Guide Page: "Born to the Purple" (original) (raw)

I confess I don't see the problem. In real life, some women are scientists, and doctors, and atheletes...and some women dance in bars, some women hook part- or full-time. Some men are scholars and diplomats and teachers...and some men are gigolos and thieves and *also* dance in bars. Where exactly is the problem in portraying both sides of this? Have we become so concerned with being politically correct that we can not show a legitimate part of human existence?

B5 has all kinds, and both sides of all kinds. Male and female, equally. I "chose" exotic dancers for a kind of sleazy, not-entirely legitimate operation, a backroom club. What would one *expect* to find there? Opera singers? You look at the situation, and you choose what is *appropriate to the situation*.

I would also point out that the dancers didn't "eagerly rush forward to betray their friend." Londo was trying to find Adira in hopes of helping her. He didn't say he was going to do anything bad to her, and he was probably known to more than a few of them. He was simply trying to find her. The coin was an added incentive. Back when I was an investigative reporter, I did some research on strip joints while I was living in SAn Diego. Spent a LOT of time talking to nude dancers (when they had their clothes on, I hasten to add). And 99.9% of them had a rule: you want to ask questions, you pay. That simple. That's how this stuff *works*. My job is to keep the B5 reality as close as possible to our reality in that respect.

Some of them probably wanted to help, knowing Londo was okay. Some probably didn't care. And some probably would've betrayed her at the tip of a coin. Life's like that. So again, where in this is the problem?