Neil DeGrasse Tyson Reveals What Stopped Him From Becoming A Male Stripper—And Wow

Neil DeGrasse Tyson just blew our minds once again—but this time, it wasn't about the wonders of the universe.

The astrophysicist recently appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show and revealed he considered becoming a male stripper to earn extra money while he was in college.

Tyson was actually a member of three different dance companies while he was attending the University of Texas at Austin. However, according to the To Infinity and Beyond author, the gigs did not pay well and he needed to find a way to make ends meet.

Enter the confession.

Tyson told the host:

“I was still studying astrophysics, and I had fellow dancers who were making extra money—’cause I needed money, ’cause we weren’t paid much—and one of them said, ‘Why don’t you come down with us?’ because some of them danced at a strip club, a guy’s strip club."

Go onnnnn.

“So I went and I was cut and flex—I could do a full split...but I went to just investigate, I wanted data first.”

Of course he did.

Tyson then shared that he witnessed a group of dancers sporting “asbestos-lined jockstraps that had been ignited with lighter fluid” dancing to the oh-so-fitting tune "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis.

“Let me just say, I’m embarrassed that only in that moment when I saw their genitals on fire did I say, ‘Maybe I should be a math tutor."

Yeah, that'll do it.

He continued:

“I’m just sayin’, at that point I had other thoughts about how to earn money."

Clarkson then quipped:

“You’re like, ‘I’m gonna keep this junk safe."

You can watch it all unfold below.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Was A Male Dancer While Studying Astrophysics youtu.be

Viewers of the clip were highly entertained by this unearthed nugget of information.

The Kelly Clarkson Show/YouTube

The Kelly Clarkson Show/YouTube

The Kelly Clarkson Show/YouTube

The Kelly Clarkson Show/YouTube

The Kelly Clarkson Show/YouTube

The Kelly Clarkson Show/YouTube

The Kelly Clarkson Show/YouTube

The Kelly Clarkson Show/YouTube

The Kelly Clarkson Show/YouTube

Goodness, we love learning.

Thanks for the chuckle, Neil!