Fleshbot: Sex Work

Remember those days when hipsters with prestigious ...

Lux Alptraum — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:55:09 EDT

Remember those days when hipsters with prestigious but low paying media jobs had to have trust funds or sell coke if they wanted to make ends meet? Now all they have to do is find a few high-paying tricks to help them make it in the big city! Hey, it beats hitting up Mom and Dad for cash. (Or selling coke, for that matter.) (radaronline.com)

Last Call For "Call Girl" (For Now)

Dashiell Bennett — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:15:24 EDT

Last night was the season finale for the first chapter of "Secret Diary Of A Call Girl", and while we don't know when (or if) the second season will begin we hope Billie Piper keeps finding work in the meantime. Sure, real call girls probably roll their eyes every time "Belle" explains the "secrets" of high-class prostitution, but we find it goofily charming. Besides, it's not like we could ever afford to pay $1,000 for a single night of bliss, so this will have to do.

· Secret Life of a Call Girl: Season 1 (sho.com)

"The Would-Be Madam Of Crystal": Heidi Fleiss Forever!

Fleshbot — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:50:22 EDT

If you miss seeing Heidi Fleiss taking up tabloid column inches as much as we do, you won't want to miss the new HBO documentary tonight by our pals Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato of World of Wonder in which the former Hollywood Madam and current bird fancier crosses the state line to open a brothel in Nevada ... and hilarity ensues! Actually, it's not so much hilarious as an affectionate and occasionally poignant look at a woman who is still chasing her dreams: as Heidi herself says, "Heidi Fleiss is kind of synonymous with sex and money and that's the big deal, but really, I'm just your average convicted felon." "Heidi Fleiss: The Would-Be Madam Of Crystal" premieres tonight on HBO; catch some preview clips after the jump.

. . .

• "Heidi Fleiss: The Would-Be Madam Of Crystal" (hbo.com; see more preview clips @ dailymotion.com)
• "Heidi Fleiss: The Would-Be Madam Of Crystal" (blog archive @ worldofwonder.net)

Recognizing that legal prostitution makes ...

Dashiell Bennett — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:25:53 EDT

Recognizing that legal prostitution makes sex workers safer from violence, rape and STDs, South Africa has decided to lift the ban on the sex industry in their country ... but only for one month, during the 2010 World Cup. Don't worry, after all the ~~hooligans~~ tourists are gone they'll go right back to making it dangerous and illegal. (bbc.co.uk, via Deadspin)

More Secrets Of "Secret Diary Of A Call Girl"

Dashiell Bennett — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:37:32 EDT

Have you been watching Showtime's broadcasts of "Secret Diary of A Call Girl"? We know it's only been on for two weeks, but the show seems to be picking up steam (and getting more steamy) as it moves along. Ok, it's probably not a very realistic look at the life of a call girl—what with all the amazing apartments and handsome johns—and Billie Piper's constant fourth-wall breaking narration can be a little off-putting, but we've found ourselves enjoying it quite a bit. We got a sneak peek at tonight's episode and not only do you get a close-up look at "the girlfriend experience" you also get your first (brief) look at Billie's bare breasts. See what we mean? It's better already!

· Secret Diary of a Call Girl (sho.com)

We've got to admit that operating a mobile ...

Dashiell Bennett — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:51:50 EDT

We've got to admit that operating a mobile brothel out of a rented limousine bus is a pretty brilliant idea. (Even if it is a little derivative.) Parking the bus a block from the Miami Beach Police Department? Not quite as brilliant. (local10.com - thanks, Rick)

Potentially bad news for fans of escort review ...

Fleshbot — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:40:09 EDT

Potentially bad news for fans of escort review site The Erotic Review: the site's founder is currently on trial in California for cocaine possession and having a loaded semi-automatic weapon, although there wasn't enough evidence to support the claim of the prostitute he was found with that he had "forced her to perform oral sex at gunpoint". While we're happy he's been providing a much-needed service, those allegations give us pause: when it comes to the world of sex work, who will review the reviewers? (nytimes.com - thanks K.)

