It is as hard for the good to suspect evil, as it is for the evil to suspect good. – Marcus Tullius Cicero
Four more articles which relate to earlier columns. Male readers who are sensitive should probably skip the third item; you have been warned!
Gorged With Meaning (November 21st, 2011)
In this column I discussed silly British people who, by trying to impress a rigid and incorrect definition of “prostitute” on reality, get all upset upon discovering that young, attractive women are whoring themselves to older, wealthier men as they have since the dawn of civilization. In this December 14th column from the Daily Mail, Dominique Jackson makes essentially the same point:
…The rise in tuition fees, soaring living costs and government cuts to maintenance grants are all reportedly forcing more and more young women to turn to prostitution and other forms of sex work…I am afraid I have to disappoint but these headlines, with their sly mix of prurience and moral outrage, are not in the least bit new. The vast majority of students, those who cannot rely on the Bank of Mum and Dad, have always had to come up with ingenious ways of making ends meet. Intelligent girls…have never been averse to using their patent attractions to part gullible men from their money. It is, of course, the oldest profession in the world…
Doctor Ron Roberts from Kingston University said their own recent studies showed that the number of students who knew someone who has worked in the sex industry to fund their studies had gone up from three per cent to 25 per cent. He also said 11 per cent would consider escort work and called the statistics: ‘worrying’. Eleven per cent? Is that all? I am pretty sure that working as an escort…has crossed plenty more bright young female minds. Escort work would seem to be the most palatable end of a spectrum which presumably includes pole or lap dancing, stripping and goes through to full-blown intercourse in exchange for money…There was a strictly enforced ban against taking on jobs during term time when I was a university student in the 1980s. Nevertheless, many of my bolder friends chose to defy the authorities, usually by working a few shifts as a waitress in Brown’s Restaurant, where the only qualification needed was to look good in an absurdly short mini-skirt. Back then, I wasn’t aware of any of my own peers capitalising on their assets in any more direct way. However, scores of cannier girls made sure they bagged a boyfriend who they knew could well afford to take them out for nice dinners and, ideally, had a car to boot. As most women realise, it is more or less the same form of exchange…
I am still in close touch with several dozen young women from my old college…In the best traditions of popular journalism, I carried out a quick straw poll which revealed that the furthest any of these girls had been prepared to go was to stoop to silver service waitressing at the local stately home. Curiously, though, almost all of them had certainly heard of, or even knew of one or even a couple of fellow students who had indeed, worked as an escort, or funded their studies with the occasional pole dance. So nobody owned up to turning to sex work themselves, yet the anecdotal evidence that some students definitely do turns out to be overwhelming. Funny that, isn’t it?
Funny indeed, Dominique; like you, I suspect that many of these ladies took advantage of their natural assets, but simply won’t admit it.
Toys for Tots (November 25th, 2011)
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve donated to Toys for Tots every year since I started sex work in 1997, and I’m not remotely alone; last year I mentioned that a friend of mine was offering extra time in exchange for donated toys. But when the sick, evil minds of cops (and some suburban housewives) see a charity offer like this, they imagine it as the sort of twisted scheme they would come up with to victimize someone, and the piggish, juvenile minds of yellow journalists see only a way to get a story literally at the expense of women and children:
A toy drive during the holidays — but this one unlike any we’ve ever seen before. An ad posted on an adult escort website promises more time with the woman in exchange for donations to Toys for Tots…The person who answered the phone told me that she was, in fact, Robin Jordan — the woman who was arrested earlier this year and convicted last month for operating an Internet-based prostitution operation out of her Fort Bend County home…The site, which shows an undressed woman in provocative poses, wishes you “Happy Holidays” and claims if you pay for one hour of services and bring an unwrapped gift, your second hour will be free. “It’s awful, obviously, especially in a neighborhood like this,” said neighbor Jennifer Vontz…”For them to use that just to lure people in, I think that’s just really sad,” said neighbor Valerie Work…
Jordan would not confirm she placed the ads, but by phone earlier told me she would meet for us to hear her side of the story. Jordan never returned calls when we repeatedly tried to contact her this afternoon, nor did anyone wish to comment at her…home. The Houston Police Department has launched an additional investigation, based on the evidence we have submitted to them. We’ve learned Jordan faces a charge of child endangerment in Fort Bend County. Child Protective Services is also attempting to terminate her parental rights based on this case and the way she allegedly treated her three-year-old daughter.
