The stuff Lizzo is being sued over? I’ve done it too, many times

It’s never great when you’re reading about someone being sued for doing terrible things and you think ... um, I’ve done that. Or at least, I’ve done some of it.

The someone in question here is Lizzo. Last week it was revealed the American musician is being sued by three of her tour dancers for a range of alleged incidents that fall under the banner of sexual harassment and creating a hostile working environment, including subjecting them to a 12-hour audition, and pressuring them about weight gain. Lizzo has called the allegations false.

Lizzo performing at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena last month.Credit: Martin Philbey

But it was the bit about Amsterdam that really caught my attention. The lawsuit claims that, earlier this year at an Amsterdam club, Lizzo allegedly “began inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers”, plus a few other activities involving dildos and bananas, and Lizzo yelling “take it off” when one of her security staff was invited up on stage.

This is awkward. Because all those things, pretty much word for word, were part and parcel of the European tour experience when I worked on them back in the early 2000s.

Every backpacker tour I worked on called through Amsterdam. And on every one of those tours we offered passengers the opportunity to visit a sex club in Amsterdam’s Red Light District, where there would be, well, sex.

There would also be participation from the crowd, for the bit with the banana, and the woman with the Texta, and the “Magic Mike” guy. Obviously some people are going to be pretty uncomfortable or embarrassed being called up to be part of that, so it would be up to the crew members from the tour to discreetly point out the passengers we thought would be most game.

A visit to a sex show in Amsterdam was a standard part of Europe bus tours for young travellers in the early 2000s. Credit: iStock

It was a lot of fun at the time. Even when you were watching your 20th sex show, when you knew every move the live couple would make, down to the individual thrust, these outings, which usually came at the end of the tour when everyone had got to know each other and were all up for a big final hurrah, were a riot.

The live sex was the dullest part (including, it always seemed, to the couple on stage). The solo performers, meanwhile, with their bananas, their candles, their Texta, or – in the case of Magic Mike – just a strategically employed towel, were professional entertainers who really knew how to work a crowd.

The comparison of the bus tours to the Lizzo accusations isn’t entirely analogous. We, the crew members on these boozy backpacker jaunts, were not the boss of anyone in our group. There was no power imbalance. There was also no pressure to attend the shows; anyone who was uncomfortable with the concept just didn’t buy a ticket. And the crew was there to ensure the safety of those who did.

Still, it’s interesting to read of the stuff that Lizzo and her dancers were allegedly getting up to in Amsterdam and think – huh, I used to do that.

But that was almost 20 years ago. Things have changed since then. Norms have changed. Standards have changed. Our understanding of what is right and reasonable, and what could be putting people in a situation of discomfort or humiliation, has certainly changed.

In fact, there are plenty of things that went on back in those days across the board in travel that just doesn’t take place anymore, due to shifts in our collective thinking.

I went on a Contiki tour maybe 12 years ago through Thailand and Laos that included an elephant-riding experience. There was no thought given to the ethics of this practice – every passenger chose to do it. It was just, cool, you can ride elephants here!

That doesn’t happen anymore. Now, Contiki tours in Thailand visit Elephant Haven, an ethically run sanctuary in Kanchanaburi, where, according to the Contiki brochure, the animals “roam free – the way they were meant to live”. Some companies, such as G Adventures, have banned all animal-riding activities, including on horseback, across its tours.

All sorts of other things that used to be OK in travel – single-use plastics, constant air travel, ignorance of Indigenous cultures and sensitivities, even the social impacts of Airbnb-style accommodation – have become a lot more complicated in recent years.

And of course, backpacker bus tours of Europe have changed. Barely anyone has a backpack, for starters. Most don’t camp, but stay in hostels or hotels. There’s Wi-Fi on board the bus. You have all the mod-cons, all the comforts.

And in Amsterdam? The Contiki brochure hints at “an undistinguished Red Light District” which is “there for the curious”. Topdeck Travel, meanwhile, describes Amsterdam as “a foodie’s haven” and advises passengers to “head to a canal-side wine bar to keep the good times rolling”. So… no Texta lady?

Even back when I was on tour, the sex shows weren’t specifically mentioned in the brochure. It was more a “nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more” type thing (incredibly old reference, you’re welcome). But Contiki has confirmed that tickets to these shows haven’t been offered on their tours since the return from COVID-19 shutdowns. Topdeck has also confirmed that the sex club shows are no longer offered as optional activities.

All we can say for certain is that the world has changed. And no one wants to get sued.