Nicole Richie played voyeur for her Fourth of July festivities as the new mom strolled sans baby Harlow and rocker beau Joel Madden on the beaches of Malibu.

With several girlfriends in tow, Nicole happened upon an interpretive dance performance going on in the sand. Either that or a new strip club was opening. Whatever the case, an eyewitness tells us that eight Cal State dance students were "gyrating," part of a traveling beach exhibit that explores man's relationship with the ocean. Ah, the motion of the ocean.

Are we absolutely sure it wasn't a traveling strip club?

Anyhoo, Richie cheered on the dancers and even whipped out her own camera to film them, paparazzi-style. But the camera love only went so far—and in only one direction. When several stargazers tried to snap Richie filming the dancers, a peeved pal of Nicole's approached and barked at the fans, "You need to stop."

Talk about a buzzkill. So much for our new business venture: Beach Blanket Ba-Da-Bingo!

—Reporting by Matt Donnelly