How To Solve Your Armpit Fetish Needs (Without Getting Arrested)

Dashiell Bennett — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:50:49 EDT

As we mentioned earlier, a poor armpit fetishist in Singapore was caned and sent to prison for 14 years because he wasn't very good at controlling himself where women and their sexy underarms were concerned. Granted, it's not always the easiest kink to indulge in (especially with strangers)—but there are other options out there that are better than molesting helpless passers-by on the street. After all, that's what the interweb is for! Some may find perusing a website like GirlPits or Armpits-Fetish.com to be a less-than-perfect substitute, especially if your Smell-O-Vision browser plugin is on the fritz. But you can probably find a more willing real life partner in the forums willing to lift their elbows for you if you're persistent enough. And if all else fails, you can always hire some professional assistance. Spending a little money sure beats a cane to the backside—although you can probably pay extra for that too.

. . .

· Girlpits Underarm Fetish Forum (girlpits.com; registration required to view galleries
· The world's ArmPit Fetish site (armpits-fetish.com)

· Armpit Sex (armpit-sex.com)
· FEMALE CELEBRITY ARMPITS! (geocities.com)

· "Celebrity Armpits! Check them out ..." (forums.superiorpics.com)

* * * * *

Previously: Hands Up For Hairy Armpits!

"Secret Diary Of A Call Girl" Is No Longer A Secret Here

Dashiell Bennett — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:50:28 EDT

Remember, last year when Billie Piper scandalized the UK with her turn in "Secret Diary Of A Call Girl," that TV series based on the blog and book by Belle du Jour? Well, scandals make for awesome ratings (duh) so Showtime went ahead and bought the rights to broadcast the whole thing here in the U.S.. Hype aside, they do deserve credit for not simply stealing the idea and watering it down for the American audience's more tender sensibilities; they'll be showing the original unedited episodes just as they aired on the other side of the pond. It debuts on the "telly" (that's what they call it over there! Really!) on Monday night, but you can watch the full first two episodes online right now ... or at least whet your appetite with this sample clip. As you'll see either way, being a call girl is a dirty job—and we would sure like to have Billie do it to us.

· "Secret Diary Of A Call Girl" (full episodes @ sho.com)

Providers, Hobbyists, And Hardwood Floors: Walking The Virtual Streets

Dashiell Bennett — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:05:49 EDT

Free and open discussion of things that were formerly considered taboo is one of the best things about the interweb: websites like Craigslist and The Erotic Review have made it easier than ever for ~~johns~~ hobbyists to hire ~~hookers~~ providers for ~~sex~~ sensual fun, and have also made it more convenient for ~~sex workers~~ auto racing enthusiasts to offer their services and network with one another. But that doesn't mean it's still not a mysterious enterprise with a language all its own (who knew that "We took a trip to the Mediterranean" was shorthand for "anal sex"?) and its own private message boards where users do their best to avoid the wrong kind of attention.

Take the website "Seattle Art Suppliers," for example, which used to be "St. Louis Auto Specialists"—and which is actually a forum where escorts and their customers can "discuss everything from gardening to philosophy to how they prefer one another's pubic hair to be groomed". (Or at least it was until an article about it appeared in the local alt weekly.) It seems that some discussions on the interweb still need to be kept under wraps after all. The more things change ...

· "OldestProfession2.0: A new generation of local 'providers' and 'hobbyists' create a virtual red-light district" (riverfronttimes.com, via Valleywag)
· Seattle Art Suppliers (stlasp.com; memberships closed)

How To Talk Like A Dirty Geisha

Dashiell Bennett — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:55:35 EDT

The art of the geisha is a tricky one indeed: it's not enough to simply please a man by performing whatever service he asks of you, you must also anticipate his desires before he even knows what they are. And you must be prepared for every possible situation, including telling some guy how awesome his cunt lapping skills are in a strange foreign language. There might be even more helpful advice in these instructional language clips allegedly tailored for geishas who cater to stupid American businessmen—but like most of life, it really only takes a few choice phrases to get through any situation.

