"The oldest profession in the world"

November 7, 2002 4:57 PM

"The oldest profession in the world" gains a whole new meaning with this 57-year-old woman's spirited account, in The Spectator (est. 1858) no less, of her successful new career as a prostitute. I must admit a part of me said "Hooray! There's hope for us thirtysomethings yet" but the rest remained highly suspicious or (to be honest) whispered "How pathetic!" Is this ageism or are (much) older women really more attractive nowadays?
posted by Schweppes Girl (29 comments total)

great post! Used to be Penthouse was where the fake letters to the editor were; maybe soon it will be the AARP.

Plenty of older women could pull this off, I'm sure. Also, bear in mind that a subset of men (of any age) would seek older women by preference.

And an older man might be looking for someone who can also function as an escort, in the traditional sense, and accompany him to the 4:00 buffet without raising eyebrows. :)
posted by condour75 at 5:15 PM on November 7, 2002

She mentions in the article that some men really have a fetish for older women. I've been in several legal Nevada brothels (never paid for sex though) and the older prostitutes will pitch themselves by presenting themselves as the older woman you've always dreamed about.
Helen Mirren still looks great, by the way. I'd pay to have sex with her. Same for Susan Sarandon. :-)
An older guy with a sweet young thing might look like a guy who's paying to have a woman with him. But a guy with a classy older woman looks like he actually snagged a date.
Cyberwhoremongers is a website that lets people ask questions and post reviews of specific prostitutes in legal Nevada brothels. If anyone's interested, they might want to continue there.
posted by stevefromsparks at 5:19 PM on November 7, 2002

I think I agree with you: "Good for her! But isn't that a sad and scary way to make a living." As for attractive women, I have studied that topic for many years, from many angles, and cannot escape the conclusion that all women (or men) are beautiful when viewed by those that know and love them. If I was married to a supermodel, I don't think I would be stunned by her looks everyday. And if the love is lost, not even a supermodel's physical attributes are enough to make up for it. I heard a phrase from my friend Atsushi at my wedding party, I don't know where it comes from, but he said "You don't love her because she's beautiful, she's beautiful because you love her." Very true.
BTW, that guy in the art with the story is begging to be slapped with the "I threw up" Photoshop.
posted by planetkyoto at 5:20 PM on November 7, 2002

I wish she wasn't so vague. She seems very removed, or maybe it's just the way she writes. But anyone with any imagination would describe contemporary non-street sex work that way. "Some of the guys are nice, some of them need a little help, one was a little creepy." Well, sure.

And has she told her daughters? Not that it matters, of course: she's an adult, I'd just really like to know what they said.

Bully for her anyway.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 5:27 PM on November 7, 2002

As someone whose grandfather often visited a certain chicken ranch in Texas, I can tell you that most of the employees there were considerably older than how they've been portrayed on stage and screen.

As well as considerably more corn-fed.

But it was always, always, a popular place.

I'm just sayin'.
posted by WolfDaddy at 5:28 PM on November 7, 2002

If it works for you, fine. Give me a hard bondied 20-year-old everytime. I want someone that old I will pay mom.
posted by Postroad at 5:43 PM on November 7, 2002

as condour75 alluded, it's the advancing age of the baby boomers.
posted by quonsar at 5:44 PM on November 7, 2002

Many women prefer to be with an older man and thus make the mistake men would like to be with an older woman but its not true guys like younger gals as a rule.

The problem I have with this article is she sugar coats prostitution. If your paying someone for sex, your using them for sex and they are in turn using you for money, your an ATM machine doesnt matter who you are her job is to make you feel important -- for an hour. Which is fine so long as both partys agree and understand but I dont think she understands the rules of the game from this article she thinks shes diffrent and really cares about her clients. How many start off that way and end up years later used and abused by the realities of the business and shes 55 not exactly able to bounce back as quick as a 20 year old.
posted by stbalbach at 6:13 PM on November 7, 2002

are (much) older women really more attractive nowadays

In a word... No. In two: GOD NO! Besides, my TV tells me that anorexic strumpets are what I want and, by God, that's what I'll get.

Besides, I wouldn't wanna give the 'ol lady a heart attack when I drop my trousers. ;)
posted by Dark Messiah at 6:20 PM on November 7, 2002

Hmmm. I must say the older woman, younger man thing is very close to my heart; the significant other is eleven years younger. And this must not be too rare because my best friend from high school married a man 8 years her junior and my brother lived with a woman 10 years older until very recently.

I've kicked around several theories but never came to any conclusions.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:21 PM on November 7, 2002

Hey Postroad - weren't you just saying that you are 70? Haha, give me those hard-bodies 20 year old guys anyday - if I want someone that old, it's gonna be a sugar daddy.

Actually, age ain't my criteria. I'm just saying.
posted by madamjujujive at 6:27 PM on November 7, 2002 [1 favorite]

"I wouldn't wanna give the 'ol lady a heart attack when I drop my trousers."

(insert snarky remark involving bifocals or magnifying glass here)

I find that the older I get, the more attractive the older ladies get.

Now, to hunt down that English teacher I had such a thing for in high school. She ought to be about 55 now.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:35 PM on November 7, 2002

Not only hard-bodied, madamjujujive - Postroad wants hard bondied. It's not enough they're 20 - they also have to be Australian. ;)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 6:39 PM on November 7, 2002

Here is story that does not sugar coat prostitution in any way. It is an interview with an ex-drug addict who resorted to prostitution to feed her habit and stay alive. I read it about a year ago and it is something I can't forget. Though I am not completely convinced that it is not made up.
posted by Recockulous at 6:42 PM on November 7, 2002

Sorry for the spelling errors :)
posted by Recockulous at 6:43 PM on November 7, 2002

Give me a hard bondied 20-year-old everytime. I want someone that old I will pay mom.

