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Popular right-wing Twitter account "Libs of Tik-Tok", a twitter account not renowned for its accuracy, published a provocative picture which claimed that "a pride event in Charlotte, NC featured a stripper pole where kids were able to try out pole dancing"

https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1562841193439825920

Below is the picture:

enter image description here

Is this photo real, and is Libs of Tik-Tok description of its context accurate?

Oddthinking
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TheAsh
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    Fundamentally, this question is similar to [another from the OP](https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/44479/is-this-photo-showing-a-woman-standing-in-the-nude-before-teenagers-real) in that it is a clash of cultures, not of facts. Some people see this as child abuse - a sex worker sexualising a small child. Some see a kid playing with exercise equipment like it is a playground, with a woman who may well be his mother or trusted family friend or relative. I don't think anyone is suggesting the photo is inauthentic, so showing it isn't seems misguided. – Oddthinking Aug 27 '22 at 13:01
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    @Oddthinking As I commented on the current answer, I think the fact that "stripper pole" is a disputed term, and that the pole was provided by a local exercise club, would be a valid answer to "is the description of the context accurate?" The clear implication that this is related to sex work can be factually answered by providing that link to non-sexual use. – IMSoP Aug 27 '22 at 22:18
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    @Oddthinking Regarding "I don't think anyone is suggesting the photo is inauthentic", the question asks exactly that: "is this photo real"? So yes, an answer *should* first establish that the photo appears to be genuine and not doctored, e.g. by linking to independent evidence that the pole was there, and allowed use by children. That might cross over nicely with my previous comment: find who provided the pole, and discuss the non-sexual context in which they did so. – IMSoP Aug 27 '22 at 22:41
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    @IMSoP: Dance poles are commonly called "stripper's poles". Sliding poles are commonly called "Fireman's poles". Poles used in circus are often called Chinese poles. You can use them without being a stripper, a fireman or Chinese, but calling them by that name is not factually wrong, even if some people prefer you didn't. Anyone who answers this question "No, because I prefer a different term to the general public" is not answering the question. Perhaps "Yes, but you may not have noticed that non-exotic-performance pole dance has become a hugely popular exercise in the past 20 years."? – Oddthinking Aug 28 '22 at 03:36
  • @IMSoP: I concede the OP is asking effectively asking if it is fake, but this is one of those "User is asking about something that seems uncontroversially true; we should ask the about their motivations to better answer the question" situations. – Oddthinking Aug 28 '22 at 03:40
  • @TheAsh: Further to the above, do you doubt that this is a genuine photograph, even if you find the contents distasteful to your politics? If so, what makes you doubt it? What evidence would be required to reassure you? – Oddthinking Aug 28 '22 at 03:41
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    @Oddthinking 'Perhaps "Yes, but you may not have noticed that non-exotic-performance pole dance has become a hugely popular exercise in the past 20 years."?' Yes, precisely that. I'm not splitting hairs about whether there are alternative names for the apparatus, I'm saying there is a clear implication in the Twitter and Fox News reactions that the term "stripper pole" can be taken literally, and that it is uniquely associated with sex work or other adult-only activity. And yes, I hadn't noticed. [Count me in today's lucky 10k.](https://xkcd.com/1053/) – IMSoP Aug 28 '22 at 03:43
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    @Oddthinking As for it being "uncontroversially true", I don't see that at all. *A priori*, there are three reasonable explanations: the photo is fake, so context is irrelevant; the photo is real, and the context is described accurately; or the photo is real, but the context is misleading. It seems to be "obvious" to you that the third option is true, but *that should form the basis of an answer*, not a criticism of the question. – IMSoP Aug 28 '22 at 03:53
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    Downvoted for loaded question, you have made up your mind and are simply looking for confirmation. Just in case it turns out to be factual you can still cope with the subjective "in context". – user1721135 Aug 28 '22 at 18:24
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    @Oddthinking Also, looking at the question which you say is "fundamentally similar", it turns out that the answer was that *the caption was entirely misleading*, and that this was not "a clash of cultures", but a highly controversial art exhibit, and an *even more controversial* unplanned protest. – IMSoP Aug 28 '22 at 18:29
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    @IMSoP: What is similar is that the OP took reasonably strong evidence (an unstaged photograph) of a reasonably mundane claim (a naked or semi-naked woman was in the presence of children), and considered it so suspect it was worth challenging the photo itself. – Oddthinking Aug 29 '22 at 02:53
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    @Oddthinking I am curious about the context. Last time the context was false. This time it appears to be true. I believe both questions are valid. – TheAsh Aug 29 '22 at 13:36
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    After looking into this, I'm getting uncomfortable with this question. Not because of any "slant" but because I've seen someone "getting to the bottom of what happened", and they doxxed and harassed the woman in the photo (who does business under a stage name) and also her family. How can one prove that it's not a random child in the photo without all but doxxing them? – Laurel Aug 30 '22 at 02:43
  • @Laurel no one is asking who the child is. I am wondering whether the context is true - is this a stripper pole or not? – TheAsh Aug 30 '22 at 17:03
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    I can easily answer about it being "a pride event in Charlotte, NC [that] featured a stripper pole" but that's not the entire quote. What about "where kids were able to try out pole dancing"? That's the part that lacks support in the video (since it only shows one child). What ways are there to prove a negative (there was only one kid, and it wasn't a random kid)? And if you're not asking for evidence about that, why is it in the question? – Laurel Aug 30 '22 at 18:05
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    Pretty obvious that this is about 'the child being introduced to plain-to-see _sexualised_ BEHAVIOUR. (No judgement from, I don' t care, that's culture-dependant) ) Lot's of (supposed/expected) boundaries (laugh again: "_we do not care_ about X politics… _LLC-… ,hey, at-Odd, you do? ), not anywhere near compatible to the laughably-fake ' 'not care about politics'-stance…: why not: Let's rephrase this to ~sth like : 'Are <6YOs introduced to 'commonly seen as such' sex-habits?' (~) That's getting us closer to the intent? (Which is "grooming"!?!? Gosh: spell it out…, even if unfit for S:SE) – LangLаngС Aug 30 '22 at 19:00
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    It’s not a “stripper pole”, but a “so-called stripper pole”. Unless you claim that you have a photo of an under-age stripper, in which case you’d need to check your own thinking first. And with that slight name change, the correct answer becomes “so what”. – gnasher729 Aug 31 '22 at 13:57
  • @Oddthinking Is there any technical difference between a stripper pole, a fireman's pole and a Chinese pole or are all of these the same gadget with different names in different contexts? – quarague Sep 07 '22 at 06:43
  • @quarague: I am no expert but: Chinese pole is grippier than stripper pole; some stripper poles can spin (sometimes optionally); fireman's poles tend to be longer and I wonder if they are thicker for that reason, but dunno. – Oddthinking Sep 07 '22 at 12:02
  • @LangLаngС: If you want my attention, please flag or @ me. I see you are unhappy, but I have no idea why. – Oddthinking Sep 07 '22 at 12:06