· Japanese Geisha Lessons in How To "Talk Dirty" (cottonandsand.com)
· More "English Lessons" (YouTube)

The Bunny Ranch in Nevada is fighting back ...

Dashiell Bennett — Thu, 29 May 2008 09:59:16 EDT

The Bunny Ranch in Nevada is fighting back against (Anti-)American Airlines' silly policies, by reimbursing weary travelers for the $15 bag checking fee. So now you can splurge and get that extra reach around! (bunnyranch.com, via jaunted.com)

Lisa Lewis Is An Escort (And Proud Of It)

Lux Alptraum — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:40:28 EDT

Over the years we've seen our fair share of outed call girls looking contrite, so it's a breath of fresh air to see an outed call girl actually standing up for herself and refusing to be shamed by the press. Naked newsreader and high end escort Lisa Lewis isn't apologizing for her choices—on the contrary, she says she's proud of what she does. As a single mother, she finds that escort work helps her earn the high income she needs to assure a good future for her son; and no, she doesn't think it makes her any less of a good mother. Quite frankly, we couldn't agree more. (Whether you still feel like spending $7000 plus airfare to New Zealand to see how good she is at her job is still up to you.)

· "Naked newsreader doing it for son" (stuff.co.nz)

Sexploitation Clip Of The Week: "Prostitutes Protective Society"

Dashiell Bennett — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:10:37 EDT

Do you remember that part in "Sin City" where the prostitutes took over an entire section of town, kicked out the pimps and the cops and the mafia, and started dispensing their own brand of justice to anyone foolish enough to mess with their sisters? That's a true story! Here's the documentary proof to show that no organized crime syndicate is a match for a fiesty band of hookers who know how to talk tough and shoot a gun. (It's also Chapter 5 of this book.) By the way, people love to complain that there is too much nudity and violence in the movies—but have you noticed that no one ever complains about "nude violence"? The more, the better as far as we're concerned.

· P.P.S. - Prostitutes Protective Society (1966) (imdb.com)
· Clip courtesy of Bedazzled Blue (bedazzledblue.com)

Previously: Sexploitation Clip Archive

Crushed out on New Zealand's first naked ...

Lux Alptraum — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:50:15 EDT

Crushed out on New Zealand's first naked newsreader and famed bikini streaker Lisa Lewis? Good news: it seems her services are for hire. Of course, at $7000 a night (and whatever it costs you to get to New Zealand), Ms. Lewis doesn't come cheap—but we're sure you get what you pay for. (stuff.co.nz)

"Ladies Of The Night": What Does Gene Simmons Know About Whoring?

Dashiell Bennett — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:40:37 EDT

Prostitution has been written about by everyone from the Apostles to Shakespeare to Charlie Sheen, but you can take all that previous pontification and cram it: Gene Simmons is about to have his say. The God of Thunder and noted romancer has a new book coming out called "Ladies of the Night" where he will share his "own unique philosophy about the inception and legacy of prostitution." (And not a minute too soon!)

The enthusiastic press release also promises that Gene's "entirely new take" on the subject (we're guessing he's for it?) will "spark debate, though we're not sure how that's possible: once the Demon speaks, the debate is over! Read on to learn how you can win a special message from Gene, but what you won't learn is the answer to our most pressing question about sex work. When you're hooking up with a lady of the night yourself, do you leave your pants on or take them off? Hopefully, the answer is in the book somewhere too.

. . .

Phoenix Books and Gene Sim mons, the New York Times best-selling author, reality TV star, and KISS front man, present an entertaining mix of narrative history and Simmons' own unique philosophy about the inception and legacy of prostitution with his enlightening new book, Ladies of the Night, poised to hit bookstores on July 8th, 2008. Beautifully illustrated in lush, velvety binding, Ladies of the Night is an entirely new take on a traditionally taboo topic and promises to spark debate.
In connection with the book's release, Phoenix Books is giving one lucky fan the chance to win a personalized voice mail greeting from Gene Sim mons himself! Contestants are asked to go to www.geneSimmons.com and reply to the following:

LADIES OF THE NIGHT—The Oldest Profession in the World: Good or bad? Tell us. And, tell us why.

