds to Planned Parenthood.
Many of the women in attendance last night consider Daniels a role model – a successful sexually liberated woman willing to stand up to any man. Though an unabashed porn star, Daniels has become a living legend and symbol that even a President must learn to respect some boundaries.
ATTORNEY TRACIE WASHINGTON EYEING CLERK OF FIRST CITY COURT RACE
Tracie Washington, the often-pugnacious attorney and activist, is giving serious consideration to running for Clerk of First City Court in the 2018 fall elections. Washington says she will make a final decision in the coming weeks. As an African-American woman, Washington would be a force to be reckoned with against the two African-American men also considering the contest – former State Rep. Austin Badon and Timothy David Ray, who became interim clerk when Ellen Hazeur was elected judge. Ray served as Hazeur’s campaign manager, so some are calling the arrangement quid pro quo. Qualifying will take place in July.
Danae Columbus, who has had a 30-year career in politics and public relations, offers her opinions on Thursdays. Her career includes stints at City Hall, the Dock Board and the Orleans Parish School Board and former clients such as District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro, City Council members Stacy Head and Jared Brossett, City Councilwoman-elect Helena Moreno, Foster Campbell, Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne, former Sheriff Charles Foti and former Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge-Morrell.
