Exploitation by Clubs of SL Prostitutes

I am still puzzled over exactly how, as a club owners, we are exploiting people who voluntarily decide to work as escorts.

To build our club, we had to shell out considerable US$ to compete with land barons; spent a vast amount of free time and tens of thousands of $L to build and equip the club, and pay a considerable amount of money on a monthly basis to maintain the privilege of owning land in SL.

In return, we allow escorts to use the club to meet clients; they set their own hours, come and go as they please, and they keep every Linden that they charge. And if they choose to work at other clubs that have more patrons, they have every right to do so and we have no expectations to the contrary. They are very much free agents that can do what they want, when they want, and however they want, as long as they are not giving the club a bad reputation. It is much like setting up a mall and allowing merchants to come in and sell their goods without paying rent or commission, and funding attractions and events to increase their customers.

Our income is not even enough to pay the dancers that we hire to attract patrons. A recoup of our initial investment seems impossible at this point, and yet we choose to continue, because we enjoy the SL experience, and enjoy having our own club, despite the enormous amount of effort and the rather high cost of maintaining the club. Adding escorts to our roster seemed like one of the few viable ways to increase our dwell payout while avoiding a further escalation in our payroll.

The only income from the club is the dwell allowance and rent from a handful of merchants in our mini-mall. We have yet to turn a single Linden in profit from the venture...in fact, it has cost several hundred US$ to start and maintain the club, and our only goal is to become self-sustaining to the point that we no longer have to pour money into the club at an alarming rate.

I am not revealing this in order to garner sympathy, but rather to counter this allegation that escorts are somehow being exploited or coerced by club owners. It's not a business model I would recommend to anyone, other than those who are willing to spend a considerable amount of money real world money on an investment that will probably never pay off.

*broken record*

Read the thread.
Read the thread.
Read the thread.
Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.Read the thread.

Read the thread.

"many clubs", not "most" or "all".

Did I mention you or your club, Max? No. Please READ THE THREAD

For Lee Linden's sake, READ THE THREAD FIRST BEFORE YOU POST.

Hiro,

I can't believe you're saying such crap! Why can't you leave escorts alone.

Oh, wait, I didn't read the thread. You're not saying that at all.

Well, why can't you leave clubs alone! Not all of us are exploiting them!

Oh, wait, you already said that.

Hmmm, what should I do now?
(a) Continue to say the same things over and over like a troll?
(b) Leave my post up there rather than deleting it or acknowledging the fact that I was wrong?

Well, whatever I do, it is SO important that I not read the thread.

....

READ THE THREAD!

Knock knock!

Who's there?

READ THE THREAD!!!!!!!

And now, ladies and gentlemen, for our entertainment....

I am happy to present to you....

Mr. I Can't Be Bothered To Read The Thread Before I Post

*bows*

Thank you, thank you.

I'd like to say....



Thanks so much for participating, Mr. ICBBTRTTBIP!

That is the saddest line I have ever read.

Log off second life, and go get some real life poontang.

-Ryen Jade
Loves having a girlfriend
Edit: (Who I do love very much, and hope she isnt on these forums!)

Folks, I really apologize for my frustration here. I know it's a controversial subject but this thread has not had any new ideas in a good 5 pages. All sides have been heard on this issue and I have had to defend myself over and over amid people not reading the thread.

So please don't take offense. I want you to understand. Please read the thread before you post a flame. Thank you very sincerely!

Eww. That's just not a nice word for the glory that is the vagina. Show some respect!

You know, it is possible for someone to read every word in the thread and STILL disagree with you...

Yes, I agree.

It's also possible for people to say things like "Hiro said XYZ" when in fact I said nothing of the sort. It's then possible for people to keep posting this over and over and over and me needing to continue to repeat myself over and over and over. These are not people disagreeing with me. These are people outright misquoting me.

Cases in point:
- "Hiro is saying escorting is bad." No.
- "Hiro is saying escorts are exploitive". No.
- "Hiro is saying all escorts are exploited." No.
- "Hiro is saying most clubs exploit escorts." No.

Lorelei, once again, with all due respect, READ THE THREAD. I have said this already.

You need to read the thread, Hiro.