The essay (200 words or less) and entry form will need to be sent via e-mail to phoenix.books@phoenixnm.com. The contest is open to legal U.S. residents 18 years or older, and the deadline for entering is June 8th, 2008.

Of the entries, Gene Simmons will select ten (10) essays, from which he will pick one (1) grand prize winner and two (2) runners up. The grand prize winner will receive a digital WAV file recording to use as his/her outgoing voice mail message. All runners up will win an autographed book from Gene and a selection of amazing Gene Sim mons/A&E Gene Sim mons' Family Jewels swag.

On May 6th, 2008, the making of Ladies of the Night was featured on A&E's Gene Simmons' Family Jewels, where the legendary rock star and his unconventional family are back and better than ever for season 3 of the hit reality series.

The episode can be seen at the following:

Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ro3fmleNPtg
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikWs0wr5y1o
Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3p3gn6AKOM

An anti-prostitution group surveyed over ...

Dashiell Bennett — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:17:08 EDT

An anti-prostitution group surveyed over 200 men, but just can't seem to figure out why they enjoy paying hot women to have sex with them. Yeah, that is a head-scratcher. (chicagotribune.com)

Thanks to everyone who wrote in with the ...

Fleshbot — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:50:13 EDT

Thanks to everyone who wrote in with the sad news that "DC Madam" Deborah Palfrey has apparently committed suicide after being convicted last month of running a prostitution service, money laundering and racketeering. We had a feeling her case would get a lot stranger before it was all over, but we didn't quite think it would end like this; alleged client Senator David Vitter, meanwhile, is still alive. (ap.google.com + alternet.org + nola.com; see also commentary @ Naked City)

Big Sister Is (Still) Watching You

Fleshbot — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:50:21 EDT

Prague's Big Sister internet-enabled brothel has long been high on our list of travel destinations ever since our globetrotting siblings at Gridskipper first bought it to our attention a couple of years ago. (But only from a sociological perspective, you understand, not because we want to boink our way to international notoriety via the dozens of video cameras set up throughout the establishment which broadcast the goings-on to tens of thousands of the site's subscribers.) Short of going to Prague or coughing up a $40 monthly membership to join the website, the best way to see what Big Sister is all about is photographer Hana Jakrlova's Big Sister photodocumentary project, in which both real life sex and the televised kind exist in an occasionally uneasy harmony ... with stuffed polar bears, even! It's the next best thing to being there, minus all those people staring at your ass.

· Hana Jakrlova: Big Sister (hanajakrlova.com, via sex-and-blogs.com)
· Big Sister: Erotic Club Online (bigsister.net)

Who Should Be Steven Soderbergh's "Girlfriend"?

Dashiell Bennett — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:45:34 EDT

Director Steven Soderbergh has announced that his next project will be "The Girlfriend Experience," a ~~cinéma-vérité~~ low-budget indie film about a $10,000-a-night hooker. Since the movie would be shot in the style of his previous film, "Bubble," it will employ a minimal amount of money, sets, professional actors, or even written words—the dialogue will be mostly improvised. This lack of Hollywood touches, plus the subject matter, has led early speculation to be that Soderbergh may hire an experienced adult film actress to play the lead. But who would that be?

We can think of dozens of actresses off the top our head who can convincingly hump like a hooker, but can they handle the off-the-cuff dramatic style and display the emotional range required to make a full human person believable on screen? Amateur casting directors everywhere are ready to weigh in—and frankly we're a little hurt that our siblings at Defamer didn't think to ask us—but who better than our readers to find us the prefect choice? We have a few nominees of our own in the poll below, but feel free to make your own suggestions in the comments. The future of mainstream porn depends on you!

