Inspired by the article, I began to wonder if I knew anyone who may be a sugar baby, or would consider being one. My friends and I are generally middle to upper middle class with college degrees, and many of us have, at the very least, student loan debt. None of us ever talked about finances in college, but once we graduated, it became a lot more common for us to occasionally freak out about the debt that we’ll eventually have to pay back (yay for deferment options!). I couldn’t think of anyone I know who would seriously take up being a sugar baby, and a huge part of that has to do with our privilege. We come from middle to upper class households. We have parents who are able to support us while we’re still trying to stand on our own feet. We know we’ll never have to starve, that we’ll always have a home to go to.

But not everyone has access to familial support. Whether their parents can’t afford it, or refuse to, some women are left with extremely  limited options. And I can understand the temptation to go into sex work, when you’re wondering how you can pay your rent, let alone any kind of other debt. One of the most common responses to that sentiment is to get a more respectable job. To work as many jobs as possible to make ends meet. But on a purely economical standpoint, sex work is incredibly effective. Let’s say you’re working 60 hours a week at a slightly above minimum wage job, say, $8.00. Pre-tax, that’s $480. Whereas in a sugar daddy/sugar baby relationship, one could easily receive $300 for two hours of work. Theoretically, the choice seems rather obvious. But our society has decided to deem sex work as completely amoral and disgusting. Whether this is because of a general proclivity towards slut shaming and misogyny, or a Puritanical religious bias could be debated for ever, the truth remains that women who engage in sex work are overwhelmingly seen as dirty and worthy of scorn and disgust.

I can’t help but feel immense sympathy for these women. Sex work is difficult. It offers no security. The risks are great. The stigma attached would make it so difficult for a woman to turn to most people for support. I know that there are some women who go into sex work completely by choice. They do it to have access to lavish shopping sprees, to an extravagant lifestyle filled with unnecessary luxuries, not because they need to scrape by. And I don’t even see the point in harshly judging these women. If they want to get paid to spread their legs, that’s their prerogative. As I’ve said before, I don’t find slut shaming to be acceptable in any context.

Yet the discussion rarely turns to putting the focus on the men who choose to buy sex. Especially in the case of older men paying younger for sex, the exploitation here is so blatant. Men are the reason why sex work continues to exist and thrive. They are the overwhelming majority of consumers. Why don’t men receive the same scrutiny and disgust that the women do? Is it because they are the ones holding the privilege and the power? I find the dynamics of sex work, the intersection of gender and class and the fact that the majority of sugar babies are under 25, to be far more interesting than the knee-jerk reaction that “girls who have sex for money are dirty whores.”

But what do you think? Is it ever acceptable to have sex for money? How would you react if one of your friends told you she was a sugar baby? What are feasible alternatives to paying for overwhelming expenses?

Sorority house. Not whore house.

As college students, we are constantly inundated with new knowledge. It can be useful, thought-provoking, or crammed into our head on a Starbucks-fueled binge several hours before an exam. However, very rarely do we question the validity of all this new knowledge (unless you take philosophy classes, then you’ll question away).

That’s where College Candy comes in. We’re not going to debate whether or not the Theory of Relativity actually exists (a disappointment, I know, but I’m a communications major and stopped taking science classes after Baby Bio fresh year). However, we are here to thoroughly investigate the most widespread college knowledge (no, not rhyming)—the myth.

Recently, a good friend of mine came to visit me at escuela. When she got here, we screamed and squealed and moved all of her bags upstairs into my room. We chatted and caught up for a while, before I offered to give her a tour of my place.

I adore giving house tours, because the place where I live is so much more than my home—it’s my sorority house. I love showing friends and family all the beautiful details of our old Southern mansion, pointing out hidden symbols and telling the histories behind everything that decorates the house.  My guests are usually very interested and complimentary, so I was kind of bummed when I realized my bestie was being super quiet (and not in the “I’m-so-jealous-you-don’t-have-to-cook-or-clean” kind of way).

