3 Reasons You've Might Have Heard of Diablo Cody

1. She wrote the screenplay for Juno and won a screenwriting Oscar for it.
2. This summer, she wrote the screenplay for Jennifer's Body. It is doubtful she will win an Oscar for it.
3. She writes a column for Entertainment Weekly.

With that kind of resume, you may wonder why she was able to write a memoir about a year spent working as a stripper. Well, before she "hit it big," Ms. Cody was living in Minneapolis and working a "straight" job at an advertising agency. On a lark, she decided to strip at local strip club's amateur night to satisfy her curiosity about what it was like. The adrenaline rush (and the money) hooked her, and she ended up spending a year stripping at various clubs and working in a sex shop and as a phone sex worker.

5 Things I Learned About Being A Successful Stripper From This Book

1. Blondes get bigger tips so it is worthwhile investing in a wig.
2. Wear white for your stripping outfit.
3. Learn how to work the pole.
4. Pick your spotlight songs carefully. (Ms. Cody thoughtfully provides a list of good songs and bad songs to strip to in the book.)
5. Be prepared to sell more than lap dances. Many clubs expect you to sell a certain amount of drinks as well.

Ms. Cody is very candid about what it takes to be a stripper. She breaks down how the various clubs worked, explains the stripper hierarchy, describes what kind of strippers tend to earn the most, and offers (often hilarious) advice about the ins and outs of being a stripper. The book is very humorous and often very crude, and Ms. Cody doesn't take herself too seriously most of the time. It was a kick to get an inside glimpse at a world that most of us will never explore. The fact that Ms. Cody chose to pursue this lifestyle and wasn't forced into it makes a big difference as her story is one of a woman in control of what she is doing—not a woman who was forced by circumstances to pursue this line of work. Plus it helps that Ms. Cody is a darn good writer with a direct, conversational writing style. However, she didn't walk away from the experience completely unscathed.

3 Most Disturbing Things I Learned In the Book

1. There are really really disgusting freaky people in the world. (I guess I knew that but hearing about some of the people who would come into the sex shop where she worked toward the end of her stripping career was really disturbing. Really disturbing.)
2. If you strip for years, you'll probably end up with "hammertoes, coke-worn sinuses and intimacy disorders."
3. You cannot work in the sex industry without starting to lose some element of your humanity.

Her stripping career ends abruptly one day when she finds herself unable to stop crying. Allow her to explain:

"It wasn't the nudity or the grinding or any sex-phobic moral issue that was pinning me to my chair in a moment of blinding epiphany. It was actually the opposite. The one-on-one aspects of the industry made sense; it was the whole girls-in-bulk thing that repulsed me. Hundreds of girls on the floor at some clubs, all reduced to begging dogs for an army of smug little emperors. The rules of attraction were reversed at a strip club. Girls that could halt traffic at Nicollet Mall were rejected by fat guys wearing Zubaz. Joe Punchcard with $20 could toy with several dancers over the course of an afternoon, finally selecting the one who'd receive the dubious privilege of entertaining him for three and a half minutes. The rejected girls, regardless of how loved they were by husbands or paramours or infants at home, would feel worthless for an instant, and all because of ol' Joe. Those instances multiplied, and soon everyone felt like creeping crud, regardless of how much ego they projected."

3 Reasons To Read the Book

1. Diablo Cody has a conversational, honest writing style that is entertaining, funny and easy to read.
2. The book offers an inside glimpse into a world that not many people have experienced and written about.
3. You'll laugh out loud quite a few times.

3 Reasons Not To Read the Book

1. If explicit writing about sex and working in the sex industry isn't your thing.
2. If you are offended by the concept of strippers and strip clubs in general.
3. If you find bawdy, crude and explicit sex talk disturbing.