. . .

· Soderbergh to direct 'Girlfriend' (variety.com, via Defamer)

Because the British can't get enough Heather ...

Dashiell Bennett — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:28:08 EDT

Because the British can't get enough Heather Mills bashing, the tabloids are now claiming that she used to be a £10,000-a-night lesbian prostitute. (Although, we're not sure if making out with another girl in front of rich dudes technically counts as "prostitution.") Maybe she'll think twice the next time she tries to marry a Beatle. (dailystar.co.uk)

Giving an "anonymous" interview to ABC News ...

Dashiell Bennett — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:28:54 EDT

Giving an "anonymous" interview to ABC News about your life as a prostitute is all well and good, until your parents watch the show and easily figure out that it's you. Well, at least the next family reunion will be interesting. (debauchette.wordpress.com, via Boinkology)

Itemize Those Deductions, Maggot!

Dashiell Bennett — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:27:28 EDT

If you're like us, you'll be spending the weekend relaxing with your accountant as you finish your taxes at the last minute. If only we could employ the services of Seattle's "Tax Domme" Mistress Lori, who specializes in the unique tax situations faced by sex workers. Breast implants? Tax deductible! Hand lotions? Let's hope so! (thenaughtyamerican.com; see also TaxDomme.com)

"Possible Nazi Theme of Grand Prix Boss's ...

Fleshbot — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:13:28 EDT

"Possible Nazi Theme of Grand Prix Boss's Orgy Draws Calls to Quit": we had to read this headline three or four times before we realized that it concerned a story we posted about last week. You do have to admit there's an awful lot going on in there ... (NY Times)

Sex Work 101: School Yourself

Fleshbot — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:08:25 EDT

Confused over the meaning of terms like "call girl" (which is outdated) and "street worker" (which is much better)? Interested in knowing more about how that amorphous "sex industry" you keep hearing about really works? Let friend of Fleshbot Audacia Ray help teach you the, uh, ins and outs of sex work in the succinctly named Sex Work 101, a fledgling project intended to "add to public knowledge about sex work and to encourage discussion about the issues sex workers face". At the very least, it'll save you from any embarassing gaffes in your conversation when you're talking about these issues; and who knows, it might even inspire you to do some more personal research of your own. (sexwork101.com)

Finally, our home state gets its own politics ...

Dashiell Bennett — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:01:22 EDT

Finally, our home state gets its own politics and hookers sex scandal. Ok, it's a senator's husband who got caught with a prostitute and he wasn't even charged (he gets off by agreeing to testify against her—that's the real scandal), but still ... yay Michigan! (freep.com)

You may remember the New York Times writing ...

Dashiell Bennett — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:08:21 EDT

You may remember the New York Times writing a little story about three modern women who earn their living having sex for money, which was a very timely and compelling look at the current state of prostitution in this country, except ... two of those three women don't actually have sex for money. We guess the reporter didn't realize that "sex work" doesn't just mean hookers, but at least they made an effort! Sort of. (Gawker)

Rich Guy Likes Fast Cars And Fast Women Who Like To Spank Nazis

Dashiell Bennett — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:04:25 EDT

The usually stoic and reserved British tabloid press was outraged this weekend to learn that the head of Formula One auto racing—a job that, in terms of importance and power, ranks somewhere below the Queen and somewhere above Governor of New York—fancies BDSM roleplay sessions with multiple hookers. Oh, and he maybe has a Nazi fetish too. Naturally, a rich powerful man using his money to fulfill elaborate sex fantasies is quite shocking, even if it's probably not illegal. (Although maybe stalking him with a video camera and taping his sessions probably should be.)

The story is further complicated by the fact that his father was a notorious Hitler-loving neo-fascist ... but then who hasn't grappled with childhood issues by getting deloused and spanked by five leather-bound prostitutes? Personally, we don't care what "sicko perverts" like to do in their spare time, we just like watching videos of half-naked people getting slap happy with black bars over their faces. Check out some of the action below.