When I asked her what was up, she sighed and told me that she’d always wanted to live in a sorority house, but unfortunately the city where her campus was located strictly forbade her chapter from having one. “Why the anti-Panhellenic attitude?” I asked. To which she replied, as thousands of collegiates before her have, “Well, under city law, any more than 5 women living under the same house is considered a brothel.”

Whaaaat?! Brothel? Huh?!

Seriously, all those movies and books have it wrong. No, Sorority Row, we do not throw giant foam parties in our formal sitting room (my House Mom would spontaneously combust). Sorry, Alexandra Robbins, we are not having “naked parties,” and not all of sorority housing is glamorous (I’m a 21 year old woman who sleeps in a bunk bed). Hell, we aren’t even allowed to have guys upstairs (ever)! How the hell could a sorority house, or for that matter, any female dwelling be considered a brothel based solely on the number of its occupants with vaginas? I decided to investigate.

Turns out, this rumor has been circulating for quite some time. Richard Roeper commented in the Chicago Sun Times that it was “the most widespread piece of university folklore making the rounds.” That was in 1994, and not much has changed.

According to Snopes, the myth probably originated due to confusion and misinterpretation of “Blue Laws” and zoning restrictions.  “Some municipalities do indeed have zoning laws prohibiting more than a specified number of non-family members (male or female) from living together, but not even in those cases would a household in violation of those codes be labeled a brothel.”

More importantly, any law that stated such doesn’t apply to fraternity, sorority, or any other form of intentionally communal living. So, good news for my friend (if she wants to contact her national headquarters and start some hardcore fundraising), sororities (and fraternities, and non-Greeks alike) can indeed all live happily together under one roof without the city labeling them as prostitutes.

Unless, of course, they are exchanging sex for money. That might be a problem.

Sue Smith a 36-year-old woman from Oklahoma, agreed to accept a box of Frito-Lay chips in exchange for oral sex. John Faron Johnson, a Frito-Lay employee who participated in this trade, didn’t have money but she agreed to do the deed anyway, as long as she got her hands on those chips. I mean, pretty sweet deal on John’s part, but a BJ for some corn chips!?

I hope she enjoyed those things, because Sue was ordered to pay a $1,142 fine as a result of a prostitution charge. Yes, BJs for chips is considered prostitution.

Sue got me thinking. I can tell you one thing for sure, although I am a fan of those Frito-Lays (bbq are the BEST) I would not trade sex for them. Here are some things that I’d say would make a fair deal.

A day at the spa
It’s difficult to splurge on things these days with our not-so-hot economy, especially when it comes to things like manicures and pedicures. You feel stupid for wasting all that money when you can paint your own nails at home. So yeah, if someone were to give me an entire day at the spa with a manicure, pedicure, massage, and facial all included, I’d totally be down (pun intended).

A Handbag
I’d find a Marc Jacobs employee instead of a Frito-Lay one, and get a gorgeous bag to replace my fake Coach.

Concert Tickets
If you aren’t willing to sit online for hours hoping to get decent seats, travel to another city, or spend an unnecessary amount of money, it’s not easy to see your favorite rock stars live. So, since I didn’t win the No Doubt tickets, I’d say front row seats would be fair game. (And backstage passes if the guy had lots of back hair.)

A Vacation
11 minutes and a fake O for a trip to Europe? I’m in!

What, if anything, would you trade?

S&M Barbie…definitely not for kids.

Perfect gift for that friend that tweezes way too much!

DIY gifts for the wonderful men in your life!

Amazing new skincare from Asia!

Selena Gomez looks absolutely adorable in this outfit, and so can you!

Smart guys have better sperm, ladies!

Zac and Vanessa lookin to have some freaky sex!

Pam’s ass like you’ve never seen it before..and probably don’t want to.

Hottest bikini bods of ’08…I need to go to the gym.

Michigan professor pays (law) student for sex. And he likes it naughty…

Some people are fortunate enough to have everything covered, but those college students who are on their own are forced to seek employment on or around campus. Usually for minimum wage.

