I've never totally understood why women (or men) get into prostituion, it being a deeply intimate, illegal and therefore dangerous occupation. I guess some people like to live on the edge, but consider that in most cases you're sleeping with someone else's spouse. I grant we don't have hard numbers on who frequents prostitutes, but judging from urban myths and newspapers, it's attached men (straight men seeing call girls, gay men hiring male prostitues.) I have difficulty forseeing a future where sex work is seen as "real" work so long as married men are the biggest clients.

@ Cat

You... you did NOT just seriously defend someone who called another race a bunch of "monkeys" and who claimed that white men needed to "defend their women" so the poor white girl will be protected from "70% raise in AIDS." (Did ya know that 85% of statistics are made up on the spot?)

I mean, I'm not a huge fan of modern feminism either, but geez.

All right, all right, let's slow down for a sec and say," what's so creepy about this?"

Many posters answer," If someone just wants a companion to cook and clean and have sex with, then they should get a robot."

But here's the underlying message that, I think, freaks people out: if given the option, EVERYONE would probably choose the robot. Think about. How many stimulating conversations do you end up having with your significant other once you've been together quite a few years? One a day? Doubtful. After a few years, you don't want emotional connection... you'd just like him to rub your feet and do the sexual heavy lifting for once.

My point is, I think people's fear is that if robots are introduced as "perfect" companions... who will ever want an unperfect companion? If you have the money, why not buy a husband who will cook, clean, and have sex with you and call you pretty constantly?

For me, the fear would be... that no men would ever want me. How could they ever, when they could have this? I argue. I'm sometimes stubborn and annoying. I have some rather human flaws. But who wants flaws when they could have perfect? Or, better yet, perfect flaws... flaws that you specifically design because you can put up with those? You can build your ideal partner and never, ever, ever have to consider the non-perfect-also-flawed human being next to you.

I double the ugh. May I die before this ever becomes part of society.

Since when are older men going after younger women a "high five" occassion? Depending upon the age discrepancies, I think it's still seen as a bit unsettling, as is the phenmomenon of younger girls going for much older guys ("Daddy Issues," anyone?)

If I were to utter the truth, I would say that older women are seen as "scary" because I, as a twentysomething female, do not want to be competing with her for the attention of guys my own age. As a twentysomething, I can date younger guys I suppose, but that's bordering on pedophilia. I can date much older guys, but they are usually 1) already married 2) already divorced or 3) stuck in their bachelor ways and looking for nothing but a good time. So the best option for a long term relationship for me is someone my own age. But here comes the 40, 50 year old woman with much more money and sexual experience than me, and as one poster mentioned above, probably my equal in physical attractiveness.

So now all the guys MY age flock to her, because her list of positive assessts exceeds mine, and I am left dateless. That's when I mutter "cougar" out of the side of my mouth, and regrettably admit that that will probably be me someday.

@ Christina

Of course, the easy answer to that is, the Odessey is simply more exciting. Let's see, Cyclopses, Trojan War, man-v-nature, or... elopement? And you have to understand, I'm saying this when Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books.

And to be fair, in my AP English class, we read "Jane Eyre" and the "Scarlet Letter" right alongside "The Iliad."

Kay kay, I'm gonna jump into the fray and say yes you should, at least, confront your father.

Not only for morals reasons. I'm gonna go with a Dan Savage-esque style on this one; because there's no gurantee the father is wearing protection when with this other woman, and could be passing it along to your mother. Now if he's being careful with protection, we can go back to all the other reasons.... but STDs can sometimes fester for years and leave horrible symptoms, so the sooner the mother discovers she's been put at risk, the sooner she can see the doctor.

@Sagcat

*Gets in line*

Seriously. Never cheated. Not in my makeup. Think you should break up with 'em if you wuuuve the other person that much. Don't be a weakling and use the other person as a security blanket.

Not self-righteous. Just lettin' ya know people like me exist.