Let
me state upfront: I have no problem sex workers and what they do. But I’ve got
my knickers in a twist after reading an incendiary little piece of “investigative”
journalism by Jessica Pilot over at Radar
Magazine: Secrets
of Hipster Hooker. Her article is not realistic and portrays prostitution
in a caviler way as the hip, new, empowering thing that we ladies can
do to assert our sexual independence & value within a society.
The
idea that prostitution is a trend amongst the young, stylish and
professionally successful bothers me profoundly. Amongst the things one considers before
entering into the sex trade I fervently hope that the idea of “being hip” is
not amongst the weighty considerations. The tone of her decision making is
almost a slap in the face to women who are actually involved in the sex
industry professionally.
“There
are a lot of different kinds of experiences in the sex industry, and its
unfortunate that the media is so obsessed with two extremes: high class call
girls and drug addicted street workers,” says Audacia Ray of Waking Vixen.
The
high class call girl vs. the street whore are diametric images which have been
portrayed copiously in the media since before Heidi Fleiss or Pretty Woman were
either part of our popular culture. As “edgy” as Ms. Pilot is trying to be her,
in the end she is just telling a story which has already been told. Over and over again, it’s been told – so much
so that people are tired of
it.
Monica from $pread posted
in response to the Radar piece about the
fascination “young, hip, empowered” women currently have with being a call
girl:
“But
it seems to me that this attitude is less about empowerment and far more about
impressing people: I'm so cool I have all these hooker friends, I'm so cool
that I could make men pay me if I wanted, etc. It's just another way to
quantify and assert one's value as a sexual being, and I don't see a lot of men
joining in on it. So again, this article depresses me. It depresses me to think
that sex work is treated as the last frontier of women who feel the need to
prove that their looks and their sexual prowess have worth. You have worth,
whether or not you're cashing in on it.
That
pretty much sums it up, doesn’t it?
A commenter on the online
version of the Radar article added:
“The
whole scene seems like third wave feminism gone awry- though these women are
taking advantage of the patriarchal shit in society; they are also reinforcing
some fucked up ideas.”
It
bears consideration that this is the kindest
phrasing of one of the more intelligent
members of the – erum – majority of the
population will have for a piece illuminating rich white girls playing
Heidi Fleiss wannabe dress-up. It bears
consideration that many other people will categorize such behavior as morally wrong.
It
should be of no shock that Ms. Pilot did not follow through on her appointment
with her John:
A
pudgy man with dark hair opens the door wearing a loose hotel bathrobe. ”Violetta!" he says, extending his
short, bushy arms and putting a hand on each side of my face. He looks at me
for a moment, then gives me a kiss on both cheeks. "Come in, bella!"
I
see that the covers are pulled back on the bed. A bottle of expensive champagne
is nestled on the pillows. The man looks at me expectantly. I think about Kelly
and try to imagine myself possessing her nerve and bravery. But it's not there.
"I
have to go," I tell him. He looks confused—even a bit hurt. Hoping to
change my mind, he hands me an envelope with his cash "gift" inside.
It feels gloriously heavy. But I can't take it. I'm not even sure why, but I
know I have to leave. I quickly turn and walk out while the john sputters a few
words of protest. I switch off my phone, get a cab, go home, and run a bath. [Via Radar]
The
speed with which Pilot goes from idolizing and wishing to emulate her call girl
friends to reconfirming the societal message that prostitution is dirty and
wrong nearly breaks the speed of light. In three brief paragraphs she leaves
readers with the conclusion that you are either the Madonna OR the whore, and
that there is no middle ground. This is
not a better conclusion than one which equates being a call girl with being a
celebrity. It’s a confusing betrayal of
her thesis and one which leaves the reader rightly questioning any and all
merit of this article
Many
people have cried “shenanigans” to the voracity of the piece in its entirety. In a follow up post,
Monica from $pread illuminates several glaring points that taken together are
evidentiary enough for most to conclude that Pilot’s piece is falsified and was
crafted as a huge publicity stunt designed to draw attention to the floundering
Radar magazine and Ms. Pilot:
- Independent
girls (especially those making well into 6 figures) are not going to start
working for a woman who takes half of what they make, no matter how
"super-rich" this madam promises her clients are.
- This
same madam allegedly confesses her real name and occupation to Pilot; and, then
invites Pilot into her home immediately after their first encounter and then
suggests that she try working, which is a felony.
- She
does all this after being explicitly told at the start that Pilot is a
journalist.
Pilot
pays the madam $2,000 for bailing out on the appointment, in spite of the fact
that the madam would have no legal way of collecting the money, and Pilot,
knowing the madam's real name, address, and straight job occupation, clearly
has the upper hand. Frankly, given that dynamic, Pilot should have been the one
extorting money. [Via $pread]
I
don’t know that I necessarily believe that Pilot’s piece is completely a work
of fiction; but, I do have to agree with a friend who said, “I think the
article is stupid and shallow; and, I still wonder what exactly makes the women
‘hipsters?"’
Indeed
that is a curious question: to me it reads like shallow, over privileged young
women trying to rebel and be cool.
FOR
THE RECORD: All the actual hipsters I know wear thrift store clothing, smell
funky and hangout in dive bars drinking $2 PBR; as opposed to wearing Prada and
frequenting tony clubs. The mere fact
that Pilot categorizes her friends as “hipster hookers” is enough to make me
raise an eyebrow and say “Oh, REALLY
now?”