The bouncer

Ok here comes the cultural explorer: As easygoing as everything seems here in America and open and "not a problem" - some things drive me up the wall. Once more I experienced the discriminating processes that go on in front of clubs... We started the evening around 7 at the Roosevelt hotel. On the rooftop with pool there was the opening reception of the Media Festival "Hollywould" going on. We somehow managed not to pay the $25 and still drank wine and ate for free. (The valet parking was already $12.) We looked at the projections that appeared on the surface of the pool and on the baloons that swam in there and met a couple of interesting and hollywoodesc characters. Fotographers, filmmakers and a real estate woman called Suzanna who was like straight out of "American Beauty". We got a hint to go to the "Kress" instead of the Knitting factory. There would be a CD release party going on with some celebrities. In the Knitting factory there was indeed not so much going on, which was sad because Christine, a former Villa fellow, was DJing. So we went to the Kress and the usual thing started at the door. Lot's of very important looking guys in black suits with headsets and walky-talkies hanging around the fenced entrance area, enjoying their power, very self-conscious. You stand there in line, not really knowing what you are waiting for because inside the club is empty. Lot's of dudes waiting to get in and from time to time some people arriving and just let in past the socalled "bouncers" (Türsteher). There is no rule, it's totally arbitrary who they let past. You either have to know one of them, or you have to be on the guest list (means you know one of the person's who throw that night's party inside) or you pretend to be on the guest list or you are just young and good-looking, preferably a girl. The bouncer chooses who he likes and "gets them in". They make a big deal of it. Anyway, we stood there for a second time and finally two guys said they knew a friend of the bouncer. But they needed us to get in because they won't let a group of only guys in. With Lena walking ahead very self-assured and smiling at the big doormen, we did not have too much of a problem to even get hold of the sought-after wrist-band that entitled us to step into the VIP area three floors up. What an intimidating experience. We did not so much like the crowd up there - probably some B class prominent people, TV show stars, band members and the like, from their looks, but.. pew.. we danced 3-4 songs in the basement club (black, R&B, HipHop), with all the chicks around in dresses that hardly covered their boobs and their bums and a large African-American crowd. Well, why not try this for a night.