So easily do weak men put in high positions turn villains. – Dmitry Pisarev
Since mammals first evolved, alpha males of many species have collected harems for themselves and kept lower-status males from mating. Humans are no exception; DNA studies show that though 80% of female humans who have ever lived have descendants, only 40% of males do. In other words, a minority of males mates with a majority of females, and though modern monogamous systems have evened that number out somewhat they still are by no means equal; nearly every woman eventually has at least one child by somebody, but a large percentage of men never father children. In a state of nature this was the natural result of women being drawn to strong, dominant, successful men, but as civilization developed men in positions of power developed schemes for mating with as many women as possible, even if their personal characteristics were insufficient to draw those women to them. Money, fame and political power have always drawn women regardless of what the possessors of those attractants might be like, but for some unscrupulous overlords even that might not be enough. There is a persistent legend (going back at least to the Epic of Gilgamesh) that some tyrants would actually demand the right to deflower all of the virgins in their realm prior to their husbands’ being allowed access to them; in Europe this concept was called jus primae noctis or droit du seigneur, and though the occasional despot may have been able to get away with it for a while, it is extremely unlikely that the custom was ever codified into law or widely practiced because people can only be pushed so far. Every source which mentions the custom, even Gilgamesh, describes it negatively as something practiced in the past or by a foreign king.
But though it is unlikely that any man in a position of power ever enjoyed the kind of unfettered access to every female in sight described by the legends, that doesn’t stop males from trying it; real sexual harassment (as opposed to the whiny hurt-feelings variety maladjusted or maladjusted women accuse their peers of) results from men attempting to extract sexual favors from the women under them, and as we have discussed before cops are well-known for taking what they want from women, especially if those women are whores living under criminalization regimes. It is even possible that the strange aversion cops have for condoms (discussed in my column of one year ago today) may derive in part from this primitive impulse, a sort of unconscious “how dare she attempt to stop me from impregnating her?” reaction. Nor are cops the only members of the so-called “justice system” who believe they have the right to rape women, as revealed in this July 20th story from the Huffington Post:
Albuquerque’s chief criminal judge [Pat Murdoch] was arrested on charges he raped a prostitute…the complaint against him says a detective first heard about the reported attack and the recording from an informant, who helped the investigator buy the video on DVD for $400. Police then questioned the woman, who said Murdoch solicited her on a prostitution website…she met with the judge about eight times and he paid her about $200 each time…[but] he forced himself on her during one visit, and she returned and secretly recorded a second forced encounter…after making the recording, she began to worry about her safety because when she posed hypothetical situations to the judge about a woman making allegations against him, he replied he would use police and his connections to take care of the situation…Murdoch…sentenced an Albuquerque man to 20 years in prison earlier this year for promoting prostitution, extortion and racketeering…
How dare someone outside the power elite “promote prostitution” and threaten people! No wonder the judge sentenced him to 20 years; we can’t have the proles getting the idea they can indulge themselves in buying sex or just taking it when that’s a privilege reserved for the Lords of the Earth. Of course, not all bureaucrats are equal; Judge Murdoch’s victim wouldn’t have had a prayer of getting him arrested had she not managed to film him exercising his judicial privilege, but cops and petty school board employees lack the exalted status of chief judges and can therefore be brought down by mere accusations. Of course, it kind of helps that these geniuses chose to prey on legal minors in the midst of a “child sex trafficking” witch hunt:
A Florida cop and a school bus monitor were arrested Thursday [July 14th] in connection with a child prostitution ring…police arrested 27-year-old school bus attendant Paul Rosoan Aaron for allegedly forcing two young teens into prostitution, at least one of whom he solicited while on the job…25-year-old Haines City police officer Demetrius Lamar Condry [is accused of being] one of Aaron’s clients. He, too, is now facing charges. Condry allegedly…received oral sex from the then-15-year-old victim [while still in uniform with his police radio buzzing], the teen reported in her statement to investigators. Aaron typically charged between $60 and $100 for similar encounters, though Condry appears to have been given a free pass in exchange for protection from the law…The girl told police she “felt like a sex slave” throughout the seven-month ordeal. A second victim, then 16, said in court documents that Aaron approached her on the school bus after learning she danced in…[a] gentlemen’s club. The teen said he promised her better work, luring her and the other victim to his house, where he took down their social security numbers and other identifying information and threatened to have them arrested if they tried to leave…
Among other things, Aaron was charged with two counts of sex trafficking, which somehow seems like a really tasteless pun. Of course, some whores are too expensive for cops and their ilk to afford, too well-organized to be blackmailed and too experienced to be fooled, in which case the “justice system” makes sure that they pay dearly for excluding the bullies:
Seventeen people were indicted on Wednesday [July 20th] on charges of running a high-end prostitution ring that catered to Wall Street clients who often spent more than $10,000 in a night…the ring pulled in more than $7 million over three years, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes said at a news conference. “The business of high-end prostitution is enormously profitable,” Hynes said. The prostitution service, named High Class NY, was run 24 hours a day out of an office in Brooklyn and charged from $400 to $3,600 an hour for its services, according to the 144-count indictment. It also provided customers with cocaine and other narcotics, the indictment said. Hynes said clients often spent in excess of $10,000 in a single night. They were “all high-end customers coming from the financial markets. People with nothing but money,” he said.
