Lots of people act well, but few people talk well. This shows that talking is the more difficult of the two. – Oscar Wilde
The Founding Fathers thought that by banning titles of nobility in the United States, they could ensure that the only differences between people would be those arising from differences in natural ability, wealth and the like. Unfortunately, they could not have predicted the invention of telecommunications and the rise of that peculiar phenomenon which originated in the United States but has now infected the rest of the world: the celebrity. Daniel Boorstin, in his 1962 book The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-events in America, defined a celebrity as one who “is known for his well-knownness”; this is usually paraphrased as “famous for being famous.” Celebrities are a sort of modern nobility, people who are given respect and even power far out of proportion to anything they might have earned had they not appeared in a movie or on television.
I couldn’t help but think about this a couple of days ago when Laura Agustín was interviewed in a shamefully-underexposed (judging by the lack of commentary) column on Huffington Post about her participation in a BBC-sponsored “debate” at the recent “End Human Trafficking” event in Egypt. I put “debate” in quotes because it was a debate in name only; Laura alone was pitted against the head of Interpol, an ex-victim of trafficking, a guy who personally “rescues sex slaves” and an actress named Mira Sorvino. In the interview, Laura said:
It was an incredibly stacked deck, four against one, so it was never going to be a real debate. But I went for the chance to reach the television audience. The BBC World Service is a 24-hour international news channel watched all over the planet, so in my head I was reaching people interested in trafficking issues anywhere who might have doubts about the way trafficking is usually talked about… I try to break down these huge generalizations. Some people are working in conditions that look like traditional slavery, but a lot are undocumented migrants with debts to pay, workers under the age of 18 and people who would rather sell sex than do any of the other jobs open to them. People who say there are 30 million slaves in the world are including all those and many more.
Now, I don’t watch television nor see very many movies, so when I read this column I had no idea who Mira Sorvino is besides the contextual revelation that she is a film actress. So I looked her up on the IMDb and discovered that her only characteristics which might be considered related to the subjects of prostitution and/or human trafficking are that she has a degree in Mandarin Chinese, wrote a highly-lauded paper on race relations in China and played a hooker in the Woody Allen movie Mighty Aphrodite; the last fact irresistibly reminded me of the much-ridiculed American television commercial of the 1980s in which an actor intoned in all seriousness, “I’m not a doctor, but I play one on TV” as though that made him a medical authority. But her fame was apparently more important to the UN and BBC than her lack of credentials, because she was not only invited to participate in the debate but allowed to take it upon herself to “back-seat moderate” as well, which is rather like someone acting as both judge and prosecutor:
I am not sure she understands that she’s allied with abolitionists. I had only spoken a few times when she began waving her hand to get the moderator’s attention. She demanded to know what I was doing there, why I was being allowed to speak. She seemed to think she could over-ride the BBC. I don’t mind people having different ideas from mine but implying I don’t have the right to speak? [The BBC Moderator] asked me if I wanted to respond, so I said in the British tradition debate means dissent, and the BBC invited me because I have a different point of view. Sorvino came across as wanting to censor me, which is shocking in a ‘goodwill ambassador’, isn’t it? I don’t know quite what they are supposed to do, but acting outraged every time I spoke, keeping up a running commentary to people near her (including Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore), is certainly not ambassadorial.
The audience’s response?
People applauded, as though attacking me were a heroic act. Someone heard her use the term ‘holocaust denier’, too…I think the event participants did not understand what the BBC was doing there and thought the panel should be just stating conclusions. Maybe they thought the BBC was there to cover the event! But that would be weird, since such go on all the time — they are hardly newsworthy. Someone had not explained, and they took it out on me just because I questioned some of the statements made.
My only commentary on this would be to mention Godwin’s Law, and to quote Laura Agustín herself: “Beware movie stars who see themselves as crusaders.” I’ve opined before (in my column of October 20th) that what the sex worker rights movement needs is “a bunch of empty-headed Hollywood stars who are looking for a new cause to adopt…[because] in the minds of the hoi-polloi, the opinion of one celebrity who knows nothing about the subject is worth the life-experiences of a thousand veteran whores”; obviously, Mira Sorvino, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher need not apply.
