examples of misogyny permeating our culture, demonstrated by the bloke pouring hot coffee on his head.

[UnDeuxTroisCatsSank]

I read this article about a homeless man who accepted $5 from an arrogant shit in exchange for pouring hot coffee over his head. And the arrogant shit filmed it on his phone, presumably for "fun".

The homeless man, Ronald Leggatt, explained later he was desperate for the money and so willing to take the burns from the hot coffee.

Shocking and appalling behavior from the arrogant shit.

There's a happier ending in that someone overheard the whole thing, confronted the shit and then tried to make things better for Mr. Leggatt, including paying for him to get into a shelter during Hurricane Jonas and getting him some clothes from Walmart.

But this whole sorry story got me thinking. About the parallels with prostitution. Hang on, bear with me.

I just thought that most people would be appalled by the story of Mr Leggatt and empathize with his desperation to get $5 and yet when women are desperate, penniless, just surviving in dire financial straits and ready to do something, anything even though it will cause them harm such as sell their bodies, I don't see good Samaritans rushing to buy them clothes in Walmart and checking them into hostels for the night.

I think many people feel that people working as prostitutes are (a) willing and (b) maybe even like it. Never considering what desperation can make a person do.

Mr Leggatt was desperate and acted in a way that most people would never do.
Many prostituted women are desperate and act in a way that many people would never do.

One is understood and receives empathy, the other not only accepted but vilified, judged and othered.

Just thoughts about the misogyny that permeates our culture.

(And I hope Mr Leggatt gets medical help and support, because he does sound desperate, poor bloke.)

I suppose it comes down to either thinking it's fine to hire a body for sex or it isn't.

Is it only black or white? I am not 'fine' with prostitution or a lot of other things in society, like alcohol, tobacco, abortion, guns, religion, etc. Many things I accept should be allowed to exist in different frameworks for fundamentally different reasons, independent of whether I find them personally distasteful or not. The view that prostitution harms society at large was raised, and I asked how. Your reply was about life inside a NZ brothel but I cant see a wide social context in that.

You cannot seriously be comparing prostitution with women wanting to enter 3 respected and worthwhile professions ?

Someone put forward the idea that paid for sex cannot happen without harm. I did not even disagree with that, I asked why choosing to do something with potential hazard invalidated choice. What you reference seems more about respect validating hazardous choice.

"Is it only black or white?"

Yes.

Your reply was about life inside a NZ brothel but I cant see a wide social context in that.

The wide social context is the attitudes expressed - that women are reduced to bodies to be bought.

Have you watched the videos in the Scottish thread?