Spitzer--We're All Whores

[Lightning Rod]

Spitzer--We're All Whores
for release 03-14-08
Dallas, Texas
by Lightning Rod

The Poet's Eye has barely glanced at the Eliot Spitzer affair. Writing a column about it would be such a cheap shot. But I'm a whore, so here goes:

The reason that all the soft news and comedy shows on television have been feasting on this story is that it falls into two categories of fascination in our pop culture. The first one is hypocrisy. When any self-righteous preacher falls from grace, we love it. Spitzer was a man who had portrayed himself as without fault. Risky position.

The second category is prostitution. Prostitutes and especially 'high-priced' prostitutes have as much mystique, as much cachet, as doctors and millionaires and powerful politicians. We are eternally fascinated by them. We see visions of a Cinderella story starring Juiia Roberts and Richard Gere. All over the internet and on TV we see pictures of the working girl who caused Spitzer's house to collapse. I don't know why she called herself Kristen when she had the much sexier name of Ashley Alexandra Dupree. She is a 15 minute star. She is a comely girl, sings pretty good. But what Americans who work standing up all day to make $20 an hour are fascinated by is how even such a pretty girl can earn a grand per hour for laying on her back. The president only makes $200 an hour. Does that make him a cheap whore?

Prostitution (and especially 'high-priced' prostitution) is one of the few professions where experience is a negative on the resume. Prostitutes are much like gymnasts or ice-skaters, their careers are short. The product is subject to sudden depreciation. The more it it used the less it is worth. The premium is paid for youth and flexibility.

Most work could be categorized as prostitution. If we do things that we might not particularly want to do, and we do those things for money, then are we not prostitutes? Does this describe your job? Are we not allowing someone else to use our bodies and energies and knowledge in exchange for money? Isn't that the definition of prostitution?

But, take heart. Prostitution is not only the oldest profession, it is also the most honorable. It is the essence of the free market and maybe the cleanest sex. There is an honesty about the exchange. "You give me what I need, and I give you what you need." Everybody is happy and there are no residual charges.

Marriage is for women the commonest mode of livelihood, and the total amount of undesired sex endured by women is probably greater in marriage than in prostitution.
Bertrand Russell

The Poet's Eye longs to see a time when we don't judge prostitutes by how much they charge or how they take payment. We are all whores.


Winston Churchill's anecdotal exchange: (paraphrase)

Churchill: Madam, would you sleep with me for five million pounds?
Socialite: My goodness, Mr. Churchill... Well, I suppose... we would have to discuss terms, of course...
Churchill: Would you sleep with me for five pounds?
Socialite: Mr. Churchill, what kind of woman do you think I am?!
Churchill: Madam, we've already established that. Now we are haggling about the price.

[stilltrucking]

Speaking of wives:

"The other thing I don't understand about this story is how these guys always get their wives to go stand on the podium with them when they cop to this stuff. I remember during the Monica Lewinsky thing, some member of Congress -- I don't remember who it was -- said, you know, if that was my wife, she'd be standing over my bleeding body in the kitchen saying, 'How do you reload this thing?' "

You don't have to be in favor of manslaughter to wonder what force on earth could lead a woman to appear beside her husband, in front of the television cameras, on a day when his extramarital sexual escapades have been splashed all over the front pages. Yet that is what powerful politicians' wives find it within themselves to do.

Standing next to him at those two appearances this week, she looked as if she was in shock. The strain of crisis is always painfully visible on the spouse's face in these I-have-sinned news conferences. The intent may be to minimize the infidelity by showing that the wife is still there, that she continues to play her public role, that she still believes in her husband. But the effect is the opposite. You look at her lifeless eyes and her expressionless mouth, and you think: Look what he's done to that poor woman.
Not Her Place

sorry about the quote
Thanks for writting.

[Doreen Peri]

As I was reading this, I was going to do a search to find the "haggling about price" dialogue and post it. But then i see it at the end. heh... figures. Jinx.

Enjoyed this column, Clay.

[mnaz]

Excellent.

Of course, if you happen to love your work, and might do it even if you weren't getting paid, then I suppose you might not be a whore. Ah, who am I kidding?.. Yeah. We're all whores. I hate my current energy-sucking job. Like the paycheck, tho.. Whore.

Nice one, Mr. Rod.

[jimboloco]

i was down and out in houston, 1977
they had a sex workers convention
for some reason i was downtown
got into an elevator
was surrounded by coyotes
they seemed confidant and happy



what's next
obama's pastor is a rascist
nice to see ya back
en la huerta en acapulco

[Arcadia]

we are not only our jobs, even though this is the easiest way to define us socially-socially (most of the time) and also -without doubt- and important part of our identity.


very interesting read, l-rod!!!!!!

[stilltrucking]

It was a nasty subject for a column Clay
but somebody had to do it
nobody does it better.

thank you

on a side issue he has two teen age daughters.
Remember your post about role models
I have to look it up, i think it relates bigtime to this poet's eye

Elliot Sputzer lucky he is not married to a red necked girl.

[jimboloco]

rescued by his lieutenant
whose wife sure is cute

[stilltrucking]

Oh I forgot this bit

I don't know why she called herself Kristen when she had the much sexier name of Ashley Alexandra Dupree.

That is not her real name either just her working title. I forgot her real name, I think it is Gladys Lipshitz or something like that.