But perhaps we could try Arnold Schwarzenegger; he’s European, highly charismatic, politically involved and looking for a new gig now that his tenure as Governor of California is over. And he has recently shown at least some sympathy for prostitutes; regular readers may remember the story of Sara Kruzan, an underage hooker who was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing her pimp and was until recently all but ignored by trafficking fetishists. Well, earlier this week her sentence was reduced by Schwarzenegger in one of his last actions as governor. The Arnold stopped short of a full pardon, but his action will at least allow Miss Kruzan to be paroled. Maybe SWOP needs to start aggressively wooing him as a spokesman; can’t you just see it? “Terminate laws against prostitution now!” After all, he’s almost as much a subject-matter expert as Mira Sorvino; he’s never played a whore, but he did play a pregnant man once.
As you say, Mira Sorvino played a prostitute in Mighty Aphrodite. With a title like that, she should have been a sacred temple prostitute (STP), but I’m guessing she wasn’t (I haven’t seen the movie).
But what about Kutcher and Moore? Well Demi Moore was in Indecent Proposal, and unless we accept that “only once” plus “a million dollars” plus “Robert Redford!!” = “not really a whore,” then she’s played one too. And probably in some other movie I don’t know about. In fact, it might be interesting to compile a list of American actresses who have NOT played prostitutes.
Ashton Kutcher is a guy and as as far as I know (I’m not exactly a Hollywood historian here and could have missed something) has never played a prostitute.
Arnold Schwarzenegger played Conan of Cimmeria, who was a well-known connoisseur of working girls.
Demi Moore also played a stripper once, didn’t she?
She did indeed, in Striptease. She also played Hester Prynn. She sure has played a lot of sex-oriented roles, hasn’t she?
Perhaps she could recommend somebody for Shamhat?
When Helen Mirren was young, she would’ve been a natural except for being blonde. 🙂
Yeah, we need a brunette, don’t we? Well, that also leaves out the actress I’ve been wanting to see in that (or a similar) role: Emma Watson, who has said that she will get her kit off for the right part.
This is normal for the BBC. On many issues it takes the line that certain views are (morally) correct and anyone holding different ones is mad, bad, stupid or just misguided. In ‘debates’ both the panel and the audience will be loaded with those holding the ‘correct’ views.
How long has it been this way? At one time the BBC had a good reputation for journalism; when did it change?
I’d ask when you believe that one time was first, and then I could form a better answer to your nebulous question.
“How long has it been this way?”
That’s hard to answer. It’s something I’ve become aware of gradually. I always thought of the BBC as completely impartial and then it gradually dawned that it isn’t.
Apparently it was research for that role that got Mira interested in what she sees as the main issue for sex workers. She’s been interested in the problem of sex trafficking since then.
Still, I would happily have a celebrity be as brainlessly devoted to our cause just as deeply as they seem to be drawn to sex trafficking.
XX
Absolutely! 🙂
First we’d need a few movies with sex workers as heros, a little bit of pathos wouldn’t hurt, then perhaps a few sex worker dolls for children (a new Escort Barbie series might help, with her handbag full of tiny condoms). 🙂
Slightly more seriously, maybe it would be possible to contact some of these celebrities, either directly, or maybe indirectly. I wonder if a general-audience program like Jon Stewart’s or Jay Leno’s or Stephen Colbert’s couldn’t interview a sex workers’ rights advocate in a positive way… and thereby give them some support, and perhaps get other celebrities interested.
Well, there was Angel and its sequel, Avenging Angel. Not sure those helped, and it was a long time ago.
“When you get to Hell, tell them an Angel sent you.”
I have a friend who collects Barbies. I’d probably by her the Escort Barbie for Christmas or her birthday. My own Barbie is still dressed in the clothes I found her in, lying in that burned-out apartment. I have fixed her hair in Usagi style, though.
I like the John Stewart/Jay Leno/Steven Colbert idea.
Barbie started out as an escort, remember?