Police said the business was extremely sophisticated, running several escort websites and using dummy corporations with misleading names and codes during business-related phone calls. High Class NY even had a law firm draw up employment contracts for its prostitutes, who described themselves as models and fraudulently agreed to refrain from sexual contact with clients, police said. “They were on the high-end of sophistication,” said Vice Detective Joe Panico. Among those indicted were High Class NY owner Mikhail Yampolsky and his wife Bronislava, who allegedly used the proceeds from their business to finance expensive trips to Atlantic City and luxury car purchases, Hynes said. Also indicted were Yampolsky’s son Alexander, step-son Jonathan, 11 managers and supervisors and two investors, Efim Gorelik and Yakov Maystrovich, he said. Each of the investors had put $700,000 into High Class NY and were being paid back with interest, he said. Each of those indicted faces the possibility of 25 years in prison if convicted. Two prostitutes face separate indictments on prostitution and drug charges.
Remember, “ring” is just a dysphemism for “suppressed business”; this was a large escort service, nothing more. All this nonsense about “sophistication” is just hot air the cops puff themselves up with to make their “achievement” seem bigger than it is; independent contractor agreements are used by the majority of services, having more than one website isn’t unusual either, and “code” is a term pompous cops use for jargon like “GFE” or “BBBJ”. Actually, what got these folks busted was their extremely unsophisticated decision to sell drugs as part of their business; that instantly turned it into a federal case with the possibility of decades-long sentences rather than a tough-to-prove pandering lawsuit which wouldn’t likely produce very long sentences. Escort busts, and to a large extent prostitution laws themselves, are popular with control freaks because they can’t stand the idea of women choosing whom they will have sex with for their own reasons; cops and politicians believe they should be able to have any woman they want, and free-willed whores are a threat to their fantasies of droit du seigneur.
I thought the Mormon Leaders were pretty ingenious in finding ways to make them more attractive to women. In the early religion – men could enter freely into the kingdom of God – but women could only gain access through association (marriage) with a pious man. Of course – the better that man was placed in church leadership – the more attractive he was to any woman who wanted to get to Heaven.
Ingenious system – males clambered for the top rungs of the ladders by doing the church’s bidding, where they had their pick of the most attractive women in the sect. And – plural marriage gave them as many as they wanted.
Of course – failure to toe the line often resulted in excommunication – and the wives would leave the man when that happened. So … I mean – it was just a great way to harness sexual power in a way that promoted the church’s goals exclusively.
Not condoning it – I actually abhor it … but is, Maggie, an example of how males attempt to skew the natural selection process!
One thing feminists are fond of forgetting is that “the hand the rocks the cradle rules the world”. No religious or political system can prosper for long without the cooperation of women, who transmit it to their children a lacte cunisque.
The flow of comments continues even on vacation?? The beignets must be stale .
LOL! I got back yesterday afternoon just after 5 PM. 🙂
It’s interesting your take on this: That powerful men are trying to control women.
You’re clearly trying to chide some feminists into thinking for themselves, and as such, you’ve written this piece for them.
I’d like to add to or expand on this.
It’s not just men who are trying to claim access to females.
