Burlesque Performers Accuse Box Owners of Harassment

Scandal has once again ensnared The Box, that decadent burlesque nightclub where the elite gather to enjoy diversions like ''toss a ring on rods stuck up the lady’s orifices." Yesterday self-described "fetish-burlesque" performers Amber and Heather Langley, a.k.a. the Porcelain Twinz (pictured), posted a long, 5,085 word jeremiad on their MySpace blog condemning club owner Simon Hammerstein for sexual harassment, unsafe working conditions, debauched drug use, and leaving his Labrador behind to defecate "all over" the filthy, rat-infested green room. (He allegedly blamed that one on one of the performers.)

The Twinz, whose most celebrated routine is called "Twincest," have quit working there and say the entire tech crew joined them in resigning in July. Their allegations are pretty sordid, and include:

"Simon Hammerstein regularly slaps the girls so hard on the buttocks, that it leaves handprint welts for at least two days before leaving a bruise."
"The things that go on in the club are just as appalling. Hired staff prostitutes, in house drug dealing, open drug use throughout the club, open pot smoking and cocaine use, cigarette smoking, etc."
"On the night of November 6th 2007, Simon Hammerstein would abuse his power and we would be forced to have sex with him so that we could remain living in New York City."

The description of the sex scene is quite graphic, and makes clear they weren't physically "forced" but felt coerced by their powerful, uncircumcised employer. (In whose loft they'd been renting a room.) They say they plan to file a lawsuit, and they're currently "under the supervised care of our naturopathic doctor with weekly visits as she monitors our health because our bodies are in such a state of over-exhaustion." [Via Grub Street]

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By John Del Signore in News on September 10, 2008 4:12 PM

Comments [rss]

wowthatsucks

Anyone else find it odd (yet hot) that they had to describe their sexual harassment in such detail on their MySpace blog? It was like a Penthouse Forum story with a rant on high rent & low wages.

Barbj8

These two look like the two bitchy untalented twins that were incensed that they they were voted off America's Got Talent. With all that money they were bringing in, it's too bad they didn't get spell check on their MySpace page.

emilydickinson

@Snoopy Hehe...When you see him tell he still owes my buddy a grand for a Screw cover from the 90's.

Snoopy

Thanks emily. Is he still working at the Second avenue deli? I will pass on the hand sliced pastrami sandwich if he is.

Editrixie

Real burlesque shouldn't be that vulgar.

emilydickinson

@Snoopy: Al Goldstein

Amanda Harletsch

the box: EEWWWW!

Snoopy

From how can you not trust a man with the name of Simon Hammerstein? He's trying to make a few shekels and get on with his life. Same thing with the man named Howard Stern. Along with the original nice boy who couldn't find love. What's his name? You know the guy that published screw magazine.

longacre

"toss a ring on rods stuck up the lady’s orifices."

Hey that game has a name, you know, to Howard Stern listeners, at least: "Lord of the Anal Rings."

emilydickinson

Sorry, after reading the rant on their myspace page this is clearly a case of sour grapes and the setup for a lawsuit. I've been to The Box, and it takes about 19 seconds to figure out what kind of place it is. Wow, they have drugs their? How suprizing!

It seems their biggest complaint is that NYC rents were too expensive for them, and they had to live in a small room or, LIVE IN BROOKLN! The horror!

If this went on for a month I would feel bad for them, and everyone knows The Box is run by creeps, but this went on for more than a year. They said they were making $1250 a week each, which is plenty of cash to pickup and go back home to Portland.

rcltrh

Well. That's too bad I suppose. Some working conditions are worse than others. Seems nowdays you're either getting your arms burt from fryer grease, having to use your own gas to run employer errands, or having to have sex with an uncircumcised man. I guess it beats digging a ditch.