The fact that it’s “unlike anything he’s seen before” demonstrates the reporter’s colossal ignorance. My opinion of “child protective services” is well known, and as for the Houston police…I wouldn’t waste my water spitting on them. The TV station, neighbors and cops involved in this story are all beneath contempt.
Not To Be Taken Internally (December 11th, 2011)
Feminists who believe that only women have unrealistic body-image issues, please take note of this item from the December 13th Huffington Post:
Authorities say a New Jersey man who died after having his penis injected with silicone was trying to get it enlarged…The Essex County prosecutor’s office says 34-year-old Kasia Rivera gave 22-year-old Justin Street the injection in May. She has pleaded not guilty [to manslaughter] but remains in jail on $75,000 bail…[after] a medical examiner [determined that Street] died of a silicone embolism. Rivera also faces charges [for] the unauthorized practice of medicine out of her…apartment. Authorities say they’re investigating whether she gave other people similar injections.
The Liars’ Club (December 13th, 2011)
Maybe the adult film industry won’t have to fight Michael Weinstein’s asinine “your sex life is our business” ballot initiative after all, because according to this December 9th press release from the Free Speech Coalition, the City of Los Angeles is doing it for them:
A lawsuit was filed yesterday by the City of Los Angeles challenging the constitutionality of AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s (AHF) ballot initiative…[which] would force local officials to enforce mandatory condom regulations on adult production sets. Named as defendants in the suit are various AHF personnel, including AHF President Michael Weinstein. “Clearly AHF has chosen to squander its donors’ resources by filing frivolous lawsuits and ballot initiatives instead of providing valuable resources toward the prevention and treatment of HIV,” FSC Executive Director Diane Duke said. “It is heartening to know that the City of Los Angeles will draw the line on AHF’s political grandstanding when it comes to wasting taxpayer dollars. History has shown us that regulating sexual behavior between consenting adults does not work. The best way to prevent the transmission of HIV and other STIs is by providing quality information and sexual health service, all of which are successfully provided through adult industry protocols and best practices,” Duke added.
The city’s complaint argues that the ballot proposal is preempted by state regulations that require barrier protection on adult sets and that enforcement of those regulations falls under state jurisdiction. There have been two previous rulings in complaints filed by AHF, where the judge decided that L.A. County officials are not compelled to enforce regulations on behalf of state health & safety agency Cal/OSHA. The city also states that the process involved in bringing the ballot measure to the voters would be a “waste” of taxpayer money…[and] that the ballot initiative is potentially unconstitutional; if passed by voters in June, the city raised concerns of more money being spent if the initiative was overturned on constitutional grounds…
I suspect that somebody in LA government woke up and realized how much money the city stands to lose if the adult film industry moves its shoots elsewhere.
One Year Ago Today
“Doublethink” explains the concept from George Orwell’s 1984 and provides real-life examples.
Wait … okay … a few weeks ago you had a story about a woman (or was it a transvestite?) who had concrete injected into her ass to make it bigger.
Now a story with silicone being injected into a penis to make it bigger?
Shouldn’t the concrete have been injected into the latter and the silicone into the former? Just saying. 😉
I crack myself up!
Shifting gears … I have been researching this AHF assault on Los Angeles porn and the only benefit I can see for Weinstein and AHP is they want to take control of the HIV testing in the porn industry – and also “random” or “periodic” inspections of the shoots themselves to ensure that “safety guidelines” are being followed. This seems to be Weinstein’s modus operandi – convince the public that there’s a problem … suggest some solutions … and then when that’s been bought into – shakedown the local government so that AHF gets a piece of the money pie. That’s how they took over all public HIV healthcare in Florida.
