MTR while these things are happening as you describe, I don't think it means that boys and men are less tender or considerate than previously. In fact I find males nowadays generally more tender and considerate. My daughters' peers certainly more egalitarian than their predecessors in many respects.

I agree with the premise of your argument that prostitution is the capitalising of sex and whether it be female or male objectification it is a bad thing. Trouble is in a free society people are free to sell their sexual favours no matter what you and I might think.

Prostitution has been around for a long time. We can always hope that one day 'egalitarian' will pertain to equal respect for each other rather than equal access to paid sex which is more often than not fuelled by drug addiction and in some cases illegal sex trafficking.

I agree Pelican.

We are indeed beings focused very much on sex. While I deplore anyone being objectified and humiliated, I agree young people have a far more tolerant and egalitarian attitude towards each other than when I was a teen. While I do believe prostitution will remain a profession well into the future of humankind, perhaps it will evolve as an aid for good health rather than exploitation by the powerful.

It is only the anachronistic whose rigid world view is threatened by expressive sexuality - be they the religious or the misanthropic.

Peter Hume is absolutely correct- the whole 'objectification' of prostitutes is BULL and I don't even feel need to provide much further elaboration from his comprehensive explanation, save a few tidbits.

In fact, a person paying a prostitute is 'objectifying' her LESS in many ways- because both parties enter an open agreement to exchange a set rate of money in exchange for permission to have sex with the other with the added effort to make it pleasurable to the party with cash.

You only 'objectify' anyone when you use them or manipulate them against consideration of their own feelings- such as an individual tricking another into a one-night stand when they wanted a relationship, or a former party animal trying to mooch off a stable person- THAT is objectifying.

An open agreement both very willingly participated in is NOT.

The ONLY exception is the various dubiously less transparent reasons for illegal prostitutes or sex-slaves- which is less a problem in Australia as prostitution is a legal business that must adhere to strict government regulations to be allowed to operate- and such people are illegal for licensed premises to accept.

Good points Hazza, in a mutually consenting 'transaction' where there are no other variables as you say like slave trade etc, it is very much a contract or agreement between two adults.

There is also a big difference between high class prostitutes paying their way through uni (as happens in the US) working in relatively opulent and safe surroundings; and those who are only participants purely through drug addiction or debt (eg. illegal immigrants) often in unsafe and unsanitary conditions including back alley ways.

Another rambling and vacuous article from MTR.

To sum it up, all prostitution is bad because it is sex without feeling.

Yawn!

Indeed Pelican, which reminds me of a very interesting study about job satisfaction taken by one of the papers.
Ranking at the very bottom of job satisfaction (hate their job most) were prostitutes in dubious circumstances that you described (doing it for drug addiction or forced into the job).
At the very TOP end of the spectrum and highly satisfied with their job, were prostitutes working in legitimate establishments.

And pretty much Shadow- what I find funny about the oh-so BAD things about prostitution in general is that there really isn't anything stopping these from carrying over to more 'socially acceptable' partnering (especially the sex without emotion part- not that many want to admit that as true).