Two hands on the keyboard please...
posted by inpHilltr8r at 6:49 PM on November 7, 2002

Many women prefer to be with an older man and thus make the mistake men would like to be with an older woman but its not true guys like younger gals as a rule.

I'm 36 and and a significant number of younger guys have expressed interest - in fact, I seem much more popular than I was when I was 20. And my current S.O. is 6 years younger than I am at 30. Just my personal experience.
posted by moonvine at 6:52 PM on November 7, 2002

Hey Miguel, I didn't notice that at all!
Maybe he was referring to these Bondi Beach Babes then - ya think?
posted by madamjujujive at 6:58 PM on November 7, 2002

The one on the left, definitely.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 7:07 PM on November 7, 2002

If you want some real entertainment/insights into the industry, I recommend reading the 'Punter Reviews' at http://www.punternet.com/ where 'punters' review their experiences with their escorts. Some are very funny *g*

About the older woman/younger man thing, I'm 21 and being with a woman in her late 20s or early 30s wouldn't bother me, although I'm not about to start ogling 40 year olds ;-) I can say this because there are a lot of 30 year olds I find attractive, you can take the female casts of Ally McBeal and Friends for starters.

Lastly, girls in their 20s are often woefully immature, so perhaps the older ladies is where it's really at.
posted by wackybrit at 7:38 PM on November 7, 2002

Here is story that does not sugar coat prostitution in any way...

That is quite the story.... makes me want to find one of these houses and see if I could get a girl out of there, even though I know it ain't the walls holding them there...

Still, it seems like it's far more a condemnation of drug abuse than it is any kind of sex trade.... and I'm a little bit surprised that there are few people in this thread feeling a little squeamish about the article. I'm happy for the lady that she feels liberated and womanly... but sex is some serious stuff, a powerful experience, and I doubt this sort of thing would gel with me. I tend to subscribe to the idea that everything has a gross, subtle, and supreme meaning....
posted by namespan at 7:53 PM on November 7, 2002

moonvine, see this is what Im saying most women have a hard time understanding men in this regard and point out exceptions or examples. 36 can still look very young on many women and isnt really old and a 6 year diffrence in age isnt much.
posted by stbalbach at 7:56 PM on November 7, 2002

"My mind was wide open to possibility."

And, obviously, her orifices as well.
posted by semmi at 8:02 PM on November 7, 2002

The problem I have with this article is she sugar coats prostitution. If your paying someone for sex, your using them for sex and they are in turn using you for money, your an ATM machine doesnt matter who you are...

People are just full of weird sex wiring. Of course it doesn't matter (to some extent) who you are - it's just business, and business must be impersonal to a large extent. This is true, however, for any profession. Your employer "uses" you for whatever purpose you're being paid for, and you "use" them for money. Welcome to capitalism, little brother.

I have a couple of female friends who have been, or are now in the "escort" business. They are not the fucked-up drug addict whores that most people seem to classify prostitutes as. They're just normal (more or less) women who have made a particular career choice. I've heard my share of stories, and I don't think it's that much more crazy than any other business I know of, as long as you can get past that whole "having sex with strangers and not minding" thing.

Like George Carlin said, "Selling is legal, and fucking is legal - so why isn't it legal to sell fucking?"

In other news, mmmm, older women. I had a 39 year old girlfriend when I was 21, and I say okay.

And, uh, the apostrophe is your friend.
posted by majcher at 8:23 PM on November 7, 2002

"Selling is legal, and fucking is legal - so why isn't it legal to sell fucking?"

Beat me to it!

I just want to add his little adendum of "giving someone an orgasm is hardly the worst thing you could do."

That man is my hero.
posted by Dark Messiah at 8:50 PM on November 7, 2002

I just wonder though what might happen in 10 years if this woman decides she wants company on a more regular and reliable basis. I'd think one-hour relationships get old after a while. And with this, um, career choice, I'd think the number of eligible bachelors interested in anything long-term would be relatively few. But then maybe I'm just a prude.
posted by kgasmart at 8:24 AM on November 8, 2002

My wife is eight years older and I'm a very happy man.
posted by languagehat at 8:42 AM on November 8, 2002

Well I'll forget about my arthritis, my backache, my lumbago
That young man makes me tango at the horizontal disco
I'm cleaning out my closet, I'm no longer sentimental
Forget about experience, I'd rather have potential
A young man to drive away my middle-age blues

An old woman don't yell
An old woman don't tell
An old woman don't swell
And she's grateful as hell
I need a young, young man,
I need a young, young man,
I need a young, young man, to drive away my middle-age blues

Saffire - Give Me A Young Man
posted by gottabefunky at 8:44 AM on November 8, 2002 [1 favorite]

gottabefunky, I consdidered posting the same lyrics, haha. Saffire rocks, aren't they hilarious and cool? Love their songs "Silver Beaver" and "Bitch with a Bad Attitude" too. And beyond these fun songs, they do a lot of serious blues too, and a lot to keep the work of bygone blues divas alive.
posted by madamjujujive at 11:53 AM on November 8, 2002