Join me under the neon glow of the historic Les Girls Theater for Stripper Energy: Fighting Back from the Fringes. Former stripper and current owner of Les Girls Theater, Kata Pierce-Morgan, provides unlimited access to a half century of archival material that uncovers a dark chapter of San Diego history from the 1970s and 80s. Prepare for sassy strippers, corrupt cops, and a fierce activism launched from the unlikely stage of a strip club. Viewer discretion is advised for explicit content.
Stripper Energy
Join me under the neon glow of the historic Les Girls Theater for Stripper Energy: Fighting Back from the Fringes. Former stripper and current owner of Les Girls Theater, Kata Pierce-Morgan, provides unlimited access to a half-century of archival material that uncovers a dark chapter of San Diego history dating back to the 1970s and '80s. Prepare for sassy strippers, corrupt cops, and a fierce activism launched from the unlikely stage of a strip club. Viewer discretion is advised for explicit content.
Hosted by Beth Accomando
Episodes
-
Decades of fighting abuse from the San Diego Police Department's vice squad took their toll on Kata Pierce-Morgan's mental health. But she found ways to heal herself through art — specifically by producing shows for San Diego International Fringe Festival. She joins sex worker-activists who've turned to Fringe to use art to advocate. -
Kata Pierce-Morgan and the Les Girls dancers realize they need to take matters into their own hands to stop harassment and abuse by members of the San Diego Police Department's vice squad.
-
In the latest installment of Stripper Energy, Kata Pierce-Morgan and her fellow dancers experience new levels of intimidation and harassment from a "rat pack" of San Diego Police Department vice squad officers.
-
Les Girls Theater scored a victory in the censorship battle but that only intensified an escalating war with the police who found new ways to harass dancers at Les Girls and other clubs.
-
Find out how a Baptist from Texas and a woman who wanted to be a nun ran strip clubs and challenged San Diego's censorship laws.
-
Do you know what stripper energy is? Let three women who worked as dancers at Les Girls Theater in San Diego expose you to the naked truth about what being a dancer at an adult entertainment venue is really all about.
-
"Stripper Energy: Fighting Back from the Fringes" is coming May 22 on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
-
-
-
Beth Accomando
Producer/Host -
Beth Accomando began working for KPBS in 1987 as a film critic. Now she covers arts and culture, often shooting and editing her own features. Her coverage includes everything from opera and Shakespeare to zombies and luchadores. She has won both an Inkpot Award and The Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award at Comic-Con. She has covered pop culture for National Public Radio, Public Radio International, and Giant Robot Magazine. She is one of the Film Geeks at the Digital Gym Cinema, and volunteers to program genre cinema and bake desserts themed to the films. Beth has a passion for Hong Kong cinema, Japanese monster movies, horror, film noir, Fringe Festivals, and Comic-Con. She loves putting on a haunted house every year, and holding Hobbit meals in her home.
-
-
-
-
David Washburn
Editor -
David is KPBS' Investigative/Enterprise Editor. He also runs the station's digital fellowship program. David has been practicing the art and craft of journalism for 25 years, always with an emphasis on investigative and explanatory news. He first came to San Diego in 2000 to join the San Diego Union-Tribune’s investigative team. He's also worked for Voice of San Diego and NBC News. David has a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.
-
-
-
-
Christopher Maue
Videographer & Lighting Designer -
Christopher Maue has over 25 years of Broadcast TV & Video production experience. His hard work has earned him recognition of multiple awards including a Golden Mike, and Emmy's for Videography, Lighting, and Directing. He enjoys hiking, biking and stand-up paddle boarding when he is not around technology.
-
-
-
-
Philip Nenna
Designer/Animator -
Philip Nenna is a multi award winning broadcast designer and animator with over 25 years of experience in broadcast television. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Diego State University.
-
-
-
-
Kurt Kohnen
Sound design -
Kurt Kohnen is an Emmy Award winning producer, audio engineer, and sound designer. He is currently the teacher/advisor for CHSTV, the nationally recognized broadcast journalism program at Carlsbad High School that focuses on human interest feature stories and daily live broadcasts. Mr.Kohnen is also adjunct professor of music at San Diego City College where he has specialized in music production and basic theory for nearly a decade. He previously served as audio engineer and radio production manager at KPBS for 20 years where he produced the KPBS Summer Music Series and the Parker Edison Project podcast. He earned a bachelor's degree in Communications and Media Management from San Diego State University, and an MFA in music technology from Southern Utah University.
-