There’s a general sense among many women I’ve known that there’s a shortage of men. Of course, this is far from the truth: What they mean is that there’s a shortage of “good men”, or men that *they* find interesting or attractive and who are also willing to commit to them for a long-term relationship. Of course, there’s lots of men. But women only really desire a certain subset of these – about 15-20%, at maximum. Anything else is “settling”. And the truth is that women who are themselves attractive (18-30; get more attention than others; maybe 10-25% of the female population at maximum) seem to be less interested in the fate of other women, and more interested in claiming access to such males.
What I’ve noticed is that liberal politicians who are obviously quite alpha-male types, or even jut any ordinary alpha-male type, get a pass when it comes to accusations. Whether it’s rape (powerful man – weak woman: See Bill Clinton), powerful men who toe the “progressive” line (whatever that happens to be at the moment: See, for example, the various depredations of “enviro-guys” and “spiritual-guys” – some men are, frankly, more equal than others and regardless of behavior get no complaints), or other such variances, women seem to ally with such men.
There’s a large coterie of women who seem to think that controlling other women’s access to sex or options in relationships trumps the same rights among men: Hence, the tacit support for completely female-centered divorce laws among supposedly “equality”-driven feminists. These laws are often a pro-Female mix of traditional chivalry and entitlement (alimony, for example), female-centered mysticism (Women as presumed sole custody bearers) and radical reinterpretation (no-fault divorce as a tool for women to walk away from commitments on a whim, which is rarely used by men, but to maintain full rights without the concomitant responsibilities – which admittedly was a condition that prevailed before about 1900 for men, now reversed).
And then there are some that cross the line. It’s possible that radical feminism, which seems to abhor heterosexuality as a principle and maleness in all its forms in particular, can cross all of these zones simultaneously. It’s a general debating formula: “Whatever works; consistency be damned.”
So as a result, you get arguments that are often internally inconsistent, definitions so broad that they end up meaning nothing (radical notions of “rape/sexual assault/harassment”) or are so focused as to be useless (gender discussions).
What appears to me, as a man, is this:
The women who aren’t lesbian activists distilling Haterade for men seem to love the idea of nanny states, broad and intrusive laws and men with power for the same reason a given slice of the female population has always done so:
it’s easy for alpha men to find alpha women to ally with; the alpha women are interested in making sure the beta males are well and truly done away with. And that other women are as effectively kept as far away from the alpha males as possible: hence it’s okay for an alpha male to stray, … but only within a certain framework, one that amplifies the power of that section of women.
So: If a liberal alpha Male who isn’t (yet) yours decides to do Socially Unacceptable things, that’s okay: it makes him potentially more available for you. if you’re too low on the sexual marketplace totem pole, then you’re going to be angry: because you’d have no chance with him anyway.
A purely selfish motivation, rationalized for ideology.
On the other hand, you have the men, who see these women as useful allies, and bribe them with hints that they MIGHT be available, … for them, … if they just tolerated their ways.
But if the male appears significantly less alpha, then he’s toast.
I’d suggest that the whole psychology of how this resonates in the public sphere is entirely the result of innate sexual-market self-interest, on all sides:
– Alpha male
-Alpha Female / Beta Female
– Beta Male
The alpha/beta females differ only in their responses to actions taken by alpha or beta men.
This is the point I’m driving at: it’s all selfish self-interest.
“All attempts to criticize sexual standards by female journalists are attempts to raise the market value of the writer when the revolution comes.” – hence the bitterness at youth=attractiveness among older female journalists and thinkers; thinness=attractive among older, fat women; etc.
Your original analysis leaves out the effect on beta males (of which I was a prime candidate: Loyal, hard-working, decent, accepting, generous to a fault, accommodating in all things, patient; before I woke up and noticed what women really like, much to my never-ending shock).
While women may have it bad in a regime where the Alpha Males get to exercise their Droit du Seigneur, and represent a “losing class” of women —
Other women want this to be the case, because it adds to their own Sexual Market Value and Sexual Power.
And other men – well, other men are basically screwed by it all. The beta males are generally the bedrocks of civilization – their labor surplus holds it up, more or less, to the exclusion of almost everyone else – and yet they get ridden and driven like cattle.
So you focus on women failing to see how evil men of power are manipulating their feminine instincts, especially with prostitution.
What you fail to address here is the very powerful and real motivation such women have to demonize, oppress and stigmatize such women for their own selfish motivations.
Many more women than men use the terms “Slut”, “Bitch”, “Fat cow”, and “whore” in a derogatory sense. They loathe and hate other women more effectively than any man can abuse a woman.
