Review of Showgirls (1995) by Spangle — 23 Jan 2017

Cited by some as one of the worst films of all-time, Showgirls' reputation has improved markedly in the past few years. From being accepted to "so bad it's good" to a "guilty pleasure", the film has now received a critical re-evaluation. Many critics and directors have come out and defended the film as a brilliant work of satire, which it most certainly is. Famed critic Jonathan Rosenbaum has praised it as an allegory for selling out in Hollywood. While it most certainly could be an allegory and is a satire, I believe that Showgirls is most closely aligned with a critique of the sex industry. Showing girls selling their bodies as hookers, strippers, and showgirls in seedy Vegas hotels, Showgirls is a full bodied critique of the sex industry. Derided as misogynistic and exploitative trash, Showgirls is certainly both of those, but it has to be in order to show the dark repercussions of the industry.

As an erotic drama, the film was criticized for not being erotic enough. Yet, that is entirely the point. The film starts off somewhat erotic, but by the end, we see the dark rewards reaped by eroticism and the warped perception of women that men have. As these women snap off their tops without prodding, men walk away with the belief that they own and possess the female body. It is their personal playground to do whatever they like. Men such as Andrew Carver (William Shockley) emphasize this with him raping a girl towards the end of the film. He could have had sex with her anyways. She was definitely going to, but he likes the power that comes with ownership. He feels as though he owns women and is unwilling to cede this control. By letting her make a consensual decision to sleep with him, he concedes that she is his equal and well, in the world of the sex industry, that is simply not allowed. Women exist solely for our entertainment and to reveal their breasts while dancing is their only contribution to society. Dark, exploitative, and unflinching in this depiction, Verhoeven shows the horrors that the sex industry breathes. It feeds into the rape culture that plagues our nation and asserts that, yes, women are nothing but male playthings.

However, it can become even more horrifying. The protagonist, Nomi Malone (Elizabeth Berkley), meets a man named James Smith (Glenn Plummer) early in the film. James is hardly a good guy and definitely exploits women sexually throughout the film. Yet, he does hit the nail on the head in one conversation with Nomi. He argues that places like strip clubs are alright, because they do not lie to you. The women are selling their bodies and the men are buying. It is erotic dances in a Vegas hotel, such as the show "Goddess" that Nomi wants to be in, that are bad. They pretend they are art and the patrons pretend they want art, but instead they give you the women's bodies anyways. It is lying and still just as exploitative. This is certainly true of the shows at the Stardust Hotel, in which the show solely consists of women ripping off their tops and dancing half-naked. This parallel is revealed by Zack (Kyle MacLachlan) when he reveals Nomi's past. A former hooker who only cost $50-$100 a pop, Zack tells her that she has low self-esteem and sells herself short. Yet, hooking is still very much her job, she just does not have sex with patrons anymore. From stripping at the Cheetah to dancing at the Stardust, the save product is for sale: her body. The only difference is that the line of work she does now is legal. The show also shows itself to be exploitative with the girls being propositioned for sex by workers at the hotel to satisfy important customers and famed Vegas showgirl Crystal Connors (Gina Gershon) being dumped to the curve after an injury. Once they are done with you, they will throw you without hesitation. But, it is almost preferable to when they do want you, as they treat you as a sub-human sex toy.

The film cements itself as a critique and satire of the sex industry with a sign outside of James' apartment. Reading "Jesus is Coming Soon", this simple sign is a call for help from the sex industry. Having seen Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed for the same antics as those found in Las Vegas, it is a warning to heed the word of the Bible before it is too late. Exploiting women's bodies for over-stimulation and titillation is putting the city and the people in a hand basket destined for Hell. This also drives at why the film is not supposed to be erotic, but rather exploitative. Verhoeven rips open blouses repeatedly to show you the horror of the situation these girls find themselves in. Though they may be smart or talented, their only value is their breasts and there seems to be solemn knowledge of this fact possessed by the women. Yet, this knowledge is juxtaposed by an urgent warning to shape up and repent as Jesus will soon arrive and Vegas will most certainly be left behind.