Was she a formal prostitute, or did she just make a habit of dating richer men while admitting to herself that she was more attracted to their dutsche marks than to their bodies, minds, or hearts? Or IOW, was she doing anything that would get her arrested and convicted if she did it in the US today?
The meaning of the word “doxy” is pretty specific. Lilli of the comic strip was indeed a “party girl”, but Lilli the doll was definitely a hooker.
Cool. There’s also a magical creature called a doxy in the Harry Potter stories, but that has nothing to do with this. It does make me think that I maybe had better google any new words I invent for my stuff, though.
Asehpe — The problem is that mainstream media does not seem interested in giving sex workers attention unless a scandal is involved. There are a lot of reasons for this; some it has to do with the feeling that sex workers have no brains and that sex work isn’t political — it’s just an easy way to make a living that everyone can do. There are other reasons, but I’ll leave it here. In my experience, pitching media is very difficult because they focus on sophomoric titillation and aren’t the least bit interested in talking politics or human rights.
Contacting celebrities is on our to-do list, but it IS rather hard to find out HOW to actually contact a celebrity to give them a pitch.
XX
Maggie, I had no idea about Barbie’s origins — how cool! Noting how much neo/radfems wrote against Barbie as a symbol of ‘objectification’ or ‘impossible-to-follow bodily standards imposed by the media’ etc. etc. etc., it must really be the case that they forgot about Barbie’s origin, or else they would use that as ammunition too.
Amanda — but if it is true that the media are greedy for attention and viewership, why not capitalize on the good side of prostitution as well? There are already stereotypes in this direction — Hollywood’s “hooker with the heart of gold”. Positive depictions of the lifes of prostitutes would certainly attract viewers, like that British series “Diaries of a Call Girl”. When I see things like “Sex and the City” attracting a wide audience, it’s not hard to imagine similar results for positive depictions of prostitutes. I mean, the media is, as you point out, all about titillation, and yet many series that involved much more serious issues (like The Simpsons and South Park) became very popular.
I realize that contacting celebrities is difficult; but is it really difficult to get in touch with, say, a talk show host like Stephen Colbert (who did interview a number of unorthodox people) to get someone like, say, you, an interview? (I admit I have no real-life experience whatsoever with this, but since I routinely see talk show guests who don’t seem to be such hot celebrities either I imagine there must be a way.)
Asehpe — As someone who has ONLY done media in the realm of sex work, I can assure you that their interest in titillation is both demeaning and barely at the 101 stage. They aren’t capable of more intelligent discourse. I mean, how about something like The Wire for hookers? Won’t ever happen because sex work isn’t taken seriously. I don’t doubt there are some great scripts floating around Hollywood that will never be produced because the people with the money aren’t the people with the vision.
Pitching media professionals is a very difficult art if there isn’t a scandal involved or there isn’t some compelling reason to be pitching them (having a chit chat about prostitution law isn’t compelling enough). Or they want people who are physically in NYC (or wherever they shoot). Also…I look like a dumb blonde. This backfires when approaching mainstream media. Though if they fall for it, they’re a lot dumber than I appear!!
XX
Amanda, still, if the media is so lowest-common-denominator-oriented, how come “Diaries of a Call Girl” was a success in Britain? I understand your point — the hypothetical good scripts floating around would have to find someone with vision, someone ready to bet on them, and usually these aren’t the ones with the money — but I wouldn’t despair so easily.
Especially with the internet and alternative ways of reaching people — like your very informative blog, Maggie’s here, and others — the necessary interest from the public may be slowly building up. Every time a new case of some ‘normal person’ who happens to have been a hooker in the past comes up, pro-prostitution activism moves one inch closer to mainstream interest.
But I get your message — it ain’t easy. Alas, you’re right.
(Judging by your photos, you don’t look at all like a ‘dumb blonde’; but even if you did… Ann Coulter never let that stop her. :-))
Maybe it’s as if well-known celebrities felt a little like ‘family’: we’ve seen them so often we’re used to them. Then we want to hear their opinions. Also, whatever cause they’re engaged in now, is something that someone ‘from the family’ is doing so we should all know about it. If Uncle Frank went to Africa to help starving children we’d pay attention to that, and so would we if Paris Hilton did the same.
