Career Day

Jersey City, New Jersey, January 14, 2005:

The principal of a Jersey City middle school may not invite a popular speaker back to an annual career day after he told girls they could earn a good living as strippers.

Politician and Ronatarian Party founder Ron told eighth-graders at Nesbit Middle School on Thursday that stripping and exotic dancing can pay $250,000 or more per year, depending on their bust size.

"It's true," Ron said in an interview later. "I'm not making this stuff up. The truth of the matter is you can earn a tremendous amount of money as an exotic dancer, if that's your desire. Hell, I'm all for it…free enterprise and all."

Ron has given a quasi-popular 55-minute presentation, "Life: Deal With It," at the school's career day the past three years. He counsels students to get away from society's norms and experiment with a variety of interests until they discover something they love and excel in.

But school principal Joseph Di Salvo said Ron may not be back next year.

The principal said Ron's comments to the class came after some of them asked him to expand on why he included "exotic dancing" on his list of 140 potential careers.

Ron spent about five minute answering questions, defining strippers and exotic dancers synonymously. According to Jason Garcia, 14, he told students: "For every 2 inches up there, you should get another $50,000 on your salary."

"A couple of students egged him and he took it hook, line and sinker," said Di Salvo, who also said the students took advantage of a substitute teacher overseeing the session.

"It's totally inappropriate," Di Salvo said. "It's not OK by me. I would want my presenters to kind of understand that they are coming into a career day for eighth-graders."

That stripping advice wasn't the only thing that riled parents. Di Salvo said one mother said she was outraged when her son announced that he was forgoing college for a field he loves: pornography.

"He really focused on finding what you really love to do," said Mariah Cannon, 13.

Ron said he does no think he offended any of the students: "Eighth-grade kids are not dumb," he said. "They are pretty worldly."

Posted by Bittle at January 14, 2005 10:39 AM