I really enjoyed this book and I'm giving it 4 stars. However, due to the subject matter, it isn't a book for everyone so I can't recommend it wholeheartedly. I suspect you already know if you want to read this book anyway. ( )

This was disturbing because Cody only felt "successful" at stripping when she (finally) made herself a blond, brainless, vacuous body that appealed to males who pay women for sex and to behave as sexual objects. She kept trying to be "successful" at this profession apparently so that she would feel that she is attractive to these males. No insight was given as to the why of that. Left me feeling puzzled and irritated. ( )

An interesting and entertaining view into the life of a stripper. The memoir was written by the screenwriter for Juno (I didn't realize this when I picked it up though). There is a bit of redemption towards the end of the story but the journey to that point is a great one. One I wouldn't chose but an interesting choice for someone else. I will never look at the exotic dance profession the same way again. ( )

A look into the world of stripping. This was a fun and interesting read. Made me laugh out loud at times. For some it may be a little graphic at times, but that should be expected. ( )

Cody is a really good writer which enabled me to to finish the book in a couple of days. She is hip without being annoying or pretentious and doesn't glamorize stripping. She does a good job at giving the reader a nice voyeuristic look on what goes inside those dark facade buildings. ( )

This was a fast and interesting read. However, I learned far more about strippers and "sex workers" than I ever wanted to know! Some parts were a little too graphic, but overall it was a good book! ( )

I enjoyed this book immensely and was disappointed when it ended! By the author of the screenplay "Juno", this memoir is at times educational, gross, interesting and hilarious. Cody has written about the year she decided to work in various areas of the sex industry. Most of the time she worked as a conventional dancer (stripper) but she held other jobs as well. It is interesting to read not only about her jobs but her opinion of them and how her point of view changed over time. I highly recommend it to all who are not squeamish, as the life of a sex industry employee can be a bit disgusting at times! ( )

Only the smutty content saved this book. The author has a great vocabulary, but her writing doesn't live up to the hype. Sour grapes from this frustrated writer? Perhaps.

I really should have gotten this one from the library instead of buying it (secondhand), but I'm glad I read it. Now I know what goes on inside all the strip clubs in town - no need to investigate on my own. ( )

I appreciate the honesty and the humor, but I could NOT get Juno's voice out of my head as I read this. ( )

meh.. ( )

Arrrgh! How did I forget to review this! I read it months ago, having bought it after the movie Juno came out. Some of the sharp, insightful humor present in Juno is here in this book, the story of Diablo Cody's year long dabble into stripping. From the Skyway Lounge to sex palaces, Diablo takes the reader on a walk where most of us probably will never venture. It was a fascinating, sometimes hilarious, sometimes troubling visit. I wish I'd marked passages or remembered more. ( )

I just finished Candy Girl by Diablo Cody. Wow. What a ride. Really, it's a good read. My only caution is you should be very comfortable with the different names for body parts and not be too prudish. Diablo is an interesting gal. I loved Juno so very much and I enjoy her articles in Entertainment Weekly. My friend bought me Candy Girl after I commented that I'd like to read it but was a bit embarrassed to be buying a book about a stripper. With good reason. She was graphic in parts. On the whole though, I think it was a very interesting memoir. I was under the impression that she started stripping for research purposes. I thought the book idea came before the stripping. I was wrong. She was intrigued by the idea and did it. More power to her.

I would never be a stripper. It just wouldn't be a good choice for me. Ever. I get why women do though. For so many it's about money, and they can make good money. For others it is about power, some I'm sure are just desperate for something. If you are willing to read a book that might make you blush and will definitely squick you out, go for it. I enjoyed it. It's just not for everyone ( )

Fascinating, but frankly, near the end of the book I was ready for it to be over. So gross. ( )

Cody presents an interesting look into the life of strippers and adult entertainers (at least those found in the Midwest) that is both hilarious and intriguing. Although the ending was not as dramatic as one might have liked (and she admits to this), it is still a pleasurable read. Appropriate for college aged and beyond... ( )

Not as good as I was expecting. I did enjoy the voice in which the book was written but at the same time it seemed that Cody was always emotionally distanced from the situation and straining things through an intellectual filter before putting it down on paper. Outside of this the book provided an interesting look into a variety of different types of gentleman's clubs and how they operate. A decent read. ( )

