Let's talk math. And hookers.

[searains]

Okay, I've been meaning to put this together for a while now, but I am tired of reading stories about poor hookers/strippers/etc and how they need to be saved by their prince charming and how they're just desperately trying to pay the rent.

Do you know why people do hooking despite the dangers and health risks? Because it's profitable. Much more

Comments

[a_feather]

Quite a lot of human trafficking goes on in the US, actually. It's apparently a pretty big problem in DC. They wouldn't have records of such things, though (at least, not when people aren't getting caught) and you did say something about "legit hooking" in that same point, so this might be kind of irrelevant.

(But then again maybe that's just DC, which unless you're rich is a really shitty place anyway.)

[searains]

Well, there is a great deal, but statistically not in comparison to the rest of the world, especially in many parts of in europe/asia. It is a serious issue though, and one that I'm glad I don't really have the chance to collect a lot of first-hand information on (which where the bulk of this information was gathered) and I'd like to learn more about, though even the internet is a fairly meager resource.

[anon_j_anon]

I rather enjoyed the logic of this. I remember watching a documentary about strippers once. I don't recall most of the facts (it was a while ago), but the impression that I got is that they can live very expensive lives, even if they are smart about money and so forth. I think you neglected the maintenance cost, however, of buying costumes and other stripper wear, make up and hair stuff. Still, your point stands. One stripper they interviewed had a daughter and she was able to support her just fine.

That being said, stripper fics as you described are the ultimate Cinderella story (Pretty Woman comes to mind). But they're even better because not only does the man save her from her wretched living conditions and makes all the hurt and horror go away, but he redeems her morally (possibly with some sacrifice to his own reputation) and validates her as an individual by showering his love (wealth) on her.

It's stuff like this that makes me think attitudes towards gender roles still has a very long way to go.

[searains]

From what I gathered about strippers in particular, if they work at a club/bar then a lot of material is provided by the establishment. If they work for a service, sames goes, and they're expected to make their money off tips. I should really go in and calculate how much percentage is taken by the establishment vs how much they get from tips in comparison to rates, and how much they're spending out of pocket, but I'd need to get another stripper to interview first! Logically though, the profits should cover it... to the point where they can eat well and have some money left over.

I can see how the majority of low-end strippers could have issues but most fics feature really good strippers. I definitely can see the appeal there, but really good strippers aren't cheap, especially if they have an escort thing going on on the side as well.

I loved how you summed up the appeal of pretty-woman esque stories. That is just perfect - I will probably be quoting it sometime in the future.

[r_amythest]

I wrote hookerfic once for the instant gratification melodrama factor. It was very much a guilty pleasure.

That said, I believe a major deduction from an otherwise lucrative job is the pimp. The pimp takes yo money. The pimp deals you crack. And crack is fucking expensive. The drugs pump the vicious cycle of needing more money and taking more money.

Same to drug dealers. Drug dealers are often drug users. Drugs are expensive.

I've read from some anon communities that some people dabble in selling sex when they very much needed that extra few hundred. As a profession, though, it has its ways of coming back to bite.