Read the thread. Read the thread. Read the thread. Read the thread.
Read the thread.
Read the thread.
Read the thread.
Read the thread. Read the thread. Read the thread. Read the thread. Read the thread. Read the thread. Read the thread. Read the thread. Read the thread. Read the thread.
Read the thread.
Read the thread.

Because on the very same page, less than ten posts up, a complete forum newbie, and SL escort, provided you with her opinion. Her first, and so far only, post. If that isn't 'new' I don't know what is.

That said, you're being INSANELY spammy, and I think you're the only one around who really thinks there's a problem here.

did someone say Read The Thread?

Page 10, post 132. I quoted them.

Thanks for being rude to me again, Mole.

And once again, yes, obviously, many escorts have posted positive experiences. That's a good thing. But once again, yes, I said it was NOT the majority. Obviously then, the likelihood is that there will be more people saying "i've never been exploited" than people saying they have.

Back at you. Read the thread.

- "Hiro is saying all escorts offer sex." Yes.

Read The Thread. Read The Thread. Read The Thread. Read The Thread.

For Lee Lindens sake. Apparently. Cuz he is obviously extremely concerned about the exploitation of any avatar that can't find the map button to tp elsewhere or don't know the CTRL+Q shortcut.

Hiro! I'm joking! Really! I'm funning you! Please don't comment. Please! I'm a troll!

Read The Thread. Read The Thread. Read The Thread. Read The Thread.

*grabs kris by the ear*

Get back into yer own thread you trolling ho!

Yoink!

1. You can do it, and even shout it, but I can't? Ok. Nice double standard, hypocrite.
   
2. Considering the person I'm talking about is on page 10, post 140, you couldn't have quoted them unless you have a time machine.
   
3. Read the thread. Read the thread. Read the thread. Read the thread.

Oh, and, yes, I know I quoted a bunch, but if I just say that you did it too, you'll claim "straw man" and attempt to blow it off. Direct quotes are so much more effective.

i think you feel like posting tonight, posting tonight, posting tonight...

read other threads, read other threads, read other threads, read other threads, read other threads..

FOR THE LOVE OF HIRO... READ OTHER THREADS!

1. I never personally attacked you, Mole. Your evidence of such - the post - was because so many people clearly were repeating the same things over and over which were mis-quotes of me.
2. What about that person? That's fine. It's fine that people post and say they haven't been exploiting. I don't understand. Yes, indeed the majority haven't been. Post 132 quotes people who posted prior to that. What's wrong with that?
3. Back at you. Again.

Look, Mole, people are entitled to size up the whole situation as they see fit. I have never denied them this. I have not once, not ONCE argued to say that any escort who said they didn't feel exploited was somehow wrong or lying.

The situation has been sized up. That was the point. Let it die already. It seems now a vendetta to prove me wrong on things I never said.

*hugs*

Thanks for bringing some humor to this.

*hugs*

It's Ok... I like to troll.. er spam.. ER POST...

now... if anyone else is reading this..

READ ANOTHER GOD DAMN THREAD....

Yes. It doesnt matter which one. Willow is in all of em.

you should read the thread. there have been many posts posting the exact same thing - trying to understand how, if a player is chosing to PLAY secondlife as an escort, how they are being exploited? how can someone playing out a fantasy by CHOICE for LEISURE be exploited.

some players are really intelligent monkeys in RL. not all. just some. they are being exploited by zoos to earn L$. prove me wrong.

i believe you are insulting women because you would question thier choice to play act a sexual fantasy. to say they are being exploited assumes either they are not able to make thier own choices, or that they are not fit to make thier own choices. otherwise they wouldn't be doing these activities. not all women will fit into your prescribed definition of proper female (or for that matter male since we all know there are no women playing SL) sexuality and behaviour. what people do in SL is a matter of personal choice.

i only responded again because you asked me to. this thread was pointless from the get go and not even in a funny way. you have yet to make a case hiro, how SL is embodied.

I like to spread myself around... a bit like marmite... mmmm marmite is my marmate...

I just want the world to feel the willow wuv

nicely put, Jauauauani. I would agree with you, but Hiro keeps shouting 'read the thread' if people say anything.

I have read the thread. I even thought I understood most of it. But apparently not, cuz I STILL disagree with him. Tsk. I'm just stoopid, I guess.

*ignores thread. spreads Willow and licks*

(on buttered toast. what did you think I meant?)