Cody makes a fresh statement in her debut, a memoir about a year discovering her wild side by stripping (among other acts). She is at home making numerous pop culture references, and the savvy reader will pick up on these eagerly. Cody doesn't hold back, explicitly detailing her numerous adventures that makes this a great, untraditional read. It's quite refreshing to read something so blatantly honest, so thrillingly open. Indeed, I raised my eyebrows a few times at her almost callous comments, but in doing so felt gratified to know that I wasn't a passive reader - Cody engages you, takes you along for the ride. She doesn't hold back on her actions, and in an age of over-exposure, her heartfelt thoughts have a ring of authenticity to them. Though there wasn't anything particularly groundbreaking about the book, her genuine anecdotes make up for the superficial lifestyle which she describes. It's a fun way to pass the time; nothing much is required of you except to sit back and enjoy the story. ( )

An intriguing look into behind the scenes of the life of a stripper. An unlikely young lady decides to take a walk on the wild side one night and signs up for amateur night at a local strip joint. What was suppose to be just one night of fun turns into an obsession with the world of stripping. This book follows her one year stint in the sex industry, and what she witnesses and experiences throughout. ( )

http://tinyreadingroom.blogspot.com/2... ( )

Synopsis
Decreed by David Letterman (tongue in cheek) on CBS TV's The Late Show to be the pick of "Dave's Book Club 2006," Candy Girl is the story of a young writer who dared to bare it all as a stripper. At the age of twenty-four, Diablo Cody decided there had to be more to life than typing copy at an ad agency. She soon managed to find inspiration from a most unlikely source— amateur night at the seedy Skyway Lounge. While she doesn't take home the prize that night, Diablo discovers to her surprise the act of stripping is an absolute thrill.

This is Diablo's captivating fish-out-of-water story of her yearlong walk on the wild side, from quiet gentlemen's clubs to multilevel sex palaces and glassed-in peep shows. In witty prose she gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at this industry through a writer's keen eye, chronicling her descent into the skin trade and the effect it had on her self-image and her relationship with her now husband.

Review
Candy Girl – A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper is a hilarious romp through the world of amateur exotic dancing. One day while walking past a local strip club, Cody Diablo wonders what it would be like to become a stripper. Most people would think about this and then continue on their way, however Cody Diablo does more than just daydream – she signs up for the clubs amateur night! From there on out exotic dancing becomes a mission for Cody, a mission she is determined will be a success. Through her narration we experience all that comes along with the stripper's lifestyle, including buying the right clothes, getting along with unfriendly Russian girls and learning the secrets to pole-dancing.

Although Candy Girl seems at first glance to be just another book about stripping, it is much more than that. This memoir takes the "exotic" out of exotic dancing. Cody Diablo is a normal, everyday girl. She does not look like Barbie and her life outside of dancing is just like everyone else's. She relates information about her husband and stepdaughter, how much she dislikes her boring day job and just how badly your feet hurt and your legs bruise after shaking your thing all day. Cody Diablo is laugh out loud funny and very down to earth which makes this memoir a fantastically fun read.

After writing Candy Girl, Cody Diablo went on to write the Academy Award winning screenplay Juno. A pilot TV program and various other screenplays she has written are also in production for the future. Despite Cody Diablo's rather dubious choice to become a stripper, she has proven herself to be a very successful and talented writer, who has earned her place in the spotlight.

Published by Gotham Press ( )

Fun book written by the woman who wrote the screen play for Juno, which has to be one of the best movies of 2007. It is an autobiography of her year as a stripper in Minneapolis of all places. Funny and and touching at the same time. ( )

So, okay, the other autobiography I read this year (so far) is Candy Girl, by Hollywood "It Girl" du jour, Diablo Cody. Why? Well, I liked Juno (yes, I will still admit, and the soundtrack, too, goddammit) and I was intrigued by her rags to riches, er, I mean, stripper to screenwriter tale. (NB: All of this, presumably, was told on her blog [called, I kid you not, The Pussy Ranch], so the story of blogger-cum-novelist naturally interests me, too.)

