Those of you who have been following my blog for a while know by now that I am not one who follows the daily news stories very closely. So, when something in the news does manage to capture my attention you know it has to be either insanely bizarre or very shocking.
The report I heard today on Fox News had a little bit of both. My favorite.
The video opened on a small aquarium and fish store in Hamilton, Illinois. There didn't seem to be anything special or unusual about the place. And my observation was confirmed a mere second later, when the reporter walked in front of the store and said, "This appears to be just a small aquarium and fish store. Nothing special or unusual about it."
Now there were images of the inside of the store. Families were happily shopping for fish while others perused the different sized fish tanks and a large variety of decorations for inside the tank. The reporter continued, "During the day this store brings smiles to families and finds a home for a wide variety of fish. But, once the sun goes down and darkness wraps its eerie tentacles around everything... this establishment provides anything but family entertainment."
This caught my attention, but it wouldn't have held it if the reporter hadn't added this next part accompanied by video. "You see, at night, this family friendly aquarium and fish store locks the gates, closes the curtains and offers a form of entertainment that appeals only to the lonely and the sick of heart. This is an exotic fish dancing club."
Okay, I was hooked. I listened intently as the reporter detailed the sudden rise of exotic fish dancing clubs. He went onto explain how several months ago, the Chicago Police began fielding an increased number of domestic abuse reports. All seeming to be inspired by wives finding out their husbands were frequently a new, edgy exotic dance club.
The number of reports was so great that the police decided to check out the club, having already obtained the address from a husband who's wife broke his nose in two places and threatened to light his underwear on fire with him in them if he didn't give up the address.
Now they were showing footage of the initial raid. Police broke into a dimly lit aquarium store, but instead of rows and rows of fish tanks there were splintering tables. Each one with its own fish tank and inside the tank, a fish was dancing seductively as the men at the table threw money at the tank,
The police had stumbled upon a club were unwanted fish dance for the attention of men and their dirty money. Such a place had initially only been believed to be stories or the fodder of so many urban legends, but now the truth was out.
Raids were being conducted not only through the entire city of Chicago and Illinois, but all across the country.
The camera now was focused on the reporter in a so-so decorated interviewing room with a Beta fish, who wouldn't directly at the camera or the interviewer. He asked the Beta, who's stage name was Krsytal, how she got into the business. The story seemed like one I had heard too many times before. She had felt unwanted. No one wanted to take her home and give her love and nice place to swim. So, she gave up on looking for love and family, instead settling for just the attention of men. She would swim and dance for men in exchange for money and sometimes drugs. "Crack is a horrible drug," Krystal whispered as the the video footage switched again to the raid.
Men, tried to cover their faces, and fish hid inside their castles or treasure chests. All trying to avoid being captured on video and ending up on the 10:00 news. I'm pretty sure I even saw a few pro-testers.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Never could have I imagined such places existed, let alone have them appear in my own city. I desperately wanted the reporter to end his story by telling us what was going to happen to all these men and the slutty fish who danced for them.
The reporter ended his story by reassuring everyone that the police were doing everything in their power to finally bring down the last of the 'backroom' exotic fish dancing clubs, but it would take time and people needed to be patient. Until then, he recommended people keep an eye open at their local aquarium and fish stores for anything.. well, fishy, going on.
This may sound weird but I'm pretty sure the last time I went to Neptune's Aquarium Shop, I saw a Clown Fish dressed in pleather and carrying a little whip. I am going to go back and really check the place over. The last thing I want to do is buy my four year old niece a fish that is into S&M.