I watched many friends as they sat in class all morning, in the library all afternoon and at their crappy work-study jobs all night, every night. They missed out on bonding time, parties and even student groups on campus, and still barely had enough money to get by. I know that college is all about learning, but it sucks to miss out on the rest of college life. There is a lot to be learned outside the classroom (like your drinking limit!).

But what if there were a better option? What if someone could make enough money to get by without sitting at the check-out desk of the library 6 nights a week? What if you could make enough money to learn and enjoy college without spending game-days serving burgers to drunk students?

It’s as easy as getting a sugar-daddy.

Melissa Beech, tired of working retail and waiting tables, did just that. “During my job hunt, I met a potential employer. He was in his early thirties, single and successful. He didn’t hire me, but he did suggest a position that seemed perfectly suited to my attributes and skills: he proposed that he become my benefactor.”

Some people consider Melissa’s “job” to be prostituion, but she doesn’t agree; I call it a ‘mutually beneficial arrangement’ that pays for my killer wardrobe.”

What do you think? Is this the answer we have all been looking for, or is this simply a real-life Pretty Woman?

Sex, after all, is supposed to be about love and expressing that love with a very special someone.

Or, at least, it should be free.

But it seems that maybe this whole “trading sex for something” thing is actually innate in all of us. A at the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) revealed that many people – including those from affluent backgrounds – were willing to (and already had!) trade sex for a good or service.

The results shocked many. Why would someone who has everything – and the means to get anything they needed – reduce themselves to bartering with their loins? I am no Psychologist (even if I did minor in Psych at UofM), so I won’t even attempt to answer that. Instead, I pondered the many things I would give it up for.

Ketel One – Such a lovely vodka; it gives me the best drunk. And it’s expensive.

A Cleaning Lady…er…Man: Seriously, I would do just about anything to get my tub sparkling.

A Miu Miu Bag – What can I say? I love it.

A Diane Von Furstenberg Dress – I’m a slave for fashion. I can’t help it if I’d rather roll around in a random bed (or bathroom) than fork over the $500 for one of these beauties.

Free cabs home from the bar – Wait. I already do this.

A Delicious Meal – A little love for some Lobster? Count me in. I really love to eat. What can I say?

A trip to Europe – Italy is so romantic. I could totally fake the romance to get there.

An ‘A’ – Let’s be honest; this would definitely be a more enjoyable all-nighter.

A job – Probably the most fun way to get to the top.

An Oreo milkshake at Potbelly – They are that. good.

Free Cable and Internet: Comcast/RCN kills me every month. How bad would it be to have a monthly booty call for free HBO? Sounds almost perfect.

To Move Me: Moving trucks get expensive and God knows how much I hate packing. I would even give it up to one of the burly movers (after downing a bottle of Ketel One, of course)

It’s nature, ladies. Don’t fight it. What would you do?

At 2:30 pm on June 28th, 20 year old Kazakh model, Ruslana Korshunova, fell from the balcony of her Manhattan 9th floor apartment to her death. Police ruled that her death was an apparent suicide after finding no signs of a struggle in her apartment. Case closed.But the media is refusing to be satisfied, and with good reason — there was no note, and, according to her friends, she seemed to be “on top of the world”.

Hmmmm…. no note, in good spirits… maybe she was “done in”– oh oh oh! By the Russian Mob! Of course! Everyone knows that whenever a beautiful Russian (or former Soviet) bites the dust, the Russian Mob are the culprits. I mean look at “From Russia with Love”, “Eastern Promises”, and of course xXx. Sigh… if only Sean Connery, Vigo Mortenson, or Vin Diesel were on the investigation team.

Luckily the bloggers of Riveronmirror, stepped up to the plate.

Riveronmirror states that the Russian mob has been placing Eastern European and Slavic women in spotlight positions in the fashion industry to fuel a global desire for women bearing these types of features. This global desire, in turn, increases the demand for Slavic models, wives, and escorts—all of who are, apparently, controlled by the mob.