· "F1 boss Max Mosley has sick nazi orgy with 5 hookers" (newsoftheworld.co.uk)
· "F1 Boss Max Mosley Caught With Five Hookers In Nazi Orgy Video Scandal" (Jalopnik)

Well, what do you know: Private citizen Eliot ...

Dashiell Bennett — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:20:11 EDT

Well, what do you know: Private citizen Eliot Spitzer likes call girls ... and unlike the last one, this one really is named Kristin. But she's also not the Kristin who doesn't appear in these fake pictures. If we could just work Paris Hilton and an American Idol contestant into this scandal, the circle of gossip would be complete. (nypost.com + Gawker)

We missed Diane Sawyer's expose/Spitzermania ...

Dashiell Bennett — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:23:25 EDT

We missed Diane Sawyer's expose/Spitzermania cash-in "Prostitution in America" on 20/20, but apparently some people didn't feel it was an even-handed and informative report—specifically, people who have actually been sex workers. You mean a TV news program broadcast something that might have been somewhat biased or misleading? Shocking! (abcnews.go.com + sex-kitten.net)

"A picture is worth a thousand bucks an hour"

Fleshbot — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:10:31 EDT

Contrary to what the news media would have you believe these days, not all prostitutes look like a certain high-priced gubernatorial plaything-slash-aspiring music superstar; contrary to a lot of the drawings in the amusing Project Prostitute, however, they're not all fishnet-wearing, cigarette-smoking streetwalking vamps either. The uninteresting truth may be that prostitutes come in all shapes and sizes ... and as this project demonstrates, so do our attitudes toward prostitution. (We might prefer the fishnet-wearing streetwalker types ourselves, but then we're cheap that way.) (projectprostitute.com, via veryshortlist.com - thanks Elizabeth; thumbnail [top] by Roz Chast)

Eliot Spitzer's Greatest Crime

Dashiell Bennett — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:03:59 EDT

Holy crap, why didn't somebody tell us that prostitution is legal in Rhode Island? It's true! You are free to solicit sex for money as long as all the conduct happens indoors, except ... not for long, because now they want to change that law. Why? Because of Eliot Spitzer. Thanks a lot, jerk. You didn't ruin enough lives in your own state, you had to go and screw up another one? (projo.com, via Wonkette)

Everything Else You Wanted To Know About Hookers (But Didn't Care Enough To Ask)

Dashiell Bennett — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:28:54 EDT

Ashley who? It looks like New York's governor hooker scandal has finally gone from Stage One (shock and outrage) through Stage Two (lurid fascination) and is now firmly in Stage Three: "What does it all mean?" Everyone is bored with Eliot and his escort, and the tri-state area has moved on (or back?) to New Jersey's bisexual gubernatorial threeway scandal. So the rest of the media is now free to pump out feature stories and editorials that deal with "the big picture": sex work and prostitutes, who they are and what they do and why the rest of use can't stop hiring them. Everyone's an expert on sex work all of a sudden, and they're going to teach us all about it for at least another week or so until they likely go back to not caring again. Another exhaustive link roundup is after the jump, though if you're not included in it don't worry: if you're one of the two dozen or so Americans who haven't yet been personally interviewed about this story, we'll be happy to put you in touch with a desperate newspaper editor somewhere who needs your help.

. . .

· Spitzer's fall offers glimpse into sex business (newsday.com)
· The Double Lives of High-Priced Call Girls (nytimes.com)
· Porn vs. prostitution: Why is it legal to pay someone for sex on camera? (slate.com)
· Johns Help Each Other Find the Right 'Internet Sex Provider' (wired.com)
· Cassandra: The really annoying thing about Eliot Spitzer (timesonline.co.uk)
· Smerconish: Legalize hookers (daveralis.com)
· Europe does sex scandals better (latimes.com)
· No sex scandals for women in power (freep.com)
· Hop on: we are taking sex tourism global (telegraph.co.uk)
· Threesome With New Jersey Guv Out-Trashes Spitzer Scandal (Gawker)

