Le Crazy Horse

"Liberté! Fraternité! Sexualité!"
- Graffiti in Paris Métro, 1980s - as cited in The Columbia World of Quotations

Paris may be given too much credit for it's sex life. Living among the Parisians, I can tell you that the sexy/romantic stereotype is mostly just hype left-over from World War One and Two, when American soldiers liberating Paris were given an exuberant welcome by the local dames. In reality, most Parisian women are somewhat mousy-looking, and dress with a fashion sense that has not advanced much beyond the 1980s.

That said, France is a society which is far more comfortable with sex than, say, America. The Naughty Paris reputation is somewhat justified - and many things which would raise eyebrows in America (and in rural France) are almost boringly quotidian here in Paris.

Take, for example the cabarets. Paris has an astonishing variety of adult entertainment acts, ranging from classy to downright raunchy (and from dirt-cheap seedy to champagne plush). Since my arrival in August, I've been intrigued by giant posters on the metro advertising the Lido and the Moulin Rouge. "OSEZ LE LIDO!" they suggest, "100 euros = spectacle + 1/2 bouteille de champagne" Right. Not exactly in my budget, but I hadn't given up on the idea.

Truth is, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy the theater of a "tits and feathers" show. Exorbitant costumes, Japanese businessmen... and then I learned about Le Crazy Horse. "Undeniably the sexiest cabaret in Paris," writes Heather Stimmler-Hall in her Naughty Paris: A Lady's Guide to the Sexy City. She goes on to describe the "expertly choreographed" scenes as "mesmerizing and undeniably erotic". I met Heather at her book signing; she's sweet, shy, and very much a good girl. If she liked Le Crazy Horse, I was sure that I would too.

Which got me to the problem of price. Tickets for Le Crazy Horse start at 100 euros. Last month my parents visited Paris, and brought with them a miniature Lonely Planet Paris Encounter. Scanning through the guidebook for ideas, I chanced upon the following under the entry for Crazy Horse: "If you don't want a fancy dinner or champagne or both with premium seating, you can pay from 50 euro for a seat at the bar plus two drinks (35 euro plus one drink if you're under 26) without a reservation."

Le Crazy Horse for 35 euro! Could it be true? Finding no such mention on their website, I called ahead to check. And the answer was YES! Just show up 30 minutes ahead of time.

I went last night with Max, who's visiting me from Boston. Wow. Tits and colored lights. The music was good, the choreography excellent, the lighting magnificent, and the champagne tasty. All for 35 euro a piece. Quite possibly the best student discount in Paris.