Why is the BBC Promoting Sex Work?

@Butters0123 Great post along the lines of what I wanted to say but these threads make me so angry. ( I am an escort, prostitute, hooker whore whatever we are being called these days)

Sex work is work although not like most other jobs, but then neither is being a stunt man/woman or a formula one driver or driving the Alaskan ice roads.

There are problems with the industry certainly, largely but not entirely due to its illegality (in some areas) and the low esteem sex workers are held, not least by feminists who wish to shut down the sex industry to protect the women involved (never the men) who they believe to be helpless victims of exploitation.

It is a (no doubt sincere but) very patronising and paternalistic position from people who cannot imagine being sex workers under any circumstances themselves so assume that all women must think the same way as they do and be forced into the industry by poverty or more direct exploitation. It involves them ignoring the wishes of sex workers themselves and dismissing their contrary views as coming from the 'pimp lobby'.

Wow, I take it all you experts know people who.work in the industry & have first hand experience or do you just form your opinions based on?????

Lol, weetos got autocucumbered to cheetos there...

I'm sorry, but as much as I'd love to have a conversation about the merits of men's orgasms, does anyone else get the impression cheetos might be being paid for more than just pics, given the amount of times they are writing a brand name starting with O?

Should the job center make you be a prostitute?
If you think no, then you accept that "sex work" is not real work

If it’s not good enough for my daughter, it shouldn’t be good enough for anyone’s daughter

That sums it up perfectly.

I'm sure being paid to take your clothes off is a fast track to getting an inflated ego and lots of self esteem. It all depends on your feelings around your own body and whether it bothers you that others have seen it I guess.

According to the women who do it, being paid to take your clothes off is dehumanizing and results in low self esteem.

Who you gonna believe? The exploiters or the exploited?

I don't see the BBC as promoting this, they are just reporting it. We know it goes on and surely better that it is out in the open, when things are buried all sorts of abuse can occur.

£20,000 in a month? Blimey.

Excuse my ignorance but is feminism not all about choosing what you want to do in life and being unapologetic about your body and what you want to do with it?

No, it isn't. Feminism is the political movement for the liberation of women. Rape torture and abuse of women in pornstitution is high on the list of things Feminism is committed to liberating women from.

The BBC appears to be committed to spreading the COVID 19 virus through their advertising efforts.

You cannot just limit it to the feelings of one individual. There are wider societal implications in normalising commercialisation of sex and bodies.

Hmm @DidoLamenting I'm sure that is the case some of the time.
That is a worse case scenario. I'm sure being paid to take your clothes off is a fast track to getting an inflated ego and lots of self esteem. It all depends on your feelings around your own body and whether it bothers you that others have seen it I guess.

I am getting a little confused as to why a woman is looked down upon for choosing to do Onlyfans when she signs up and consents etc but as you've explained it's completely different situations (not always of course)

You are a little confused if you think any one here is "looking down" on women.

The "looking down on" part however is at the very heart of the sex "industry". "Looking down" on women is as much a part of it as looking at women.

@DidoLamenting I will definitely have a read at the study! Thanks.

I wonder if Onlyfans are at least telling women about the link between mental health and selling images etc Or at least giving a space where they can contact someone for advice/help.

I am going to investigate.

How is it damaging to the wellbeing of society? An Onlyfans account is a frivolous way to spend money for millions of people! If women do so well on it there is obviously a healthy market

Objectification. Lack of self esteem. Being paid to have a lack self- esteem. Thinking/ fooling yourself? "I'm being paid to take my clothes off because I'm beautiful and sexy" - the person paying thinks "tart/ slut/ what else can pay her to do- how far can I push this"

I always find it interesting when this topic comes up that we are almost without fail discussing women being sold and how thats ok because "sex work is work" (I know that's not the prevailing view on here!).

No one ever comes on and says straight men should be getting out there selling their bodies more, it's just a job isn't it? Maybe they could let other men have sex with them since it's not about wanting to actually have sex with anyone it's just getting on with your work. Wonder why this is?

I'm going to start some what aboutery for all the poor men who could be doing important sex work but for some reason 🤔 don't seem to be.

@heyduggee I see what you mean yes. Thank you! Thanks for explaining. I know it sounds silly but, I never thought about how the prostitute HAD to have sex because of a financial situation. I understand now why it's a problem.

I think as @PlanDeRaccordement has said Onlyfans is just selling images so I am getting a little confused as to why a woman is looked down upon for choosing to do Onlyfans when she signs up and consents etc but as you've explained it's completely different situations (not always of course).

I don't see how this affects physical or mental health for a willing account owner

This is something which has been discussed. You are dealing with the thin edge of the wedge here. You are assuming that a person selling themselves in this way is not at risk because there is no physical contact. I don't think that is true. I think someone posted a link recently to studies showing the risks to mental health were considerable.

@wheetos, the only reason that a woman who is being used as a prostitute is with a "John" is because of the money.
She cannot give her consent to have sex with whomever she chooses because her survival depends on it. Therefore it is rape as she is not able to give consent.

Now, don't get confused and compare it with your job, which you would not do for free. Everyone does their job for the money as we all need money to live, right?

The difference is that a John is buying access to your body and would be prosecuted for sexual offences if he withheld payment.
Rape. Somehow it's ok if you pay the woman off, but it is still rape.

Much of what is called “sex work” today is not really sex work.
It’s sexy, but no sex is being sold and no one is getting actual sex for money.

Selling nude pictures is completely different from prostitution. It’s part of the normalisation campaign to make people think, oh it’s all the same “kind” of work. And if this “sex work” is alright, then all sex work must be alright. Just because everything sexy that is not selling sex is alright, it does not make actual prostitution alright.

Take advantage of those sad enough to pay for onlyfans or any sex site! I don't see how this is exploitation when she wants to do it?

That is one of the reasons I reject prostitution and the like as being work. And no , it has nothing to do with "men's feelings" , feeling sorry for men.

There is something repugnant about the idea of a "business model" which starts from the premise that its customer base are saddos to be exploited.

It's a dehumanising mindset and it's not a healthy mindset for either the seller or the vendor. Having looked at the websites where punters review prostitutes the dehumanisation and contempt clearly goes both ways. Selling sex is not good for the mental and physical health of those directly involved and it is not good for society as a whole.

Ofcourse there are very dark elements to sex work but, I can also say that about my job in commercials

I don't buy this justification for a minute. There are many, many jobs which are physically and mentally dangerous and taxing. We all know what they are. They are the jobs done to keep us all safe and provide a structure to society.

There are many, many jobs involving selling goods or services which cause no harm but which are merely frivolous and fun and which we don't really need, but life would be duller without them.

There are other jobs which are routine and mundane but keep society ticking.

The "sex trade" fails on all counts. It isn't needed; it's dangerous and exploitative and damaging to the wellbeing of society.