* * * * *

Previously: The Curious Case Of Client No. 9: An Honest To Goodness Political Sex Scandal, Today's Gubernatorial Sex Scandal Update: The Apotheosis Of Ashley

Today's Gubernatorial Sex Scandal Update: The Apotheosis Of Ashley

Dashiell Bennett — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:15:04 EDT

Eliot Spitzer who? National media already seems to be over the "Love Guv," but they can't get enough of the hooker who unwittingly brought down his administration. From the two million people who maybe listened to her "music" to the high school friends lining up to talk about her old locker to sniveling con artists who actually want credit for pimping her out ... everyone loves Ashley! Who cares how old she really is? Even Penthouse and Playboy both naturally want to see her naked. It's good thing that prostitution isn't legal, though; otherwise all those other media whores wouldn't have anything to talk about. (nymag.com + iht.com + nypost.com + Gawker)

The New York Times outs identifies the 22-year-old ...

Fleshbot — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:23:19 EDT

The New York Times ~~outs~~ identifies the 22-year-old aspiring singer known as "Kristen" who found herself at the epicenter of the brouhaha surrounding Eliot Spitzer this week. At least now we know one reason why she turned to escorting — after listening to that track on her MySpace page (you know, the one with what the Times called "dated slang"), we doubt her vocal career would've made her much money anyway. (nytimes.com)

Breaking news from the AP: Spitzer case shows ...

Fleshbot — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:29:30 EDT

Breaking news from the AP: Spitzer case shows the world that even prostitution has gone digital! Wait — so does that mean we don't have to keep lurking around those dumspters to get our five dollar mid-afternoon hummer every day? Why didn't anyone tell us this sooner? (ap.google.com; thumbnail via the inestimable bigdoggie.net)

The Curious Case Of Client No. 9: An Honest To Goodness Political Sex Scandal

Dashiell Bennett — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:05:04 EDT

While the world waits to see whether he'll resign or not, media commentators, politicians, and even prostitutes are all theorizing, debating, and psychoanalyzing New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. The (formerly) rising political star with presidential ambitions has been identified as the target of a federal prostitution investigation that may leave him open to several serious criminal charges. It's still not clear whether he will be indicted or forced to resign and the talk has ranged from how to pay for hookers to the rules of impeachment to the Mann Act to Hillary Clinton's campaign strategy. But there's one big question that every single person is asking: How dumb is Eliot Spitzer?

As a former state attorney general, Spitzer was extremely well-versed in the law and (more importantly) how law enforcement works—federal investigation techniques, wiretapping, complex money laundering manuvers. He even prosecuted several high profile prostuitution investigations cases himself, so it's baffling that he would not only partake of the company of ladies of the night, but that he apparently made almost zero effort to conceal his actions. The most interesting revelation is that he was not a high-profile client caught up in a prostitution racket; the call girls were the ones who got caught up in an investigation of him. It was his own bank that tipped off the IRS about suspicious transactions, which eventually lead to the bust of the Emperor's Club last week.

Oh yeah, there's also the hookers. Everyone seems to be delighting in the screenshots of headless torsos and "diamond" ratings and interpretations of antiquated federal laws, but mostly they seem to enjoy the opportunity to call people "whores" in polite company. Because it's about sex, you see, and we have to pretend that it's dirty and evil, even though we all secretly get a big kick out of it because we all realize that the greatest harm done so far is that a young woman was "transported" across state lines for immoral purposes. (Oh, and he maybe liked to bang prostitutes without condoms, but that's a different scandal altogether.) Our dream of a sex-positive governor leading the fight against harsh and outdated criminal laws will probably not come to pass, but we are pleasantly surprised that this case has led at least a few people to ask why prostitution is illegal in the first place.

