The end of the peepshow is nigh. For decades peepshows were crowd-pullers in Amsterdam’s Red Light district, but today there's just one left. What has caused this branch of erotic entertainment to disappear?
The basic peepshow is a large, slowly-revolving platform on which a scantily-dressed or naked woman displays herself. The turntable is surrounded by cubicles with shuttered peepholes. Punters insert a two euro coin into the slot machine which opens the shutter, allowing the visitor to gaze at the undressed woman for a few minutes.
Culture
Peepshows were still big news in the Netherlands five years ago, when a judge ruled that a peepshow performance counted as 'culture' and should therefore be taxed at a lower rate. As a result, the owners only paid 6 percent VAT instead of 19 percent. Since then the cabinet has put the VAT on culture up to 19 percent.
The first peepshow in Amsterdam was opened in the late 1960s and proved a great success. In its heyday there were no less than six peepshows in the Dutch capital, half of them owned by Jan Otten, who has been in the sex entertainment branch for 35 years. The uncrowned king of the world-famous Red Light district, Otten is the owner of Amsterdam's last peepshow, the "Sex Palace" on Oudezijds Achterburgwal, at the epicentre of the district.
Respectable
Jan Otten, who is now 69, told RNW:
"I used to run three peepshows, including a big one on Nieuwendijk in the city centre close to the Stock Exchange, which yielded good money, particularly from the traders who often spent part of their lunch break in the cubicles. But the city council wanted the peepshows out of the centre – they didn’t like them there - so the shows were moved to the Red Light district. But I must say it was all done without any harsh words."
Even in the Red Light district the shows began to lose their appeal. Jan Otten partly blames the council, which is stripping the Red Light district, attempting to turn it into a respectable quarter. Over the past few years, 100 of the 500 prostitution windows have been shut down. He points out that there are more factors, though:
"Far fewer people visit peepshows. Amsterdam has gone peepshow numb because of the internet. You can enjoy looking at things on the computer in the privacy of your home, which is quite sad for the erotic business."
[related-articles]New faces
It was remarkably quiet on the Thursday afternoon when RNW visited the "Sex Palace". Two British tourists and a Japanese family were curiously exploring the premises. Most of the spectator cubicles were empty. In the peepshow area Lady No. 4 was going round in her customary circles, yet most shutters remained closed. Still the last peepshow in Amsterdam is doing quite well, Otten says: "particularly in the weekend, when there are a lot of British tourists".
He points out that peepshows are closing all over the world:
"In Antwerp they're all gone and in Hamburg too. There used to be five in Barcelona, now only one is left. It’s a problem for the girls. They work two weeks here, two weeks there, more or less touring around Europe. That’s a conscious policy for the benefit of our regulars, so they get to see new faces all the time.”
Is it a shame Amsterdam is losing its peepshows? Jan Otten sees it from a business point of view:
“No, not at all. There are still plenty of other attractions in the Red Light district. Sex theatres like Casa Rosso and the Bananabar, I own those too. This peepshow is still doing alright, so I’ll keep it going for now. If it stops making enough money, I can turn it into a lap-dancing bar.”
(rk/imm)
