Recently in my local Arlington, MA newspaper, an article ran describing legitimate massage businesses as "massage parlors" and the bodyworkers therein, as "Masseuses." The article went on to describe how local police had investigated whether these offices were operating legally. As reported, one of the businesses was shut down after a person offered sex for money. The others were operating legally.
In Mass. we are now 2 years into wonderful state licensure. Those who disagree with the term "wonderful" may not have had to have 5 licenses in the 5 towns they worked in with arbitrary fees and requirements such as a VD test, fingerprinting, extra passport pics of you for the Vice Squad files along with many other sordid and ridiculous things--but I digress and that's a different topic for a different blog post. In our licensing, "bodywork" was excluded from licensure of the various factions of bodyworkers own volition. One of the business "investigated" by the police were actually practicing Asian bodywork legally, and did not require a Mass. license. This being the press, much ballyhoo went into playing up the possibility of a sordid business happening vs. the therapeutic work that was more likely.
I wrote a letter to the editor educting them that the term "massage parlor" and "masseuse" was outdated and degrading to the many gifted practitioners in our chosen field. I also spoke of the above legislation, and that the bodyworkers were correct in not needing a license to practice. There's a backstory here which I will not go into, where the local Health Department extorted unnecessary fees from local MT's but again, a digression, although a player in the impetus of the investigation.
The writer of the article politely wrote back, professing ignorance of the correct term "massage therapist" and said that other businesses he knew of called themselves "parlors" He also said he was reluctant to use the word "office" thinking that meant desks and filecabinets, and was "studio" more appropriate. I answered in some cases that could be correct, but did a chiropractor, acupuncturist or dentist call their office a studio?
What do you think of these terms? What do you call your office, or place of business? Some of you may work in a "salon" or "spa" and these terms are absolutely appropriate. But my business is neither, and I call my business an office. It's actually in a collaborative healing center, which is also accurate and comfortable. Do you like to be called a "masseuse" ? What do you think of this term? If it comes from anyone other than someone who is French, I have a problem with it in that it has been used historyically to describe an escort or prostitute, or other in the sex industry or exchange. I told the editor I would weigh in nationally on this subject and I would really appreciate your professional opinon.