Riveronmirror argues that,

“There is a strong flood of speculation relating to the possibility that Ruslana Kurshanova wanted to end [her] contract (with whomever she REALLY was working for) and this (teenage-model flesh-peddling) organization used her as an exemplary point.

The deepest undertone of this case has to do with the explotaition of images in order to produce an effect that is channeled to the benefit of a few enthroed media wizards.”

The bloggers then defend themselves from mounting criticism noting that they aren’t saying that Korshunova was engaged in prostitution, nor are they even saying that her death wasn’t a suicide.

But… (there’s always a but right?)

“We have noticed there are more strange cases of Eastern European models dying under mysterious situations and will publish soon more evidence as our contact in Moscow, Vasily, sends us his report. Meanwhile we will be investigating in New York.”

I would like to put forth my own conspiracy theory: Since they went public with this theory, RiveronMirror’s blog has attracted the attention of international media outlets—from the LA Times to the UK Telegraph. Bloggers make money from site traffic. Hmmmmmmm…. could it be that the good people of RiveronMirror saw an opportunity to catapult their site beyond the gossip mill?

It certainly is interesting that they suddenly have a source in Moscow…

I guess we’ll just have to see how this pans out. Either way, this story is still a sad, sad mystery.

[Update: According to the New York Daily News, Korshunova was in financial trouble and depressed over being in love with a married man at the time of her death. The Daily News interviewed her life coach, Vladislav Novgorodtsev, who revealed that she had attempted suicide in the past and had been incredibly unhappy. Riveronmirror, however, maintains, that reports such as this are "exactly what the Russsian Mafia wants to hear."]

I think the theory has several holes in it, both scientific and moral.

One of the article’s arguments was centered on the findings of paternity tests given to animals: Evidently, even animals that supposedly mate for life have been found to be unfaithful. How do scientists know this? Because paternity tests show the children in the nest don’t always belong to the male.

The biggest flaw I see in this argument is that it says nothing about having followed the animals around for several months prior to the paternity test. If you are going to accuse a female of sleeping around, you have to have some proof other than a failed paternity test, right? I mean, if promiscuity can exist in nature, then what’s to say rape isn’t a possibility as well?

The article also argues that certain species have mating rituals equivalent to paying for sex. It then goes on to cite a type of male bird that gives females (other than his mate) treats, apparently in the hopes of getting laid: The bigger his offering, the more likely he’ll get some. Another example was macaque (a type of primate) culture: Although all macaques groom one another, it was once again assumed that the males are looking for sex, whereas the females are doing it for social and maternal reasons.

Good grief. Does the macaque theory sound to anyone else like exactly the type of attitude that feminists tried to do away with in the 70s? I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time we had some younger, female scientists running this show!

All feminist rants aside, this argument also seems to me like a stretch of the imagination (or simply another bastardization by the media — they are awfully good at reporting studies inaccurately and making generalizations that the research doesn’t support). As intriguing as these cases may be, they don’t sound like prostitution. The first case — with the birds and the food offerings — sounds more like the notion that if your date buys you dinner, you are expected to put out.

The second case — the male monkeys grooming the females — reminds me of how backrubs seem to usually lead to sex. Maybe macaques have similar jokes in their culture as we do in ours:

First macaque: Do you know what 90 percent of grooming sessions lead to?

Second macaque: Sex!

First macaque: No…cleaner fur.

I could go on. But the biggest reason that this entire theory pisses me off is because most of the time, people are trying to justify why we’re not like animals! The arguments are many:

• We use tools. (Not true — many primates and other species also fashion tools from their surroundings.)
• We are capable of language. (So are other animals. A Colorado college professor has identified more than 100 different sounds that prairie dogs use in various combinations to mean different things.)
• We create civilizations. (We’re hardly the only ones. Prairie dogs, wolves, primates, and tons of other animals build very complex societies.)
• We are capable of love. (I don’t think that emotions and love are exclusive to humans, but how exactly do you prove this one, either way?)
• We are capable of thinking about our surroundings. (Anyone who has ever worked with or owned a rescued animal knows this isn’t necessarily unique to us, either.)
• It says so in the Bible. (This argument might work if you’re Christian, but I’m not and this is my blog post, so I say it doesn’t.)