We’re so sorry, Uncle Albert, but we haven’t heard a thing all day.
Just on the point that the Huffington piece was underexposed, there was such a delay after David submitted it that it seemed they were not going to run it (even if you have a blog on hp your posts have to be approved by editors). many rabid anti-trafficking pieces are published there, and editors simply ignore me when i write to them. and then, they choose very few blog posts to run on their front page.
there is such a taboo about what i say that few mainstream sites are willing to link to me at all, but now (since the bbc thing ran on tv worldwide) i get a certain kind of hate mail i did not before, indicating that i have entered that central stream – for better and worse.
best, laura
People reserve their most vitriolic hate for those who say or write things they know deep down are true but don’t want to believe. A decade or so ago an American university professor wrote a book pointing out that teenagers are not children and that we need to stop referring to them as such and come up with different sex laws to apply to them (thus creating a three-tiered child/adolescent/adult system rather than the current two-tiered system). I will never forget the evil rhetoric, including calls for censorship and even imprisonment, hurled against this woman; the only recent phenomenon I can compare it to is the hate directed against Julian Assange, And all this despite the fact that EVERY SINGLE PERSON attacking her was a teenager once and remembers damned well that it’s nothing like being a child. 🙁
If you’re talking about Judith Levine and her book Harmful to Minors, the condemnation started before the book was even published. A huge chunk of the populace was led to believe (and probably still does believe) that the book was a pro-pedophile manifesto. It was no such thing, and I highly recommend it.
I believe she is the one I’m referring to, but my husband brought a rather nasty flu bug home with him and I’m rather confused today due to high temperature. 🙁
I understand. I’m blessed with good health most of the time, but when I do get sick I’m lucky if I remember my own name.
Take care of yourself, and get well soon.
My body tends to run through diseases pretty quickly; I’m horribly ill for a short time but it doesn’t take long before I’m better. 🙂
That, alas! is in total agreement with my personal experience. Very well put.
Which is why I end up thinking this has to have more to do with a sex-negative culture than with a failure to distinguish infants from adolescents. For all other kinds of purposes everybody does acknowledge a lot of differences (physical, cognitive, etc.) between five- and fifteen-year-olds; but as soon as sex raises its ugly head, hush hush, they’re all children again, and we should not take advantage of the poor darlings’ innocent souls.
Unless, of course, it’s another teenager violating one of the sex laws, in which case they’re usually tried as an adult. This bizarre doublethink has resulted in a number of cases where girls were convicted as adults for “child pornography” for taking nude pictures of themselves! 🙁
i had a hilarious dinner in a chinese restaurant with judith levine last year, and her book came out only a few years ago.
it is quite interesting to think that people read what i say but won’t admit that they do. interesting anthropologically, i mean. even at the luxor event several people sidled up to me to whisper that i was very ‘brave’ to say what i had in public.
all very odd from my point of view, because of course i think i am only saying the simple obvious.
I know exactly what you mean, Laura; people are always saying the same thing to me (though I don’t know that I would’ve had the guts to do what you did at Luxor) and I have to shake my head because it shouldn’t require “courage” to speak the truth. 🙁
It is dangerous to be right in matters where established men are wrong.
Being shamed by others is efficient, isn’t it? They know the consequences of admitting too openly that they read you and have been thinking about your ideas, and they fear that. They fear the rejection of other people’s orthodoxy, the stigma of heresy. And just as heretics were invariably accused of corrupting the youth and bringing about social collapse, so do those who disagree with today’s social myths.
Didn’t someone say or write at some point something like ‘there is nothing easier to ignore than the obvious, since the non-obvious is more interesting and thus receives more attention’?
It’s bizarre that Hollywood thinks everyone’s forgotten their dodgy track record on sexual assault, their hypocrisy on opposing sex work while hiring sex workers, and that we should listen to them on subjects involving women’s issues and sex worker’s rights.