Earlier quoted context omitted.
Legalizing for protection of those involved is one thing, but it is completely orthogonal to 'reducing the stigma'. Frankly this is where these movements lose people, including the abortion movement.
Youre downvoted but have a good point. I agree its a victimless crime and so the govt has no business regulating it, but pushing for destigmitization is a different kind of social change. Why is that important?
Overly analytical guide to escorting
121–130 of 465 posts
Re: Overly analytical guide to escorting
#122Re: Overly analytical guide to escorting
#123As a fan of Aella’s Twitter persona I wish I had known about the escorting before it stopped!
This strikes me as a weird things to say tbh, but in the spirit of the article I decided to try to look at it a bit more rationally and not sure this is wrong to say, but I still don't like it and I'm not exactly sure why.
Re: Overly analytical guide to escorting
#124Earlier quoted context omitted.
Outcomes in terms of what?
Length of relationships, self reported happiness, lifespan etc. Anything statistically significant.
What happens if the men who pay directly for sex report shorter relationships and have lifespans 6 months shorter than men who don't, but they tell you they're happier? Or what happens if you discover that men who pay for sex while in relationships report longer relationships?
Re: Overly analytical guide to escorting
#125Earlier quoted context omitted.
The same stats also note that the median income for an escort is $5000 per month , or $60k/year. And for what it's worth, flying to many places with a family of four can cost $1200/hour even in economy class.
There was an article about prostitution in Germany (legal) where Eastern European women will offer services for as low as 10 EUR. Race to the bottom?
As someone who used services in the past, I don’t understand why anyone would spend any money at all on those… but they do find clients. Maybe it’s because if I lower my standards I can just easily find someone “for free” instead.
Re: Overly analytical guide to escorting
#126Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have a (non-software) engineering degree but write software, do I get to be called a Software Engineer?
Did you take and pass the Professional Engineering exam? If so then yes.
https://www.nspe.org/resources/pe-magazine/may-2018/ncees-en...
Re: Overly analytical guide to escorting
#127As funny as it may be, this is a weakness in human character, a desire for a thing of no value. Transactional exchanges bleach emotion and depth. There are productive relationships in life. They do not lie within this realm. For myself, this was waste of time. I do not deny those who seek it, but the end result is always to be disillusioned. And now I sound like an octogenarian.
One of the friendships I most value in my life, I formed meeting for the more transactional version of this: at a brothel. I made a lifelong friend because I connected with someone, even though I was paying for sex. I’m not expecting to change your mind about whether this kind of interaction can become a meaningful connection. But I know from experience it doesn’t have to be empty.
I am beyond that event horizon. Looking out from a "Schwarzschild radius" on what other people choose to suffer, I remember being on the other side.
I am not going back.
There is a story about one who goes back, Avalokiteshvera.
That is not me, for now. None of us have the bandwidth.
Re: Overly analytical guide to escorting
#128Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Once in a while, I come across something like this and wonder, what is it like to be that rich to casually drop 1,200 an hour, for anything, let alone on escorts. Median income is $100,000/yr. My impression (from HN) is this isn't abnormal for non-entry-level tech workers in the US. Edit: It's just about the median software engineer salary in the US. https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/software-develope... E…
Keep in mind my rate was 1200, but $100k was the median reported income for all clients who responded to my survey. I suspect the median income for clients who saw me would be much higher!
I'm curious what you think about the relative price comparison to hostess work in LA outlined above. Either you're charging too little, or.. there's some.. interesting implied conclusions about the low relative cost (from the worker's perspective) for sex work! Or there's not enough information liquidity in the market? Or...
I Am Not An Economist, but... I can't shake the feeling there's a mispricing somewhere. Possibly a juicy topic for a paper, blog post, or Planet Money episode.
Also, that gonewild post is genius. Thanks for the laughs.
Re: Overly analytical guide to escorting
#129Earlier quoted context omitted.
> It would be nice if we could just regulate this industry to protect the people in it. Amen to that. As an ignorant outsider looking in, the first thing that comes to mind is the possible huge safety benefits gained by collective bargaining. Even if it's not certified and recognized by the NLRB, there's gotta be something.
Decriminalization, that's mostly what sex workers want. I'm pretty wary of regulation, which often is done in misguided ways by people out of touch with sex workers' actual needs.
Like all regulation should be...