Holy Cow!
“Never a cover, always a party” is the motto of San Francisco’s holiest of meat markets, the Holy Cow.* It is a sacred mating ground where you’ll find the shortest of skirts and the tightest of shirts, not only on women but also on men. It calls itself an over 21 bar and dance club, yet they are listed in some of the local club directories as an “Adult/Strip Club”. Though no professional strippers are employed there, at least none that I’ve seen, there are plenty of patrons ready and willing to peel off their clothes and perform.
I was introduced to the Holy Cow by my friend, Kate. We ventured there after Brit Pop Night at the Paradise Lounge. My immediate reaction when we stepped into the club was “Holy Cow!” Like the jungle, the place was filled with predators and wild beasts. As if the men could smell the scent or, in my case, detect the fear of new stock, their heads all turned towards us as we walked through the door. On stage was a fairly sizable woman in a denim miniskirt and black bustier top, which as far as wardrobe malfunction goes, was a total failure in covering the woman’s purple thong and meaty breasts. She was frantically jiggling and gyrating her hips and buttocks towards neighboring dancers, the dancers on the floor as well as the filthy wall. The rest of the women were dancing in similar fashion while the men stood along the perimeters eyeing their prey, ready to pounce on any willing victim.
As I watched these men and women perform their mating rituals, I started wondering what it is that these people look for when they come to the Holy Cow. Who do the women hope to seduce in their scantily-clad apparel? What are they looking for among the thick crowds of wanton and lustful men who don’t seem interested in anything other than a good time? What do the men look for as they stand in the perimeters watching their counterparts desperately flirt, amuse and entertain? Are both men and women simply looking for some fun, an opportunity to burn off some calories with dancing and late night sex? Or are they prospecting for potential suitors? Are they just scouting for their next prey or searching for the love of their lives?
*The Holy Cow is located in SoMa (South of Market). If you are curious and would like to check out the mating action yourself, here’s the link to their website: http://www.theholycow.com/. Have fun!
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Anyone ventured to the Holy Cow yet? If so, tell us about your experience. It’d be interesting to compare.
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Greetings, Where are you from? Is it a secret?
Charlie
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Greetings, Ugh, I liked! So clear and positively.
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Pett,
For the sake of anonymity, I’d rather leave my whereabouts unknown for now though I’m sure the content in my posts will give it away. Thank you for your interest!
Meg
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Zoran,
Unfortunately, this is a true story though some poetic license was taken in describing the scene. But if you ever have the opportunity to visit the Holy Cow, I have no doubt you’d concur that it’s quite the jungle there.
Meg
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Hi, Not sure that this is true:), but thanks for a post.
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Hi, Where are you from? Is it a secret?
Pett
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As blunt as I’ll make it sound – I go to the Holy Cow when I need an ego boost. A very shallow, temporary, much-needed ego boost. (It wears off by the end of the evening though, I assure you.)I find places like the Holy Cow to be somewhat of a problem, actually – a problem that presents itself like fun-sized Snicker candies that you eat a bunch of because they are so tiny, but you end up getting super fat afterwards anyways.
Just a thought.
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Maybe the Holy Cow is less complicated than we are making it. How often have we been in a bit of a rut and in order to make ourselves feel better, we get dressed up and go out to dance the night away? Or go out have a drink with friends? My guess is that girls dress provocatively to feel “sexy”. Sexy is very “hip” right now in America. Of course, many people confuse sexy with trashy and/or completely inappropriate; but that is just a matter of taste…or lack thereof.
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The problem in this case is assuming anyone who partakes in the experiences offered at places like the Holy Cow are starting from an emotionally balanced and healthy place. It seems highly unlikely that a deep, meaningful, long-term relationship was ever initiated through a chance encounter at the Holy Cow. They are playing a “sex” game, not a “mating” game.
I would submit that these are dysfunctional people you describe, incapable of having healthy relationships with the opposite sex. Instead, they congregate at the Holy Cow in search of shallow relations that somehow validate they are attractive and interesting to the opposite sex. A veritable pablum for their self-esteem. Seems fulfilling for a short while but, in the end, offers no true nourishment for one’s sense of self worth. Or a likely way of meeting one’s soulmate.
To each his own but I truly hope the Holy Cow regulars don’t represent the best and brightest this generation has to offer.
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What is a happy and fulfilling relationship? Can any human being consider him/herself happy and fulfilled? We are always seeking something better, always seeking to be happier, that is the nature of who we are. We live in a world of constant stimulation and instant gratification. We have become impatient, selfish and chronically dissatisfied. How can long term relationships be successful in a world like that? The answer is that they cannot and the result of that are your so called “meat markets”.
Your two articles on the subject were quite revealing to me. Revealing in a very sad kind of way. Indeed, is this what has become of women’s self-esteem, self-respect? What has changed since the time we were Neanderthals, when these Homo Sapiens would drag their women by the hair and mark their territory by urinating? Are we seeing a reversal of the theory of evolution? When I read about those women dancing in that bar, I certainly think so…
Has our modern world created a phenomenon whereby women with a sense of self-worth (who don’t think that dancing semi-naked on a bar in front of 50 unknown men is something a woman who respects herself does), remain single and lonely and are considered as “unattractive”, while other women who have lost all regard and pride, are the women that men want…Is it really that extreme? Or have I got it completely wrong?
I live in the Middle East. A part of the world where women are proud of their dignity. Contrary to what most people outside this region think and see, most women here are not “oppressed” or “forced to cover their bodies”. They choose to do it with honour. They only reveal their bodies and share their fantasies with their husbands. They buy lingerie and wear it for the sole pleasure of sharing it with their better half. Indeed, if a husband fails to satisfy his wife sexually, it is considered grounds for divorce under Islamic law. A recent article by the BBC on lingerie shops in Damascus is a highly recommended read: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7786564.stm
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Meg, here are some suggestions for your next topic:
1) Issue of older men and younger women
2) Biological clock ticking for women and how it makes us somewhat insecure
3) Concept of open relationships: A growing trend in Europe (couples agree to openly have relationships, separately, with other people, usually sex and short-term). This is said to resolve alot of problems in couples… to be debated.
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Since we’re on the topic of meat markets, here’s another piece on the singles scene in San Francisco. Hope you enjoy it!
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