I found her book to be an eye-opener. Thematically, it's not for the faint of heart. Grandmothers and little kids might want to avert their eyes. She goes from bored secretarial lackluster to total immersion in Minneapolis' sex industry within a few chapters. Dancing and stripping on amateur night lead to more of the same as a full time profession, toning her abs and refining her "look." But she doesn't stop there. She morphs into a phone sex operator when the late night pressures amass and then into one of those girls "performing" behind the glass in the back rooms of a sex shop.

Is there a moral to this story? No, not really. It's just an interesting segment of her life and a story worth telling. (Actually, she says, "any story involving a panty auction is required to be told.") Apparently this excursion was her attempt to scoff at the boring middle class lifestyle she grew up in. No, it was more than that. Allow me to quote her from one of the final pages:

Most girls get into stripping because they’ve discovered a fast crowd, are mired in financial woe or have lived with dysfunction for so long that they're naturally drawn to the fucked-up family dynamic in strip clubs. For me, it was the polar opposite. I had spent my entire life choking on normalcy, decency and Jif sandwiches with the crusts amputated. For me, stripping was an unusual kind of escape. I had nothing to escape from but privilege, but I claimed asylum anyway. At twenty-four, it was my last chance to reject something and become nothing. I wanted to terrify myself. Mission accomplished.

Reading about a typical male fantasy from the clinical female point of view was quite interesting. From that perspective, there is nothing erotic at all about all of that forced eroticism. Bruised knees and sore feet become the focal point, not the exposed flesh or various gyrations. Stripping becomes a business, a lifestyle, a routine. Men become pigs – something I suspect women have known for some time.

The highlight of this book, which is also the lowlight, is the writing, which is every bit as crafty and clever (at first) and then tiring (after a while) and border-line pretentious as it was in her virgin screenplay attempt. It starts out impressive and eventually wears on you. Young Diablo doesn't know when to tone it down, nor when to use it for effect, which sort of requires that it doesn't overstay its welcome.

But I want to add to that last sentence the word: "yet." I think she has more in her, and a few years of maturity will go a long way towards stabilizing her voice. If nothing else, it brought her down off the pole and bawling like a baby up on stage at the Academy Awards. Clearly this girl embraces change. I just hope the literary world hasn't lost her for good for the money and fame that Hollywood has to offer. I think it would be a shame.

Invisible Lizard's Unusual Oranges ( )

Diablo's memoir is subtitled "A year in the life of an unlikely stripper". She had a relatively regular upbringing and at 24 meets her future husband Jonny on the interset. She moves to Minneapolis and gets a job in an office but feels something is missing from her life. Walking home one day she decides to enter into an ameateur night at a strip club. She doesn't win but decides to pursue stripping part time outside of her more acceptable job.

She finds it unbelivably easy to walk in off the street looking very inlike your traditional idea of a stripper and gain work. She works in a variety of strip clubs in the area doing a reasonable, but not outstanding, trade. She has paritcular problems with the pole at first. She discovers in time that her full time job is causing her stress and is very unfulfilling and decides to strip full time. She works in a peep show where she is seperated by the customer by a plate of clear plastic. She she masturbates for the customer with a variety of toys while the customer gets off. After she leaves that job she spends some time as a phone sex girl but is depressed by the number of callers wanting "Stephenie", her barely legal persona. She gets a great lap dance with her husband and decides to go back to stripping in clubs. Her time away has given her a fresh perspective and she is able to make a lot more money the second time around before eventually retiring and presumably becoming a screen writer.

Not for those who dislike bad language or explicit sexual scenes, but I have to say I loved it! I did a pole dancing course to try and get in shape (which I loved and I still need to figure out where to put a pole in our flat) and I did go to a couple of strip clubs to see it done professionally rather than to get fit. It is funny the differences between the different types and I even paid for my own private fully nude lap dance (very cool). I have considered trying out as a stripper but my husband isn't comfortable with it and I respect that, plus I am not sure if I could actually do it.