The male-female class/power dichotomy is a pale shadow of human reality. You, of all people, should know this.
Women are at least half the reason other women are in positions where they can be abused. And this comes from their own very powerful self-interest.
You’re barking up the wrong tree, love; I’m not giving anyone a free pass, and I’ve stated on many, many occasions that women are just as responsible for “society” as men if not more so (see my reply above your comment); because women make the babies and socialize the children it is they who must be controlled no matter who holds the reins of power, and this has nothing to do with the selfishness of individuals and everything to do with plain, brutal, biological necessity.
That having been said, I must point out that these columns are only 750-1500 words long, and like it that way; NONE of them are intended to cover the subject exhaustively, but rather to serve as an introduction to it or to focus on one point.
Sorry, that was disjointed. I’m in a coffee shop in Korea and it’s hard to stay focused – it’s extremely loud and I’m also working.
There was some point in there, but like the proverbial rabbit in the bush, being flushed out by a dog, I appear to have beaten around the bush too much to actually catch the rabbit.
What are you doing in a coffee shop in the middle of the night?
It’s 2 am and I have to work according to US time (est) – bad for me. I need to submit two pieces of work by 4:00 pm Boston time. Very annoying. And my current residency precludes my being able to do it from there. It’s an odd and interesting situation I’m doing my damnest to avoid. This necessitates being in a coffee shop. There are about a million people on the streets and more than half of them are drunk. I can take a street scene for you. It’s fascinating. About three tables away is a group of tarty young nightclub types who, I believe, are working girls on a night without clients, or searching for some. They’re casting eyes around with that salesman-type look, and from personal experience I’ve come to understand this is the “hey honey don’t go home bored” look. I’m shocked, actually, it’s much more open now than it was even 5 years ago.
Of course, to be honest, this is just my own speculation, but the specific clothing styles in this neighborhood, the response they have to male glances (no affectations of shyness or demurring to coyness at all; gaze-meeting; smiling) seem to indicate I’m not off.
That said, I should note that the other women of the same age (24? 25?) look more or less the same but for minor variances in theme. They’re clinging on to menfolk of different kinds or assiduously avoiding the Male Gaze that seems to send some radfems into miasmatic delusions.
I’m sure they’re all wondering what the 38 year-old weiguksaram is dong here with computer equipment and camera stuff at 2:30 am. I get lots of questions.
It’s quite the scene.
Oh. I was right. Older gent – maybe 50 – has come over and one of the pretty young things has gracefully edged her way over and is engaging him in conversation. He seems mildly piqued.
Damn, these people know their business. That was slicker than greased oil. And the guy knows the tune, too. Engaging conversation, I’m sure.
Though the older woman in the corner is much more fascinating. She must be going on 40. Has an air of deliberate disinterest in the world, and eyes that speak of distant shores barely imagined. When she got up to refill her tea, I noticed that she had a species of grace that I found striking. Delicate hands, and yet somehow forceful. She’s likely married, but out on her own on a night like this, either waiting for someone or more likely just out to see the nightlife.
For my money, of all the various comers and goers here, that’s the woman who’s managed to capture my eye every time I look up. Perky tits and nice gams are apparently not always winners, then.
Also, she has a red colored shirt. Red always does it for me.
Damn, I need to get this done. It’s not like I’m on the market, anyway. My life is already so complex I spend my time trying to hide away in coffee shops. Egad.
This Korean womanhood safari was brought to you by the letter B for bored and the number 2 for too early in the morning.
Damn – that was a pretty captivating “street scene” there Gorb. 😀
I just cheated and sent work that was half-done. A group of mildly inebriated 20-somethings came by to use their 8 words of English with me and were shocked when I opened up in Korean in the hardest Andong accent they’ve ever heard (My ex was from Andong, … I “acquired” her very identifiable mode of speech).
The street here is pretty interesting. It’s true, It’s party time for most people. You can take home one of the “nice” girls and pretend you’re interested in her after 30 min of conversation, of possibly go up to that table with the chatting ladies and negotiate a very interesting evening that doesn’t involve artifice or disingenuous pickup lines or pretensions of virginality.
On the other hand, you could just do your work, chat with your friends, get drunk (the national sport) or stay out all night dancing. it’s what the Locals do.
