‘Welcome to Chippendales’ Reveals the Murderous Backstory to a Male Stripping Empire
The new Hulu series chronicles the shady dealings and shocking crimes behind the enterprise known for gyrating men with killer abs in bow ties.
Erin Simkin/Hulu
When you think of Chippendales, you probably think of buff, shirtless dudes in tight pants, with a bow tie around their neck for good measure. (That, or you think of the iconic Saturday Night Live sketch sending up the whole enterprise.)
Hulu’s new, 1980s-set drama about the infamous house of male strippers, however, is likely to challenge that impression. Starring Kumail Nanjiani as the founder of Chippendales, Somen “Steve” Banerjee, Welcome to Chippendales is a true crime-styled retelling of the company’s rise and fall. Nanjiani is joined by fellow big names, like Murray Bartlett, Andrew Rannells, and Juliette Lewis, to recount the sinister tale.
The series’ first teaser is almost parodic of the incessant “based on a true story” genre—unsurprising, coming from the creator of Hulu’s Pam and Tommy. Set to the chillingly slowed-down strains of “Any Way You Want It,” the teaser shows Banerjee lording over his sleazy strip club. It’s a “world of luxury,” he calls it. But that’s an ironic, ominous decree, considering the entire teaser is composed of dark lighting and discomfiting close-ups.
Why is a straitlaced, suited-up businessman interested in starting this kind of business, anyway? Well, as he’s told repeatedly, he can make a lot of money off of parading these hot dudes around. Money is everywhere: folded up ominously into suitcases, or represented by Banerjee’s sprawling Los Angeles mansion. But his business partners aren’t happy about Banerjee’s financial scheming, and the teaser warns that not every American dream “has a happy ending.” (Hence the shotgun lying on the floor next to Banerjee’s bed in one shot.)
In real life, Steve Banerjee ended up hiring a hitman to kill three former Chippendales dancers, who split from the company to start what he perceived as a competitor. The plan failed, and Banerjee pled guilty to charges of attempted murder, arson, and racketeering. While in a holding cell before sentencing, however, Banerjee died by suicide.
Whether Welcome to Chippendales sticks that closely to the real story remains to be seen. It’s fair to guess that the answer is an emphatic “yes,” however; it’s true crime, after all. We’ll know for sure when the series premieres November 22.
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