New Orleans rightfully sees itself as a bit of a carveout from the rest of the country — a place where the rules are just a bit different than one might expect in other major markets. It’s also a city that treats showing breasts in the center of downtown as perfectly normal behavior for a religious holiday.
Still, would a law firm event with a burlesque show qualify as professionally appropriate, even in New Orleans?
The Charbonnet Law Firm in New Orleans has an event coming up with the following invitation which is… something.
Why the boob-forward flyer? Because Trixie Minx is a noted burlesque performer in New Orleans with a striptease/comedy routine that’s a throwback to a Lili von Shtüpp kind of thing. Granted, the Trixie Minx entertainment empire goes beyond striptease into variety shows, tarot readings, and stilt walkers. But given the flyer, employees would be within their rights to assume this is going to be a more clothing-optional show.
Clearly a strip club routine would be inappropriate for a law firm event regardless of locale. But where does a burlesque/showgirl/comedy set fit in? For some reason people treat Vegas shows as cultural events despite offering basically the same state of undress and those lack any link to a century old artistic tradition in the area.
But still, there are all sorts of events that people go to that they don’t want to attend with their bosses and this feels like it should be on that list. Even if no-bra Barbie up there represents a hallmark of mainstream entertainment in the area, a law firm probably should keep itself well clear of this scene.
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.