The tale is told with her witty humour and a lot of laugh out loud places. She makes no excuses, gives no explanations or justifications which I found very refreshing. To get a feel of her writing style this is one of my favourite quotes about the first time she started at a new club:

"The main stage was ringed by a tip rail that could accommodate at least twenty. Above the stage was a glass-floored second stage, which allowed customers to look up watch another girl dancing overhead. This multidimensional display of poontang reminded me of the 3-D chessboard on StarTrek, which is turn reminded me that I was a huge nerd." ( )

Ok, I must admit that this is a topic that I have not read about before, lol. The thing that piqued my interest in this particular memoir, was the fact that the author attended college here in Iowa. So of course, I wanted to check it out. It is not often that Iowa gets noticed, so I am always thrilled when even the mention of our state is in a book, etc. I know, I am a nerd, lol.
On with the book... As the title indicates, the book spans a year in the life of Diablo Cody. After leading a very "normal" life, complete with Catholic upbringing, she decides to move to Minneapolis, Minnesota, from Chicago, with her boyfriend Jonny.
Once there, she settles into a quiet, sensible job. However, one evening on the way to the bus stop, from work, Diablo passes by a topless bar named The Sky Lounge. She notices the marquee announcing an upcoming "Amateur Night". On a whim, she goes inside to inquire furthur. Thus begins the obsession of stripping. Now, obsession is my own take and may not be how the author considers her time in stripping. Throughout the year, Diablo moves from a few different establishments - going from topless to full nude. Along the way, she meets many girls - all very different from one another. From this, the author gives the reader a full - on trip to the whole behind the scenes life of a stripper, at least while they are working.
Near the end, Diablo takes a job as a "live" nude model at Sex World, which is more or less fantasy porn emporium.
Throughout this all, Jonny, is highly supportive and a treasured part of Diablo's life. After one final gig at a strip club, Diablo no longer feels that rush of adrenaline that stripping, at one time, gave her. She decides to nix any furthur stripping and takes on a very short gig as a phone sex girl. After that, it doesn't take long for Diablo to "retire" from the whole sex industry. There is no longer the curious appeal that it once held.
Diablo, once again, decides to get a regular "straight" job and, as they say, the rest is history.... ( )

A friend had been telling me for a month or so that I needed to read this, and as I just saw Juno (for the unaware, Cody wrote the Oscar winning screenplay for the movie) over the weekend, I decided to give it a try. It's a fun little book (only 212 pages); I read the entire thing on the morning train ride in. The book details the year or so that Cody spent working as a stripper in Minneapolis during 2003-2004. The book is both informative and interesting as a behind the scenes look at the sex industry, and Cody has unique ability to show you all the ups and downs and the sleaze behind the business while still managing to make the book entertaining and endearing. An enjoyable memoir that would be enjoyed by any Juno fan. ( )

Long before penning the Academy Award-winning screenplay for Juno, Diablo Cody walked past an advertisement for amateur night at a local strip club and felt mysteriously compelled to join in. So begins her year as a stripper, peep show dancer and phone sex operator. In spite of her unusual job, Cody's background is something that most readers will be able to relate to. She's from an upper middle class family, well-educated, not promiscuous or even terribly adventurous. She describes her body as "cello-shaped," deplores tanning and cannot imagine getting breast implants. Like us, she's an outsider to the sex industry and never pretends to be otherwise. Some people might appreciate that perspective, but for me, it made the book a little less than satisfying. Although I did learn a little about the trade, I craved the "inside story." What draws Cody's fellow strippers into the profession? How exactly did she conquer the art of pole dancing? Although there are some well-written, revelatory passages near the end of the book, my most tantalizing questions remained unanswered. My frustration compounded when I realized that Cody's narrative is composed almost exclusively of sardonic wisecracking. Taken individually, each line is funny -- hilarious even -- but as a whole, it makes her seem insincere. This is a quick-reading book and you won't be bored if you read it, but if you're genuinely curious about stripping, Strip City by Lily Burana is a much better pick. ( )