The older guy is *still* talking to the young woman, who’s clearly entertaining and might indeed be entertained. He’s a typical Ajossi, and has definitely been with more than one working girl (like every single Korean man I know). It’s well-understood. I wonder what their interaction is like.
You know, for you, Maggie, if I finish this second piece and they’re still here, I’m going to have me a conversation with these ladies of the night and let you know what they say about the world. Were I up to it, lady #3 is definitely Hotelworthy at most prices. Lady #2 laughs a lot and looks like she has a massive sense of humor, so I’ll bet she’s worth having a late night conversation with – of course, this is prime time for her, and I’d just be wasting hers. Of course, it’s hers to waste for 10 minutes if she so chooses.
Hey, Maggie, there’s a question. You did outcalls, but you might know: Do whores dislike it when men talk to them but aren’t interested in buying? It’s like wasting salespeoples’ time in stores. They can get cheesed.
Women. What can possible make life more complicated?
Oh, definitely; I’ve done at least two columns on the subject, last August 12th and October 30th.
This poses some subtle problems in the campaign for greater civvie acceptance of sex workers.
Obviously, the best way to advance the cause would be for more civs to get to interact with sex workers as people. I know I’ve learned a lot from listening to Maggie interact with us in the comments, and from reading other blogs she recommends.
That said, I would never contact a blogging working girl with a followup question or sidebar inquiry if shes blogging under her working name, because who wants to be a time waster? It means some good questions go unasked, though, and with them some chances for better understanding.
If she’s blogging, she has opened herself up to that sort of thing; besides, it isn’t the same at all, especially because answering questions takes a set amount of time and the girl can do it any time she wants. Time-wasters aren’t trying to learn anything; they’re just selfishly trying to steal wanking material.
I take you at your word, Maggie, but I’m still reluctant to assume that every understandably cynical working girl is going to be so charitable to curious civvies. Its the flip side of my developing respect for the work, I suppose. It took me four months as a reader before I was even willing to presume on your time, and you all retired and welcoming and such.
hee hee
Sesame’s Treet
One thing I’ve noticed: They don’t approach men, not in public like this. They *do* look at them in a way other women don’t. That’s the main distinguishing feature I can see.
I’m sure of it now: Working girls for sure. The 50 year-old is still talking to the 23-or-so year-old. Actually they seem to be enjoying themselves. He’s likely an interesting guy – no less so than most men, seems to be harder than some, I wouldn’t mess with him in a boardroom, looks like he was working late (anyone working until midnight or later on a Friday is a big boss type in a big company in this part of town, or in medical something or other – it’s Gangnam – in other words, a doctor, business guy, in an expensive but uncared-for suit, … and not fat or unattractive. I’d guess possibly SK or Samsung, too. I was too harsh, likely 45 or so, but looks about 5 years older.
That’s half an hour or more with her. Not that her cohorts are up to much, so no waste of her time.
One thing that’s common here: Working girls are always shocked when they get western customers (who aren’t soldiers- they get those often enough, but they’re out by the base by the border). Their customers are almost 100% Korean guys, and you rarely see them trolling coffee shops or in public.
My suspicion: they’re not “working” tonight. But up for a little opportunistic revenue.
Ah the time wasters……. I occasionally have conversations about them with my fav girl. She tells me of the men who send her private messages (using the message board’s PM system) constantly with no real substance but always trying to converse, always trying to steal her time away. There are a number of them that she just won’t ever see even though they keep trying because of their time wasting tendencies. We particularly enjoy the men who think that as an escort, any woman would be glad to come to their home and join them in a swim in the pool, a few drinks, dinner, etc.
We made a deal with each other. We see each other quite often (once…sometimes twice a week) and spend 2-3 hrs together every time we meet. I only send her PM’s to coordinate our dates & times. Anything that I really want to talk to her about, I can do while we’re together. What better time could there possibly be? She’s a busy girl & juggles providing with full time school, caring for a 5 year old, and keeping the bills paid and food on the table. I don’t waste her time & she doesn’t waste mine. It’s a great relationship and when we’re together, we get to really appreciate each other and always know that our private lives will never be intruded upon or interfered with in any way.
Of course, that table full of ladies in Gorbachev’s comment would certainly get my attention. I would probably have pegged them as providers right away (as he did) and found myself engaged in conversation trying to get a date. But then…..I’m just bad that way… This hobby can really pull you along like you’re on a leash sometimes.