1 Answers1

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Fox News reports that the event occurred in Charlotte, NC, on August 20-21, 2022. They also link to an article about a similar event which took place in Harrisburg, PA. The sponsors of the Harrisburg event and owner of the pole both gave statements to Fox News.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the Pride Festival of Central Pennsylvania stood by the actions of the man in the video who was identified as hairdresser Mikee Bentz.

"The Pride Festival of Central Pennsylvania stands behind the actions of Mr. Bentz whose Metro Enterprises provided nothing more than a vehicle of fun and exercise at last weekend's Pride Festival," a spokesperson for the event told Fox News Digital.

Bentz also stood by his actions in the video in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

"I am proud to offer Harrisburg/Central Pennsylvania an avenue for fitness, creativity, artistry, and expression in businesses that are not only operated at the highest level of ethical behavior, but that also take into account inclusivity and a deep appreciation for protecting the environment," Bentz said.

Avery
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    So "yes, but it wasn't a *stripper* pole"? – F1Krazy Aug 26 '22 at 15:45
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    The video posted to Twitter shows people doing erotic dances with the pole, but I'm not sure if all the people who used the pole perceived it in the same way -- I wanted to answer the objective part of the question and establish that such events are not uncommon – Avery Aug 26 '22 at 15:55
  • I'm not sure whether that means the claim is very contextual or less contextual because it's 'not uncommon' :( – tuskiomi Aug 26 '22 at 16:47
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    @F1Krazy: That's a pointless distinction. Many pole dancers distance themselves from the use of pole for strip-tease, but apparatus is still widely known as a "stripper pole" - and can be seen advertised as such - even when not used for that purpose. – Oddthinking Aug 26 '22 at 18:19
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    this is the instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pole.body.arts/ – thelawnet Aug 26 '22 at 19:56
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    Fox News is quoting the exact same Twitter comments as the question, and says they got no response to a request for comments from anyone allegedly involved. The "similar incident" they cite is interesting background, since they *do* have quotes from organisers of that other event; but it's not the event being asked about in the question, so doesn't really constitute an answer (unless the answer is just "probably true, it wouldn't be the first time"?) – IMSoP Aug 27 '22 at 09:03
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    @Oddthinking As someone unaware of this exercise / performance trend, I think that fact itself should be part of an answer, because it is relevant to the sub-question "is Libs of Tik-Tok description of its context accurate?" Beware of conflating "reasonably well-known in a certain social group" with "so obvious it doesn't need stating", just because you belong to the social group in question. – IMSoP Aug 27 '22 at 09:06
  • You can actually see where the video takes place from sign boards and stuff which is why I felt it was ok to post this even without a statement from the parade operators. I included the quotes from the other event because I think they are an attempt at providing context, although certainly more could be given if anyone sees another article about this. – Avery Aug 27 '22 at 09:19
  • @Avery As I just commented to Oddthinking, beware of assuming things are obvious to everyone because they're obvious to you. If you think the image is clearly in the location claimed, that should be in your answer - it certainly has nothing to do with Fox News, who just posted the exact same image we're already examining, and quoted the exact same source. (It's a pretty weak argument, though; it would be an easy photo to fake.) – IMSoP Aug 27 '22 at 09:23
  • The article embeds a video, not a photo – Avery Aug 27 '22 at 10:05
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    @IMSoP: I was responding to a comment which appeared to be arguing "It isn't a stripper pole because it wasn't being used by a stripper." Perhaps this should be in the answer. I will comment more on the main question. – Oddthinking Aug 27 '22 at 12:58
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    @Avery Maybe some content is being switched out in my browser for some reason? Because all I see is the exact screenshot that's in the question, with the caption "Screenshot from LibsofTiktok (LibsofTikTok Twitter)". I was actually going to suggest that the Fox News article should be included in the *question*, as proof of notability. Even with a video, I don't understand how linking to it provides an *answer*. – IMSoP Aug 27 '22 at 22:13