There are few areas where ‘feminist theory’ is so demonstrably absurd, as in relation to prostitution. And that’s saying something.
Dr Catherine Hakim is a renowned British sociologist to whom we often refer, as the author of a key paper on gender-typical work ethic differences, Preference Theory (2000). Her research revealed that while four in seven British men are work-centred, only one in seven British women is. This clearly has enormous implications for the gender balance we would expect to find in certain professions, and in the senior levels of (for example) large companies.
She’s also written a book on ‘erotic capital’, and today the Institute of Economic Affairs published her discussion paper on prostitution. A link to her short article on the IEA website is here, and you can leave comments there (or here, obviously).
Justice for Men & Boys 
Interesting picture chosen for the front cover – it says ‘erotic’ rather than ‘exploitation’. There is a recurring myth perpetuated by feminists that all prostitution is run by male gangs who force mainly-foreign girls into ‘sex-work’, using drugs and threats. Whilst that does happen (and girls who work on the street particularly can be in real danger) there are clearly so many workers in ‘massage parlours’ and women who operate independently who see this as a nice little earner and don’t feel the least bit ‘exploited’. Get this, all you hatchet-faced feminists, some of them even say they enjoy sex with men! Funny how they seem to be able to avoid getting pregnant if they want to, isn’t it? Mind you, if truth be known, ‘paying for sex’ doesn’t have to involve the full-genital variety and male (and even female) sexual proclivities can still surprise.
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I’ve thought for a long time that prostitution is exploitative – of men rather than women, although it has the advantage of being honest, in the sense that the prostitute is not making false claims of affection and commitment to obtain a man’s assets. I also think it is illegal because it offers men an alternative and commitment free source of sex. It is women who dislike prostitution not men. In a patriarchy prostitution would be legal and properly regulated for the health and safety of client and practitioner.
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Thanks. Prostitution in itself is legal, it’s the associated elements that are illegal e.g. working with other women in the same premises. That said, it’s obvious the police frequently ‘turn a blind eye’ to massage parlours etc. I guess they have far better things to do with their time.
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Mike: I know that prostitution is not itself illegal, and it is not improper to describe oneself as a prostitute on a tax return, however, most of the ways in which it is necessary, under current legislation, to transact business are illegal, and I understood that feminists want to criminalise the purchase of sex by men, if that hasn’t been done already.
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Where exactly are people getting the notion that a base male “demand” for sex is higher – double, even – than female demand? Is this claim in reference to trade or simply biological function?
Women rarely need to pay for sex. They can take it wherever they need it (by force if necessary) with near-impunity. Women have more affairs than men, too.
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There was an interesting documentary long ago about prostitution in Australia. One of the prostitutes shown was male, servicing female clients, and his wife handled the bookings. What struck me then was the female clients’ all too obvious and absolute conviction that because they were paying they were in charge and the man would do precisely as he was told. The women were very demanding and dictatorial.
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I’ve never understood the way that ‘affairs’ are always presented as if the only people involved are weak-willed married men being ‘love rats’. Who are they supposed to be having these affairs with? Single, unwilling women? When that Ashley Madison thing kicked off the other week, it was the same story.
As for women openly seeking out sex, I’m prepared to believe that many women lose interest after childbirth (maybe never fully getting it back), I would also guess that both sexes overstate the amount of sex they are having. When I am watching the world go by, I sometimes try and estimate how much sex the mainly-unkempt passers-by are having and come up with a really low figure, but what do I know?
I’ve been a MGMOW all my life and can’t really remember any time when a woman made overtly sexual advances towards me. Obviously I’m not much of a catch, but dare I say that my female equivalent would have been approached in such a way reasonably regularly. I have often heard women say they wouldn’t ask a man out because he might say ‘no’. Yes, girls, welcome to our world.
There are supposed to be women paying for sex (you know, ‘successful’ women who ‘haven’t time’ for a ‘love life’) and I have often fantasised about being a male escort. I’ll bet they experience a bit more pressure to perform than their female equivalents though.
Anyway, once a woman works out she is sitting on a goldmine who needs to be a prostitute to exploit it?
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Women pretend they have no power so they are never held accountable as they abuse it.
“The most curious sexism in the world is woman’s belief that only one sex is sexist!”
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The only reason feminists try to outlaw prostitution,on whatever pretext they can possibly think of,is because it undermines their power base. The entire feminist dogma is built on the sexual exploitation of men, by making sex as expensive for men as humanely possible. Enabling wives to extort enormous payoffs at divorce proceedings is their favourite. But if men are able to get sex and bypass the entire feminist inspired marital entrapment or very expensive girlfriends by way of paying prostitutes,wives and girlfriends lose their ability to force men to undergo this entrapment.
Small wonder they want to paint every prostitute as an unwilling forced victim, even though the vast majority are willing and shrewd participants.
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‘ … even though the vast majority are willing and shrewd participants.‘
Prostitutes are not ‘willing … participants’, they are the mistresses of the transaction.
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