> I think for society to fully embrace decriminalization there needs to be a diversion mechanism.
Yes, let's make men who want to pay for sex watch an hour-long video extolling the virtues of "real" relationships.
The reality is that there are a lot of men who enter into "normal" relationships with women in large part because it gives them easier access to sex. Not all of them are happy. Lots of them overextend themselves financially, and generally do things they wouldn't otherwise do, to keep their girlfriends satisfied.
These are less direct exchanges, but they are exchanges nonetheless.
I'm living in East Asia, which has made me think more about the exchanges that take place in relationships between men and women. Here, it's common to see men with expressionless looks on their faces lugging their girlfriends' handbags, spending 20 minutes helping them take cutesy photos, pushing strollers carrying not children but tiny, professionally-groomed pups, etc.
As a warm-blooded man, you'd have a hard time convincing me that access to sex isn't a big reason these men are putting up with this stuff. Why do men who pay for sex need a diversion mechanism but the men who totally lose themselves in a relationship don't?
Arguably both do. I am well aware that both prostitution and 'real' relationships both exist on the same continuum of exchange. What I would like to see are long term studies on the outcomes in prostitution and non prostitution communities.
And then what? You're going to tell consenting adults what they're allowed to do based on some subjective analysis of these?
What happens if the men who pay directly for sex report shorter relationships and have lifespans 6 months shorter than men who don't, but they tell you they're happier? Or what happens if you discover that men who pay for sex while in relationships report longer relationships?
Why are you already bringing up disincentives? Your comments hint that you've already decided there is something inherently wrong with paying directly for sex. You're totally dismissing the possibility that research might very well find that prostitution is a net positive for individuals, and that most of the associated negatives are caused by its criminalization.
You're right, research could show that it's an unmitigated benefit and I would have to reevaluate my position. I cannot however live in the world of hypotheticals. My present understanding is based on existing information available.
Philosophically I am wary of the coercive power of money in relationships. The economy is misunderstood enough, I can't imagine the situation is better when it comes to intimacy markets. Can I coin the phrase Psychological economics?
I see parasocial relationships as something like a new virus that the human psyche has no immunity towards. People naturally think in emotional rather than transactional terms.
It's not hypothetical that prostitution is often called the world's oldest profession for a reason. Power dynamics that can seem unfair and might be abused exist in human relationships, like it or not, and have since time immemorial. Don't even look at the animal kingdom. It's not prettier.
Also, the relationship between an escort and a client is absolutely not a "parasocial relationship." You're abusing that term. Escorts and their clients have real relationships, even if you have a problem with the fact that they're based on transactional intimacy.
Yes, let's make men who want to pay for sex watch an hour-long video extolling the virtues of "real" relationships.
The reality is that there are a lot of men who enter into "normal" relationships with women in large part because it gives them easier access to sex. Not all of them are happy. Lots of them overextend themselves financially, and generally do things they wouldn't otherwise do, to keep their girlfriends satisfied.
These are less direct exchanges, but they are exchanges nonetheless.
I'm living in East Asia, which has made me think more about the exchanges that take place in relationships between men and women. Here, it's common to see men with expressionless looks on their faces lugging their girlfriends' handbags, spending 20 minutes helping them take cutesy photos, pushing strollers carrying not children but tiny, professionally-groomed pups, etc.
As a warm-blooded man, you'd have a hard time convincing me that access to sex isn't a big reason these men are putting up with this stuff. Why do men who pay for sex need a diversion mechanism but the men who totally lose themselves in a relationship don't?