The Economics of Prostitution: Wife Or Whore?

Apparently those are women's only two choices. Either way, they're simply fornication-brokers. I guess someone forgot to tell that to every girl I knew in high school and college, damn it all.

A pretty funny read, both for the strangely reductive quotes of economists and for the reporter's sarcastic take on them.

"This begs the question of why married men go to prostitutes (rather than buying from their wives, who presumably will be low-cost providers, considering that they can sell nonreproductive sex without compromising their marriage)." Guys, nothing says "Happy Valentine's Day" more than "low-cost provider."

And:

In particular, the assumption that there is no "third way" between wife and whore is problematic, if not outright offensive: "The third alternative, working in a regular job but not marrying, can be ruled out, since we assume that the only downside of marriage for a woman is the forgone opportunity for prostitution."

Be sure to let all your married friends know what they're missing.

I think the article probably holds the Forbes Magazine record for most uses of the word "whore." Even Ron Burgundy would find it excessive.

Thanks to LauraW, sending in tips from her vacation home on Whore Island.

posted by Ace at 12:40 PM

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