I have a question though … I’m not familiar with the porn industry (aside from India Summer – who is the perfection of womanhood!) … but … I thought that there was like a 15 minute HIV test? Is that true? If it is – then why are the actors tested only every few weeks at a local lab sponsored by the adult film industry? I think that lab was recently shut down due to AHP’s efforts along with the Porn WikiLeaks fiasco. If there’s a 15 minute test that can be done on site – why not revert to that? Or – are they testing for other things like HSV-2 or other STI’s also? I’m just interested in the dynamics behind this whole thing. A lot of porn is shot without condoms – does this mean that everyone in porn just kind of accepts the fact that they’re going to be infected with Herpes? Excuse my ignorance on this please.
The so-called “15 minute test” (which is favored by AHF, naturally) is far less accurate than standard testing. And as for the idea that disease is rampant among porn performers, I point you to an article by actress Lorelei Lee I quoted back in October:
During the whole porn wiki leaks thing last year, many many porn stars were shown to frequently get infected and reinfected with STDS.
Nina Hartley has been on record in the past of having certain STDS during points in her career and Mr Marcus i think said he got gonnorhea twice before.
Not criticizing you in anyway Maggie, just saying that the argument about porn not having so much issues with infections is not really true. I would say that only goes for the minimum HIV cases
But they have many many many cases of std transmissions
Somehow, I doubt it’s as high as the STD rate in the promiscuous segment of the general population…who are not regulated, restricted, supervised or criminalized in any way.
Your definately right about that because of porn being a much small population. Its probably not even close to the general public.
No I wasn’t trying to say that disease is rampant …
In fact – as far as HIV goes – I would think the sex is actually safer for porn performers because at least they’re being tested every few weeks.
But … I was specifically talking about HSV-2. I don’t think they test for that, and – I’ve heard that test is often hit or miss anyway. I’ve also seen some pretty shocking infectious rates for the general population – one I saw said something like 60% of the people in the world were infected with it and half of them didn’t know it because they never broke out. That may be BS. I’m out of my league on this and should prolly quit commenting since I don’t know wtf I’m talking about here.
Call me foolish, call me irresponsible, but I find it difficult to worry about an asymptomatic disease with which over half the population is infected but never knows it because it never has any noticeable effect.
On the other hand, tooth decay is an infectious disease which causes massive problems and cost billions a year worldwide, but nobody is rushing production of the vaccine for it. Of course, it’s not sexual, so obviously that makes it less important than the minor nuisance presented by herpes.
Well no, yeah – you are right about that. I mean, my wife gets cold sores – that’s Herpes right? It’s a minor thing really but no one wants to get it for sure – it’s an uncomfortable conversation that you have to have with anyone you end up dating in the future.
Yep, that’s herpes. And there are far more uncomfortable conversations nobody bothers to have, like disclosing all the genetic defects you’re likely to pass to your offspring.
Yeah but see – you are thinking like a woman here and, although I’ve never met you – probably an attractive woman. As such, you’ve never had a “supply” problem because you’re on the “supply side”. What I’m saying here is, women have the power to “pick and choose” their partners. If a woman has herpes, and a guy approaches her – she simply says “Hey I got Herpes but it’s under control” … now, either that guy is going to run in fear (in which case she simply waits five minutes before another guy is along to “woo” her) … or he’s going to say “Let’s go for it, babe!”.
Not true for men – even hulky, fairly good looking (yet dumb) ones. I know this from experience – we have to WORK for it. Men are on the DEMAND side – we have to cast a wide net to catch any fish or we go hungry. And that means …
One day you’re in a coffee shop in Berkely trying to pick up some “open-minded” co-eds – which means they care more that you voted for Obama than wether or not you have herpes. So you tell the truth about herpes – and lie about having voted for Obama. Hell, I met one of these women and lied about being a Sailor – because she didn’t like military men. She was still plenty good looking for a roll though. I didn’t care (though I did take delight in telling her my true occupation the next morning 🙂 ).