I find it amazing that as soon as being just like animals suits us (“Nature made me do it, honey”), suddenly the media forgets all about the supposed “proof” that we’re better than animals. However, I can’t help but wonder why people don’t see this as a perfect opportunity to highlight a possible difference between us and animals: the ability to perceive the difference between right and wrong.

Being single for a while can make a girl think that hoping over a few states to visit an all-male brothel would be an awesome way to spend spring break.

Heidi Fleiss, the “Hollywood Madam” who’s had her share of legal woes and national media attention, is in the process of opening her new “Stud Farm” brothel in Nevada, a place purely for women and their fantasies.

“This establishment will hire men to service women” StudFarm’s website claims. “There will be no male to male sexual services offered.”

“We will hire 20 men and 10 on stand-by,” continues the information. “Lady customers will be charged $250.00 an hour that will be split 50-50 to the house. Men will be able to keep all tips. They will be charged a weekly rate for a housekeeper, room, board, and food. Weekly tests for STDS and HIV are mandatory. Employees will register for a work card with the sheriff’s department.”

Prostitution is legal in Nevada, and it seems like Fleiss is determined to do it right. So intent is she on finding the world’s best pieces of well bread man-meat, she’s even offering Employment Opportunities on her website.

Apply online to be a male prostitute, and spend your days lounging in the sun, acting as a boy-toy for rich women.

I mean, life could be worse.

While I think I’ll plead the 5th when it comes to my opinion of people having sex for money, I will say the idea of someone acknowledging the fact that chicks might enjoy made-to-order escorts just as much as men is an interesting step for the feminist revolution.

Also, when was a hot guy who will do whatever you ask a bad thing?

Not surprising that this is going on all the time, since Craigslist is free, available to everyone 24/7, immensely popular, constantly changing up its listings and crawling with creepy people.

Becoming a hooker is getting easier, thanks to growing technology and the Internet and the fact that hookers are learning how to use it. Hookers are getting smarter! Noooo!

The NY Times reports 70 prostitution arrests in one town alone over the past year, (Nassau County is freaky!) and the story of eight women who traveled to Nassau from all over the country to make some money the hard way. Literally.

Here’s a recent interview with the College Callgirl herself, and it’s pretty interesting. Some highlights:

How often do you use Craigslist to find clients?

I posted ads in the Erotic Services several times a week. My first ad was something like “College girl needs rent help.” I basically said I wasn’t a pro and I wasn’t a supermodel—just a cute, regular girl willing to utilize her talents in exchange for a donation to her “college fund.” Most of those ads [up there] are escort agencies, so I got tons of responses. I’ve also used it as a sex delivery service when I was looking to fulfill a specific fantasy or just too lazy to leave the house.

Would you have gotten into prostitution without Craigslist?

No chance. I don’t have the body for a high-end escort service or at least wouldn’t have had the confidence to approach one. Craigslist just made it so easy.

She also goes on to mention digital pimps, which are always fun.

So, I decided to do a little research and see if I could find some of these skeevy Craigslist ads that hint to sex and money and getting money for sex. New York was too obvious, so I picked an obscure city. (St. Paul Minnesota is freaky, too!) I kid you not, the first post I clicked on said this:

“I am NOT a Golddigger but money is scarce lately so I am looking for someone who has no problem paying when we go out to do things. Plus if you want to buy things or pay some bills that is a nice bonus but not a necessity my any means.

So if you are CHEAP then please don’t contact me.

Again, I am not a Golddigger and not looking for a Sugar Daddy.”

Haha!

I ain’t sayin’ I’m a golddigger, but if you wanna give me money for dating you and having sex with you, that’s totally cool.

And just for the hell of it, I ventured into the fabulous and always entertaining “casual encounters” of Craigslist and found a winner.

“I am looking for a woman or couple who will get into prostate milking.” m4mw – 47

Isn’t the Internet wonderful? So many possibilities out there…