Ideas behind prostitution

Very seldom do we realize the depths of the struggles that women undergo whether it is by choice, by force or both for that matter. After watching Lovelace, a movie based on Linda ‘Lovelace’ – a 1970s ‘porn star’ – I began to question the ideas behind ‘porn stars’ and prostitutes. Is there much of a difference between the two? Linda ‘Lovelace’ was coerced by her spouse to perform sexual acts. He ended up not only exploiting but also abusing her. He made her an easily accessible sexual object for any (and every) man.  This story-line is often similar to that of a prostitute. This made me question the idea of prostitution and the ideas behind the idea of prostitution. If facts had to be faced with regards to the pornography industry, can it not be described as a form of prostitution regardless of how many dollars are donated to disguise it?

The Oxford Dictionary defines prostitution as the following: ‘[a] woman who hires herself or is hired to men for sexual intercourse’ and according to the Merriam-Webster definition, ‘the act or practice of engaging in promiscuous sexual relations especially for money’. The first definition specifically points out the obvious when one refers to prostitution: a woman. It is therefore easy to throw judgments at a young woman with wrinkled skin, a bad weave and an outfit which reveals the filth that she has become but covers just enough of the dignity that she has left. One wonders how she still manages to stand at a corner of a dodgy street, night and day, hoping that any car will stop so her worth can be discussed based on her abilities to perform various sexual deeds.

On the other hand, when one looks at someone like Holly from the Playboy Mansiona woman who has probably had numerous plastic surgeries, botox and so forth in order to look like Marilyn Monroe’s twin sister- what is seen is a facade of glitter, gold and an old man (Hugh Hefner) who has made a fortune out of  blonde (sometimes brunette) women! Whatever the case, there is some sort of force behind this idea of prostitution. It may come from a personal or a universal fear of poverty,  a need for economic advancement or something else depending on various arguments. But what many fail to see is the fear that forces a woman to behave as though she is not on the verge of destruction and that she was born to exist within the limitations of the existence of the idea of  ‘sexual liberty’. Does sexual liberty account for sexual exploitation by a boyfriend or a pornographic industry? How ‘free’ is a woman or anyone for that matter when there are forces from left, right and center which are on a mission to enforce some form of control? Freedom has limits – even sexual freedom.

Therefore prostitution is sexual labor but when a woman ‘sells’ her body to make ends meet, one ought to question the force behind this idea. Ultimately, what exactly is being sold? And most importantly, who is really doing the selling? All roads seem to lead to fear of lack of gain and a need to stay alive. But what else could drive a person to use sex to put food on the table? Where do these ideas behind sexual intercourse as a means for survival and stability come from?

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  1. I would like to differ with you on several accounts, one you say the dictionary definition of prstitute is a woman who hires herself or her abilities, and I have a definition that: a woman who exchanges sexual intercourse or sexual talents and abilities for money or gain, therefore this woman has not sold herself she has rendered a service and is being paid for it. The second issue where you stress that this is force I would want to argue that that is not true because I know and have testimonials of people who claim to have been frced into prostitution by cercumstances and listening to their stories one that they have always had a choice even if those choices were limited there was always a choice. A week ago the Commission for Gender Equality in South Africa came out with their position on prostition with the support for decriminalisation and the same arguement by a prostitute who was present she said: I did not choose I used to work at a farm in stellenboch earning R35 a day, my friend told me about this and i came and did this to earn more money. She had a choice although her choices were limited she still chose to do prostitution. When you speak of people being forced, exploited and abused that then becomes a different thing from prostitution it now becomes trafficking and other assaults but not prostitution which we sometimes call sex work.

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