Very next day you’re in a Baptist Church trying to pick up a girl (and yes, I have tried) – and she has different views on herpes altogether. Now – as a woman, it probably matters to you how a man you’re attracted to thinks or behaves on certain issues – but men don’t give nary a wit for a woman’s politics or predjudices. If she’s a Communist and willing … and fairly good looking … – hey, what can else can you hope for?
But I would never tell a lie that would potentially harm a woman – so if I had herpes – I’d feel obligated to tell her that. Well – that right there is going to cause most of them to run and scream in fear – and it’ll be a lot longer than five minutes before the next one comes along.
Best not to get herpes if you’re a guy – or a not so good looking girl. Beautiful women can get away with murder though – and herpes also. 😛
But I would never tell a lie that would potentially harm a woman – so if I had herpes – I’d feel obligated to tell her that.
Do you mean HSV-1, HSV-2 or both?
Maggie, this chimes in with what you wrote in your last article. Most women enter the sex work industry for the money. It’s just like men entering the military, police or criminal organizations such as but not limited to narcotics because men on average join these organizations for the money. Hardly anyone would do any of the work I listed above on a strictly voluntary basis or for free. Some men enter the sex work industry. Some women enter the military, police or criminal organizations.
I know you have some Pagan beliefs. For this reason, I’m sure you’ll more fully understand than most people why the ancient Pagan Spartans of Greece only had graves marked with the names of the deceased under two conditions. The men got a marked tombstone grave with their name and the reason “WAR” printed for dieing in a war. The women got a marked tombstone grave with their name and the reason “PREGNANCY” printed for dieing during the pregnancy.
Even in chapter 38 in the Book of Genesis of the Bible concerning Judah(the son of Jacob{Israel}) and Judah’s sons Er, Onan and Shelah as well as Tamar, the daughter-in-law of Judah and wife of Er and Onan is interesting especially when Tamar turns herself into a prostitute for her father-in-law, Judah.I won’t go into details here because I believe most people who visit this site have access to a Bible.
The Ancient Greeks and Ancient Israelis understood what most men want from women and what most women want from men. Both examples showed women generally speaking want to be provisioned for and defended by men. Men want sex from women. Often, men want children. Often women want children. Both only want to support and defend their own children, not someone elses. In the Book of Genesis of the Bible is about this. Look at Abraham father of Issac from his wife Sarah and father of Ishmael from his concubine(legal resident whore) Hagar as an example. Sarah wanted Ishmael and his mother, Hagar, sent away to better defend and provide for Sarah’s son, Jacob It amazes me how little the twits of our era understand these concepts.
I watched the television show called “Taboo” on the National Geographic channell. It was interesting. Many things were both right and wrong. I wondered if you, Maggie, or anyone who reads this site has watched it?
I retold the story of Tamar and Judah last July 22nd, and reviewed that Taboo episode a month before that.
Thanks for the links. You’ve written so much that it seems I’ve forgotten a lot of it. Everything you wrote about Tamar and Judah as well as the National Geographic tv channell show called “Taboo” concerning prostitution is in agreement with my views. To be honest, I didn’t have the National Geographic Channell until recently. You wrote a fantastic review and had fantastic commentarry from you and your guests. I agree that it was subtly biased against prostitution, although it was more fair than most of what I’ve seen, heard and read. It was a major mistake for the show not to include escorting which is the majority or at least plurality of prostitution in the West especially the USA. Robert Heinlein’s commentary which I remember you posting is accurate in comparing prostitution to the military, the higher ranked you are the better it is, and the lower you are the worse it is. Escorting like working in many 1st world nation’s brothels such as Holland, Austrialia and even the USA etc. is higher end prostitution while street walking is lower end prostitution.
