[ExI] harlotry again

[John Grigg]

Ben wrote/quoted from the magazine interview:
"I don't see it as a terrible thing. It's something I drifted into by
chance. I never judged girls who worked as escorts and was always
fascinated by it. There is this huge stigma attached to escorting but I
don't see it like that"

"I'm still young and I can't decide on what I want to do in the future.
My escorting work provides me with a fabulous life and I don't want to
give it up just yet."

"I have a nice life - I don't want for anything and I'm in control. I
haven't had much freedom in my life and I'm enjoying it."

Doesn't sound like someone with horrific emotional and self-esteem
problems to me!

More like an extremely intelligent girl who's decided to take control of
her own life and do what she wants to do. More power to her, I say.
>>>

Well..., I suppose then she was not the horribly exploited/totally
self-destructive woman I had envisioned.  It's sounds like her life was more
along the lines of Ashley Dupre.  I had thought the former Oxford
student was more of a "low-end" hooker and for many of them life is hell.
But in the links that Spike gave, it was clear that both of the young women
came from very broken/dysfunctional homes.  I wonder how many high-end
prostitutes come from happy families? hmmm...  It would make for an
interesting study.

Spike wrote:
I just don't get it.  A harlot with whom one could actually carry on
meaningful conversation (possibly even about mathematics!) and yet no
premium pricetag?  Someone do explain.
>>>

It does seem strange.  Perhaps the former Oxford student does not/did not
have a full understanding of her full market value if she went after the
right customer demographic.  But this also might be a sign of hidden low
self-esteem.  I'm not so sure she is the happy and self-actualizing person
you take her for.

Ben wrote:
My impression is that she is definitely not messed-up, and has not been
driven to 'degrade herself' (do you regard prostitution, per se, to be a
degrading career?).
>>>

I think even at the high-end of prostitution, it is for many women (at least
to some extent) a distasteful thing (depending in part on the
customer/situation).  Perhaps there are some women who have a personal
psychology that allows them to find the work engaging and even fun.  I would
say despite even the "glitter" of high-end prostitution, it is at some
level degrading.  Perhaps I am an old-fashioned romantic who believes sex
should be between two people with real feelings of deep affection/love (or
at least lust!) between them.  I suspect a century from now we will see a
publicly accepted and updated version of the ancient Greek Hetaira (many
current politicians would love to see that day!, lol).  I wonder to what
extent academics have explored the world of prostitution (especially at the
high-end).  What I mainly know of the topic is about the poor benighted
street walkers.

John
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