Dirty Money - The Business of High End Prostitution
http://www.cnbc.com/id/26869953/
An OUTSTANDING hour long CNBC program. Showing how common escorts are. Good
comments about difference between a prostitute and escort. A prostitute
is usually on the street and sells sex acts for money. An escort charges
a fee for her time and usually involves more of a connection with the client,
is better educated and can be more than just sex.
One gal who had a client pay about $25,000 to take her to NY, says they
were together 12 hours of which only about two hours was having sex.
Lots of web sites shown like Eros and lots about TER, the ratings etc. They
claim to get over 10 million visitors a day but the high end girls don't
want their juicy details shared and want to be more anonymous.
GFE with its different meanings discussed. Called the hobby etc. Was quite
informed and complete.
A professor called when many men are looking for other than sex is authenticity
- an exchange that the client experiences as a real connection (I would
say more like a kind of love for the moment with another human). She says
a genuine and emotional erotic bond not something that seems just staged
or faked. This is especially true at the high end were the engagement lasts
for hours or sometimes days. This is in line with my definition as I was
one of the first to use the term GFE back before web sites when we just
had the alt.sex.prostitution newsgroup with packet readers at 300 baud.
Lots more discussion of gals discussing how clients thought they just wanted
sex but really enjoyed the connection with the escort while being intimate.
All of which of course I relate to as my prime interest.
Interviewed Michael Bader, psychologist and author of Male Sexuality who
says most men seek a special kind of experience not just about sex.
Another gal said its more like being a therapeutic relationship of communication
and intimate exploration which she enjoys being of service to the client.
"Allows for a level of intimacy and sharing that is really beautiful," she
said.
A very positive view which is refreshing instead of the usual how terrible
it is and not about forcing women into it or trafficking but very intelligent
well educated women were interviewed and did well.
Asking high end clients why they pay for escorts one said "It fills an emotional
need for companionship, as well as the physical need for sex. It is mostly
uncomplicated and it does not require the time commitment that many guys
simply do not have." (the dating game I relate it to - that I got tired
of playing with normal women).
Great comments about escorts often going to college in London where its
more socially accepted as a form of recreation and selling it is not that
bad.
Elizabeth Berstein Author of Temporarily Yours wisely points out that sex
doesn't have to be for love only or with the person your married to forever,
but can be more playful, experimental, less consequential so the stakes
are lower.
Then contrast the high risk of being on Craigslist with police rounding
up women on Craigslist just like they collect them from the street. But
some encounter real danger from bad clients and sometimes are killed.
Was good discussion that the big risk to the high end escort is being arrested,
exposed, lose children etc., all just for providing in my view a very valuable
needed service to "mankind".
Ended with a discussion of decriminalization but as usual combines street
hookers with private escorts. But did point out the different attitudes
in Europe of the Spitzer situation, how silly it was from European view
that it was such a big deal to be seeing an escort. As one said "Americans
are going crazy about sex, who are these puritanical people who would pay
so much attention to that...been to many places where sexwork is legal and
no one would be hounded out of office for visiting a sexworker.
Pointed out that even in America polls show between 20-50% say they favor
some form of legalization. "Clearly there is a large minority that clearly
believe there should be some change in the law - a more tolerant approach."
Those against law changes argue the laws are needed to protect young innocent
girls. But a law professor says can't decrim since it is saying to young
girls this is an OK activity. And the forced trafficking of millions of
girls to the U.S. from around the world. But then pointed out those high
numbers are being called into question. "There has been a trend in trying
to equate prostitution with sex trafficking and say all or most prostitutes
have been trafficked - and their is no real evidence of that at all," says
a sociologist.
Very wise women says those against prostitution use the rhetoric of human
rights abuses and trafficking but that doesn't apply to all the cases. Laws
should be against using under aged girls, forcing anyone into the business
by coercion etc where women are uneducated, don't have employment options
and are railroaded into prostitution - all of that is bad. "But that has
very little in common with a situation where a women is well educated, could
work in retail etc......but she decides what she wants to do is sexwork.
So we have to make those distinctions."
Clips of the show and other good information is at DIRTYMONEY.CNBC.COM I
posted a comment if it gets posted among the many.
My only complaint is what I consider the most important issue to get the
public to know - its legal and no big deal in almost all the world except
the U.S. It was mentioned briefly but not pointed out as well as I would
like it to be.
The show did nicely show the difference between street hookers and the well
educated higher end escort. Many escorts said how wonderfully they are treated
and how they enjoy the excitement etc.
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