I realize what I’m about to say is more than a day late and a dollar short, but I’m surprised noone said it earlier in the article or in the comments section concerning the Taboo show. The Bangledeshi and Washington D.C prostitutes lives weren’t really made bad by prostitution per se. They were made bad by poor family life. The Bangledeshi problems might have been averted by money before they became prostitutes or alleviated after they became prostitutes. No amount of money could have helped the Washington D.C. whores. The lack of morals, compassion, familial protection, psycholigical health, human decency etc was destroying these Washinton D.C. women and girls before they became whores. The Bangledeshi whore was sold because the father died and the family lacked money, and at present the Bangledeshi whore lacked the money to leave the whoring life. The Washington D.C. whores had women whose biological grandmothers allowed and condoned child abuse from the step grandfathers because romantic feelings were more important than familial even biological familial feelings. TheWashington D.C whore was kicked out of the family home as a child and told by the grandmother to go whoring. I have a feeing the family would have never sent the Bangledeshi whore to go whoring if they had the money unlike the Washington D.C whore.
Taboo never explained that at least in the First World,nations most whores are volunteers not slaves, and are adults not children. I suspect that even in the poor countries most whores are volunteers for a price or the money and are adults. It was subtly implied that most whores were slaves and/or children which is not true. .Decriminalization and if necessarry sensible legalizatiion would greatly alleviate the most of the worst aspects of prostitution.
So common sense made a rare appearance in California? It’s funny that “wasting tax payer money” is the cited reason as LA and California love to waste tax payer money. But take it where you can get it when it comes to politics. At least someone in the California government realizes that the state would be better off with an actual economy.
You would think that after finding out the real identity of Belle de Jour, these articles about women doing sex work to finance their education would express a little less amazement.
I’ve seen several eps of Taboo. I commented on the prostitution ep and will be watching another (“Secret Lives”) within a week.
If a hamburger joint had offered a second burger free in exchange for a donation to Toys for Tots, they would be praised as a wonderful corporate citizen. But let a hooker make a similar offer, and suddenly she’s a terrible abuser of this innocent charity, motivated by nothing but pure greed.
And we know this how? Well hell, she’s a whore, ain’t she?
And that, apparently, is enough, at least for the press.
The standard test being used in the adult industry today is the PCR/DNA test. This test is a bit different than the test used in most clinics, which looks for anti-bodies to the virus, and thus only picks up infection within about a six month window. The PCR/DNA has a much smaller window.
The whole porn wikileaks thing was more over how AIM dealt with their information. AIM maintained a private, and a “public” side to their testing. Anyone could go there and have an HIV test. Their information was kept private. However if you were working in the adult industry, your information was on the “public” side, public in that if you had a code from AIM, you could access that database and check the test status of someone you were going to work with. I don’t know how AHF intends to operate differently. (The real problem with porn wikileaks wasn’t the release of information, exactly, but the attitude. The site encouraged people to stalk performers, and past performers. Some of my info was released, so they kept records for years.)
And sure, there are STD’s other than HIV. They are curable.
Whatever you choose to do comes with some risk. I felt safer on a set than doing escort. A prostitute is depending on a thin latex barrier. And don’t get me started on the problems with condoms. Of course, you could call for a law demanding all whores be tested (It’s been done in the past) but the problem is the customers. Are you going to test everyone all the time? Back when I was working, I had an understanding doctor, and I got seen once a month, and got STD exams and screening. It was expensive, and a pain. I can’t imagine requiring that for every sexually active person. Yet if one person has a disease, it spreads.
Why do journalists and cops find it so odd that hookers can be charitable? Weird.
Comixchik, what do you mean when you say that the test used in most clinics only picks up infections “within about a six month window” but the PCR/DNA test has a “much smaller window”?
Do you mean that the PCR/DNA test only picks up infections that were contracted within the last X number of weeks, so that if someone contracted an infection earlier than that, it wouldn’t be detected? If that’s what you mean, then why does the adult industry use the less comprehensive test that is less likely to detect infections? Is it a matter of of cost? Which of the two kinds of tests should someone who is not an adult performer get?
Please clarify and thanks for your expertise.
The PCR test can sometimes detect the DNA of HIV within hours of infection, but usually 10 days is considered the minimum time period for a reliable result.
The alternative test (ELISA) is thought reliable for detecting antibodies to HIV a minimum of three months after infection.
