Take Me Now Here: The Commercial Sex Industry and Feminism

April 19, 2008 · Filed Under Sex ·

Take Me Nowhere I have very briefly touched upon my thoughts on the commercial sex industry here and basically all posts I have written on the topic have been quite popular versus the other subjects I have written about.

With the attention those posts have received and after talking to a friend of mine who runs Take Me Nowhere, a great site that touches upon some taboo subjects such as marijuana, law reform, Wicca, Paganism, The Occult and also some personal tidbits thrown in there for the hell of it, we decided that while she gives the majority of conservatives quite a bit to get pissed off about already, why not throw some sex into the mix?

And so starting yesterday, I will be writing a section on the commercial sex industry, everything revolving around the sex industry and I also plan on writing a bit about feminist-friendly sex and (gasp!) feminist-friendly sex toys and stores! I have a lot of ideas, so check out my section, Take Me Now Here over at Take Me Nowhere (ha, get it?)

Tags: body image, brothels, culture, escort services, exploitation, marijuana, Media, men, phone sex, porn, prostitutes, prostitution, psychology, sex industry, sex trafficking, Sexism, strip clubs, Take Me Now Here

The Psychology Behind Men and Prostitutes

March 28, 2008 · Filed Under Society ·

With cases such as Eliot Spitzer’s latest scandal, as well as other male politicians whose prostitution habits had been found out by the general public, many may be asking themselves–What drives these men to fornicate with prostitutes? Is it all men and we just happen to shed light on politicians and point fingers as if men all over the place aren’t doing the same thing? What is it about prostitutes, in particular, that drive these men crazy to the point of risking their careers and putting their families on the line?

What must first be understood is the psychological appeal of prostitutes, which is what Michael Bader of AlterNet, a person who has studied the dynamics of sexual arousal for almost 15 years, has spoken out about in order to create a sense of understanding.

When it comes to a regular relationship, it is said that men feel as if they must give a great deal to their partner in order to get a little something back. Our culture represents women as high maintenance individuals who must be cared for by a man and are otherwise helpless in life, always needing the attention and demanding the security of a man. While those exaggerations are often false, it is our society that has conditioned men to believe that this is true, making their intimate relationships suffer when it comes to a man who wishes to have his needs met and they begin to freak out and are said to be overwhelmed by what is expected of them.

It does not matter what type of prostitute a man is hiring, it can be a woman who charges over $5,000 for an hour or it can be a woman prostituting herself on the street for $50 a night, what it comes down to is that when payment is made, the man is getting his wishes tended to. It is said that while politicians, in particular, are used to wielding power and keeping people under him in check, no one is working for this man without getting something in return–and that is where the appeal of prostitutes comes in.

A prostitute serves as a slave to a man’s needs. She is an actress, although to the man, he does not care that what he is receiving for his money is a one-woman play and an act that he gets to be nothing but a prop in. This is the man’s time to shine and get whatever sexual kink he has attended to–No questions asked and no need to reciprocate. A prostitute is sought out when a man wishes to let go and selfishly indulge in his desires without having to give anything back to the woman who performs for him.

So basically, prostitution is sought out when men realize that they cannot handle what is expected of them as men and want to be entirely selfish in their actions even when what society depicts most women to be is false. Prostitutes are wanted by the men who don’t want to sexually please their wives or even care about her desires, but women can most definitely be counted on to be standing by their selfish, hypocritical and cheating men. Breaking wedding vows never needed many psychological explanations before, so here’s the Reader’s Digest version:

He does not want to be in a relationship; instead, he wants someone who will make him look like a “family man” who cares about and loves his family so he can get a few votes and make his way into office where even more stress will be put upon him. He wants this while he can also go behind his wife’s back and get his needs met while constantly complaining that his wife wants too much from him. My advice is to go out and find a man who can indulge in his kinky desires with you, while you are comfortable enough to know that he will do the same for you. Open and honest communication never hurt a relationship, either…Who knew?

Tags: Eliot Spitzer, infidelity, marriage, men, prostitutes, prostitution, psychology, sex industry, sex scandal

The Truth About Prostitution

March 24, 2008 · Filed Under Society ·

prostitution The commercial sex industry is a very large and debated subject. Feminists, in particular, have waged wars of their own between themselves and between what is called “The Feminist Movement” and what is called “The Radical Feminist Movement” for quite some time now. Before you find yourself in the middle of a debate about sex work and sex workers, or if you have already made your own assumptions and stand firm on your beliefs, it is always wise to acknowledge and marinate on the facts of anything to assist you in your decision-making.

This picture is filled with facts on prostitution and why, exactly, most women enter the field.

The average age of women entering prostitution is 13.5. Most of the women who work within the commercial sex industry explore it’s many facets, which include street prostitution, massage brothels, escort services, outcall services, strip clubs, lap dancing, phone sex, pornography and prostitution tourism.

The commercial industry is by far one of the ugliest industries out there right now, yet sadly so many are resorting to working within it, most out of desperation. The long-term effects of prostitution, not to mention what led them there in the first place, are frightening and tell tales of abused pasts. These long-term effects do not wear off, nor do they get any easier for the woman. Prostitution undoubtedly hurts women and is a direct violation of human rights. To raise more awareness about it, visit Prostitution Research & Education, it’s a fabulous site.

Tags: brothels, escort services, phone sex, porn, prostitutes, prostitution, sex industry, strip clubs

The Lives of the People We “Saved”

March 19, 2008 · Filed Under Politics ·

So how, exactly, are those in Iraq living their lives now–after Bush’s invasion of Iraq in 2003?

I’ve delved into this subject a bit already with how Afghanistan has been transformed by war and specifically how Afghani women are being treated and living their lives now. Now it’s time to take a little look at Iraq and specifically, Iraqi women.

Over 1.2 million people fled Iraq after the Bush invasion. The result of the Iraq war has caused these people to flee from their country and attempt to build new lives for themselves in Syria. While building lives away from the chaos in Iraq, Iraqi women and teenagers, some as young as 13 years old, have been forced into prostitution.

The number of women involved in this prostitution ring, which George Bush is not only aware of, but is tied to because of his invasion and putting the Iraqi people in more danger than they were even before the war, involves as many as 50,000 women and girls. The reason for so many women being forced into this line of work is because if they are lucky, on a given night at a nightclub in hopes of work, they will make $60, which adds up to a week worth of pay in a standard factory. While these people are starving, there is no other work for women there that would make the amount of money to support their families.

Bush’s invasion of Iraq, a country that posed no threat to the United States, is illegal under US and national law. Bush has also been convicted of war crimes which had made headlines not so long ago. With these two instances in mind, driving women and children into prostitution violates human rights agreements, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children.

So how is Iraq doing after the Bush administration’s attack? I’d say pretty horrible, how about you?

Tags: Iraq, Iraq war, president Bush, prostitutes, prostitution, sex trafficking, Syria, war crimes