Why is sex work so accepted, enjoyed and sought after by those consuming it, but those same people would often be unlikely to date a sex worker? Why the disconnect in relating?
Why is sex work so accepted, enjoyed and sought after by those consuming it, but those same people would often be unlikely to date a sex worker? Why the disconnect in relating?
Comments
Thanks for your question to /r/AskSocialScience. All posters, please remember that this subreddit requires peer-reviewed, cited sources (Please see Rule 1 and 3). All posts that do not have citations will be removed by AutoMod. Circumvention by posting unrelated link text is grounds for a ban. Well sourced comprehensive answers take time. If you’re interested in the subject, and you don’t see a reasonable answer, please consider [clicking Here for RemindMeBot](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=AskSocialScience Reminder).
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
[deleted]
[removed]
Do you have data to support this statement? Falling in love with a prostitute is a common trope, which suggests a basis in reality, and I’ve heard anecdotal information that quite a few clients will fall in love with sex workers. Indeed, modern sex work is at it’s most lucrative when online sex workers form parasocial one sided relationships with their clients.
It’s a difficult area of study tbh, due to the stigma involved with society.
I think one answer is that when forming a long term partnership the Socioeconomic Status (SES) of your partner matters a lot.
When seeking a single sexual encounter involving contraceptives and abortion it doesn’t at all.
“The influence of SES on marriage and divorce patterns is the same in Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Finland, and other countries where it has been studied (Esping‐Anderson, 2016; Jalovaara, 2002).”
“Although the influence of SES has been documented most regularly with respect to legally recognized and socially defined forms of intimacy like marriage and divorce, SES has been shown to affect rates of entry into and exit from other forms of intimate partnerships (e.g., cohabitation) as well (e.g., Sassler, Addo, & Lichter, 2012).”
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8179854
[removed]
[removed]
[removed]
It’s called objectification and entitlement. These consumers want the fantasy and service without acknowledging the humanity of the provider. They’re perfectly happy to consume the product while simultaneously devaluing the producer—the classic “Madonna-whore” complex in action.
Society has taught them they can compartmentalize human beings: acceptable to use for pleasure, unacceptable to form bonds with. This toxic contradiction allows them to maintain their public facade of “respectability” while privately consuming what they publicly condemn.
The disconnect exists because they don’t see sex workers as complete human beings. They see them as commodities to be used rather than equals deserving of respect both inside and outside transactions. When consuming services, these folks conveniently forget they’re dealing with someone’s daughter, brother, parent, or friend—a whole person with a life beyond their work.
The brutal truth? This hypocrisy reveals how little they understand about intimacy, consent, and respect. They want the benefits without acknowledging the person providing them. And yes, this makes them hypocrites who should take a hard look at their contradictory values.