Monday, September 5, 2011

The industry that is impervious to the downturn in the economy is *drum roll*

The Sex Industry. Instead of the joke about college students stripping to pay their tuition, it is probably more accurate-- in the contemporary-- that degree holders are doing the stripping.

My goals in life are to help others and implement change in the world. I have two major problems with the sex industry: 1., The social conditions that drive some to enter the sex industry such as molestation, parental neglect and various other traumatic experiences in their lives. 2., There does not appear to be any drug testing/mental health evaluation/background check. The sex industry appears to hire on the spot and workers begin employment immediately. I find that problematic because one desperate for money may make a brash decision that would have otherwise been left unconsidered. 3., The workers may not understand the impact it will have on their future, as well as their family members, friends and others who are associated with them.

The social conditions that lead some into the sex industry are often disregarded for so long that it appears that the future sex worker was simply promiscuous or someone who is overly sexual but one must examine whether they were sexually abused. I do not believe that the sex industry takes the background of its workers into consideration. The sex industry may have workers that have low self-esteem, eating disorders, and other conditions that make them more likely to work in that industry than to consider other forms of employment. The industry may exploit these workers unknowingly but there does not seem to be any way to check the background of their workers.

Desperation will lead some into circumstances that they would otherwise not consider. Employers in all other fields are very interested in background checks and credit reports but the sex industry does not seem to have a need for employment verification or any of the traditional job selection tools. I think that if there were a waiting period, it would weed out those who are confident and comfortable in the industry from those who felt helpless.

Employment in the sex industry may come back to haunt the worker. Kim Kardashian was initially famous for a sex tape that had been purchased by Vivid Entertainment, an adult video company but she has since become a business woman. However, some will always associate her with that tape and the sex industry. I do cannot speak for Kim, but I do believe that if she truly regretted such decision, she would not have ever received money for her part in that tape and that she would start a foundation or speak to others who are at high-risk for entering the sex industry. If Kim were comfortable with her decision, she should not pretend that she is against the industry. For instance, Playboy is considered the high-end spectrum of the sex industry and Kim seemed to have no qualms about posing for Playboy and then changed her mind and blamed her mom for influencing her while making the decision to pose in the pornographic magazine.

The sex industry resorts to the oldest profession in history: sex for money. It does not have to be engaging in sexual acts, but fantasy and the illusion of sex. If one is comfortable in such industry, I wish them luck but my biggest concern is that in Guam and Rhode Island, the legal age for stripping is 16 and that is clearly child pornography and shouldn't be legal under any circumstances. An abusive parent could force their child to work in a strip club or a child could legally work in the club without their parent knowing.   

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