No, no, sorry. The PCR DNA test supposedly picks up infections within a week or so, unlike the antibody test which can take months. But it will also pick up an infection within months. It’s down side is more false positives, and more complicated.
Comixchik and gumdeo, thanks for your explanations.
““It’s awful, obviously, especially in a neighborhood like this,” said neighbor Jennifer Vontz…”For them to use that just to lure people in, I think that’s just really sad,” said neighbor Valerie Work…”
Seriously… what the hell is wrong with with Miss Work… I love people who reveal them selves with undercover classicism and thoughtless analysis of situations they don’t understand or don’t take the time to think about.
She uses the term “especially in neighborhoods like this”. What an elitist comment. I guarantee if she was confronted with the obviously elitist nature of this comment she would, if and when she understood what she said, back track and take an equally repugnant PC stance that she obviously wouldn’t actually believe.
She also says that the toys are used to lure people in… really??? Offering a 2 for 1 special for her time would probably be just as effective and less of a hassle then actually accepting unwrapped toys, spending the time to wrap them and taking them down to toys for tots. Miss Work thinks that all this is “really sad”… Is it just as sad as a needy child that doesn’t have a toy to open on Christmas because of her view that only members of society that she approves of should be allowed to be giving and compassionate.
Miss Work, Go back into your upper middle class home, put on your soap operas and buy products from the advertisers that give money to the shows that depict the exact things that you find so sad and repulsive but can’t seem to stop watching.
(Ok, I’m done venting… and just for full disclosure, I have no idea if Miss Work likes soap operas…)
Anthony
I agree, but just to be fair, some of the statements that you (and I) find offensives were made by Jennifer Vontz, not Valerie Work.
Your absolutely right. I missed the first name in the quote. I guess i was just seeing red (or maybe a shade of maroon) and i missed that. I did the same thing I accused Miss Work of doing, bad analysis. How about that for a piece of irony…
Anthony
Well, I understand. They pissed me off too.
Is it just as sad as a needy child that doesn’t have a toy to open on Christmas because of her view that only members of society that she approves of should be allowed to be giving and compassionate.
Most likely, she would be the type to think all whores are heartless and greedy.
“AHF: Follow the Money” video on Youtube.
Michael Weinstein of AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a man with an agenda, and it’s got nothing to do with public health. Michael Weinstein opposes government funding of research to cure AIDS; instead, Weinstein wants those billions of government dollars to be diverted toward treatment and prevention services, the kind that he and his organization provides. Michael Weinstein and AHF even sued Pfizer over Viagra, alleging it encouraged risky sexual behavior, but Weinstein filed suit only after Pfizer turned down his multi-million dollar funding request. And what do AIDS activists say about Weinstein and AHF? the AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition has called AHF’s efforts “half-hearted” and “self-promoting” “AHF has a history of bargaining for its own interests to the exclusion of those in the community as a whole.” AHF’s campaigns “are always self-serving.” – Paul Dalton of Project Inform, Philadelphia Inquirer, August 29, 2008. “Petty” and “small-minded” – AIDS activist Michael Barr, Bay Area Reporter, January 25, 2007. Analysts have called his campaigns “demeaning”, “disturbing”, “patronizing” – Bay Area Reporter. “Ridiculous”, “extortion” – former San Francisco AIDS policy adviser Jeff Sheehy, Bay Area Reporter, January 25, 2007. Weinstein is an opportunist who shamelessly exploits the misfortunes of others. When news hit that a single adult industry performer had tested positive for HIV, Weinstein revealed his plan to make the world a better place by demanding that adult performers be required by law to wear condoms. And which AHF supporter provided the picket signs for AHF’s protests outside the Hustler Hollywood store? LifeStyles Condoms. Want to know the key to Weinstein’s real agenda? Follow the money. Michael Weinstein sure does.
[…] that sex workers cannot be allowed near children ever again for the rest of their lives. Even objects we handle (including money and virtual objects such as emails) must be kept far away from “children” […]