Pop Culture Curmudgeon

I Should Probably Quit Writing and Just Be a Whore

So, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner think women are missing out on a lucrative career opportunity: prostitution.

Apparently, we’ve all been squandering our God-given assets by just having premarital sex for free these past few decades. We could have been earning a buttload of money completely tax-free if we’d been selling our sexual services.

Of course, the gentlemen don’t look at the emotional consequences of selling your body. Or the potential health ramifications. Yes, their sample high-priced hooker “Allie” requires her clients to wear condoms. But, not all hookers do. (Case in point, Elliot Spitzer paid a higher rate to avoid condom use.)

They also don’t look at the damage done to the men’s relationships with their girlfriends and wives. Those who don’t wear condoms risk their partner’s health. They risk their entire relationships if their partners find out not only that they are being unfaithful but also that they are paying for it. (Somehow it seems worse if someone is paying for sex.)

What do you think. Do you think women would have a lot more economic power if we sold our bodies? Would you do it to make money?

Levitt and Dubner make their argument for prostitution as a career choice in their new book Superfreakonomics. Read an excerpt here.

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Uncategorized | Jennifer Roland | October 21, 2009 9:00 am

6 Comments

By Ann Marie, October 21, 2009 @ 10:19 am

In a perfect world, Leavitt and Dubner at least will now always have to pay up front. God forbid women get paid for using their brains as well as other organs.
.-= Ann Marie´s last blog ..The Trouble with Thrillers =-.

[Reply]
Jennifer Roland Reply:
October 21st, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Nice point. It was interesting that it sounded a lot like we gals who have the sex for free really ruined it for the hookers.

[Reply]
By POSTY MCPOSTERTON, October 21, 2009 @ 10:38 am

If I were a confident young woman with a killer body, I’d totally do it.

Of course, I’m a sexist pig… meh.

~Dan

[Reply]
Jennifer Roland Reply:
October 21st, 2009 at 12:46 pm
That brings up an interesting point I heard on Cosmo Radio last week. The hosts of the show I was listening to shared their theory that men love to be objectified. Do you think that is true?

I know that, as a woman, I hate to be objectified, so I find it hard to imagine how it would be appealing.

[Reply]
POSTY MCPOSTERTON Reply:
October 21st, 2009 at 2:16 pm
I think that’s true… I also think that thoughts on sex is different between genders (but not stereotypically so). I mean, I’ve paid for sex (or at least a massage with a happy ending) and I don’t think much of it. If women were into paying for sex, heck, I’d consider being a gigalo (sp?).

Along with legalization of marijuana, I think legalize sex trade could be beneficial for society. The problems are when it’s illegal, things tend to get unsafe quick (drugs & sex).
.-= POSTY MCPOSTERTON´s last blog ..Faith No More – U.S. Tour is in the planning phase… =-.

[Reply]
Jennifer Roland Reply:
October 21st, 2009 at 10:23 pm
When I take my own emotions out of it, I agree that women would be safer if prostitution were legal.

But when I think about it as a wife, I can’t bear the thought of sex being just another commodity to be bought and sold. I fear the bachelor parties that would go on if it were legal to do more than just go to a strip club.

But I’m with you on the pot. Pot is no more dangerous than alcohol, in my opinion. Take the money out of it, collect taxes to fund things like health care and drug abuse prevention, and free up some jail space for actual criminals.