There's been a lot of comparisons to sex scandals past and how remarkably easy it's been for most politicians to hang on and save their careers, but there's one key difference between those earlier offenders and Spitzer. He paid for it. Cheating on your wife is forgivable, but a tough on crime crusader breaking the law is not. The consensus seems to be that indictment or no (the real unfairness with prostitutions laws is that it's very difficult and rare to prosecute johns, although they pretty much have this one dead to rights), Spitzer will not be the governor for long. That's too bad, because the longer this discussion goes on and the more we realize that anyone can and will pay for sex, the greater the chance that our attitudes and our laws might actually change. Of course, that also means all the horrible "Spitzer Swallow" jokes will continue indefinitely, but we suppose you can't have everything.

· Revelations Began in Routine Tax Inquiry (nytimes.com)
· Spitzer's Apology Video + Did One Of These Ladies Take Down the Governor? (Gawker)
· Spitzer Linked To Hooker Probe (thesmokinggun.com)
· "Why is prostitution illegal?" (slate.com)
· "Have you been a whore?" (wakingvixen.com; see also "The World's Oldest Profession" audio @ wnyc.org)
· "Eliot Spitzer's Whores" (Wonkette)
· Foes push for Spitzer's resignation over link to prostitution ring (cnn.com)
· Washingtons most infamous hotel room for now (Examiner.com)
· Clinton Campaign Removes Eliot Spitzer's Name From List Of Endorsements (radaronline.com)
· Sex scandals in U.S. politics (reuters.com)

Breaking: Governor Of New York (Maybe) A Fan Of Hookers

Dashiell Bennett — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:18:33 EDT

Eliot Spitzer became of the Governor of New York by running as a hard-nosed former prosecutor who cleaned up Wall Street and organized crime and was now going to clean up his state capital. Now, involvement with organized crime may end his political career. The New York Times is reporting that Spitzer told his staff today that he was "involved" with a prostitution ring. His involvement may or may not be related to the bust of an online call girl ring that made all the headlines last week. His brief cryptic statement on the matter left most questions unanswered and speculation and rumors continue to run rampant. Maybe he'll stand up and announce that if even a married Governor of one of the largest states in the nation can frequent call girls without hurting himself or anyone else then maybe prostitution isn't such a horrible thing and maybe we as a society should re-think our attitudes toward sex work and rewrite our law books to treat this industry and its workers more fairly. (On second thought ... nah.)

· "Spitzer Is Linked to Prostitution Ring" (nytimes.com)
· Online Hooker Ring Busted - March 6, 2008 (thesmokinggun.com)

When we try to expense a trip to Hong Kong ...

Fleshbot — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:12:34 EST

When we try to expense a trip to Hong Kong to check out the red light district our overseers say that we're being oversexed and irresponsible; when our globe trotting brethren at Gridskipper do the same thing it somehow counts as "research". Maybe it's time for one of those horizontal promotions we keep hearing so much about? (gridskipper.com)

Call Girl Bust Threatens To Bring Down Denver's Elite Society ... Or Not

Dashiell Bennett — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:38:47 EST

High-powered residents of the city of Denver are shocked to learn that several important men in their town might have used their swanky private club for something other than smoking cigars, drinking fine Scotch and plotting world domination. They also liked to have sex! And pay for it! An escort service that allegedly catered to these individuals—including many prominent Denver businessmen, doctors, lawyers, and famous athletes—has been shut down and put under investigation by federal investigators and the IRS. It's all pretty standard vice squad stuff, except for one nagging question ...

You see, all the women who were arrested had their name published in the public court documents. However, not one of the male customers who used the agency's "services" has been identified, let alone questioned, detained or in any way treated like a criminal ... which they are, of course. So why do these working women get to feel the full force of the law, while the rich, important people who hired them get to move on with their lives? Will this crackdown ever come back to haunt them? Or even better, will any of them stand up to defend these women and their profession, since they obviously are not an affront to the guys' community standards? Forgive us if we don't hold our breath on that one.

· Call Girl Confesses: Sex At Exclusive Denver Club (cbs4denver.com)