Streetwalking in Silicon Valley: Has Prostitution Found its Place on Craigslist?
Well, I'll recap/highlight some parts for you:
Craigslist is unique in that it plays host to both real estate brokers looking for a sale and horny twenty-somethings looking for a date in the same place. Believe it or not, it didn’t take long for these two disparate sectors to find some commonalities on the community site, and unnerving postings like the following (posted on 3/19/06 in the “manhattan rooms & shares” section) began appearing with frequency:
“FEMALE ROOMATE WANTED ONLY WHO IS PRETTY & IN GOOD SHAPE.TO RENT, WITH ADDED SEX INCLUDED. AND SHARE A 1MEDIUM SIZE BEDROOM.2WINDOWS.UTILITIES/CABLE INCLUDED. SHARE KITCHEN.AND BATHROOM. RENT CAN MAYBE BE NEGOTIABLE TO A LOWER PRICE WITH ADDED SEX INCLUDED.”
In several major cities, including New York, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, and undoubtedly many other places around the country, men are offering free or discounted rent on their shared apartment space to young, attractive women who are willing to negotiate sexual favors as payment. For the past year, stories such as the one that appeared last Sunday, March 19 in the Miami Herald have chronicled the practice as a growing phenomenon. The disturbing trend in this coverage is that very little preventative measures are being taken; the authorities are always seen standing on the sideline of the Internet with a dumb stupor, wondering what laws they should consult, and whether or not they should intervene at all.
Sometimes, posters will mask their sexual solicitations with more vague terms such as “services,” or by requesting other suggestive activity, such as regularly cleaning the apartment in their underwear. Frequently, potential roommates will be asked to send a provocative picture for review. Nearly always, what is being asked for is explicit enough to scare away young women not wishing to prostitute themselves, yet implicit enough to avoid legal prosecution.
Until now.
In February of this year, the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed a lawsuit against Craigslist’s operators, claiming that the site is in violation of the Fair Housing Act. In reality, the group was attacking the vile sexual solicitation they found becoming a rampant problem in their city, but legally they took the case against Craigslist to another level. The Fair Housing Act in question outlaws “discriminatory preference based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap.” This means that the Chicago Lawyers Committee found Craigslist postings making specifications such as “Godly Christian Roommate Wanted” (a surprisingly frequent occurrence) to be on par with “Female Only CHEAP RENT FOR SERVICES.” Their lawsuit is still pending.
This legal strategy conflates the real problem of sexual solicitation with the imagined threat of housing discrimination. People should be allowed to say if they prefer to live with someone who has a similar background as them (provided that they don’t directly attack those people they prefer not to live with). They should not, however, be allowed to sell their ritzy Manhattan penthouse for daily sexual gratification, at least not on Craigslist where their vulgar offers contaminate a shared community space.
Oh yesiree, we have reached the age where men (no women place the ads, how strange) seem to think that it's ok to exploit women's need for shelter and their inherent belief that all women will want to have sex with their socially inept, misogynistic, slimy selves. I mean, does that sound like a fun or even fair trade to you? I mean these guys are so charming that not only will no one date them of their own free will, but they will exploit our basic need for shelter to get laid. Apparently these ads first started pooping up after Hurricane Katrina. See how much men think of us? They were kind enough to offer the hurricane survivors shelter, they just ask for a little poke now and then. I mean really, they're opening up their house for you, right? It's the least you could do. (I prefer cooking for the house or doing random chores when I'm a guest, but that's just me.)
And the poor women don't even get their own bed. They can't just fuck the guy and get away. No they are his sex slave/cuddle buddy/warm body for him to do whatever he wants to with. Can you imagine how easily it could escalate for someone desperate enough. Hmmmmm...I think that twice a week isn't enough. And I think you ca only wear this:..... How easily it devolves into a Travis Frey type situation.
I especially love the part where legally they are saying that looking for a live in prostitute is the same as looking for a gay/Xtian/smoking/drug-free roommate. What a sad sad legal system we have.
Yes ladies, they love us. They love us so much that they see us as fucktoys around only for their pleasure and nothing else. Now that's sexy.
30 comments:
holy goddamm shit.
that was my first reaction too.
ARGH!
'Creatures' like that really make me ashamed to possess a Y chromosome...
Fucking bastards. I'm so angry I can't even form a proper fucking sentence.
Fucking fucking fuckers!
Andrea,
I think your sentence is wonderful, so wonderful in fact, that I'm going to join in with you
Fucking fucking fuckers!
(grabs head in pain)
Exactly right, PA. I lurk sometimes on SYG, and I saw a thread on this very phenomenon. The comments were all along the lines of "free rent for two slap and tickle sessions a week? Why can't men get these great offers? women have everything *whine*" It almost made me break my I-don't-post-on-that-damn-forum-no-matter-what-fucking-fuckers rule.
This article is all about the men who place the ads.
I would like to hear about the women who accept the offer. Do they feel it's a fair trade? Are the men pleased with the arrangement, say, six months later? Do these ads often, or ever, result in these living arrangements?
Did you ever see Soylent Green the dystopic sci-fi thriller about new yor, organized cannibalism disguised as food distribution for the masses and the new world order? Well, it seems we're well on our way.
Try googling "Soylent Green, furniture"
I bet these guys think they aren't doing anything wrong.
That's the really creepy part.
If I saw that on Craigslist, I'd probably think it was a joke. Sad that it isn't.
Who on earth would do this?!?
Yeah, I know. A desperate woman in a desperate situation.Sigh. Like a runaway.
I see the point about it being a shame to go after Craigslist, but the fact is, that Craigslist is facilitating the guys doing it. They need to take out the opportunity that allows the guys to do it. Then go after the guys soliciting sexual slavery.
This type of thing is wholly reprehensible but to say that authorities just standby and do nothing is wrong. They cannot just idly drag someone down to the police station because of an ad in Craig's List. Yes they need to be able to cite a specific law that's been broken because they don't make them up on the fly... such is how the system works I'm afraid. If they just up and arrested people based on a suggestive ad alone... they'd get laughed out the station. An actual crime has to be committed and given the nature of CL just about anyone can post an ad. So grabbing someone up might just mean they grab someone falsely and then all kinds of hell break loose.
Let's say tho, they grab a guy who no doubt placed such an ad? What then? Still have that pesky prove a crime happened thing. Then just maybe for shits and giggles a lawyer takes up the case of the accused and maybe rings up the damn ACLU and they start yappin' on about violations against the guy's free speech.
This is why law enforcement can't just grab people unless they can PROVE intent. They have done this with many of the nutcases that try to pick up teen girls in online chatrooms. They setup stings and when the dumbasses show up they get busted for trying to solicit a minor for sex. I don't doubt they could extend such stings for crap like this but it's not the instant arrest you're looking for.
By the by, it's perhaps worth noting that the generalizations you've made against "men" only apply to some not the whole. All men are not this way and perhaps you and others who rally along with similar cries would get far more sympathetic male help if you'd layoff the generalizing remarks. But then I suppose to say something like "those fucks" or "the men who do this" is less powerful than proclaiming "this is what men think of us!" Yeh well if that's the case go slap the shit out of your daddy, brother, boyfriend, uncle etc. and let 'em know you're onto their ass.
Gee, shadowman, thanks for telling us how the law works, and all that.
Because you know women don't know anything about that, right?
I don't see any generalizations being made about "men" here. I wonder why you feel the need to generalize the discussion to men in general when in fact we are discussing men who think it's OK to solicit sex in exchange for room and board? Unless of course, you, and anyone else you yourself generally consider a "man" happen to think that is OK.
Before you lecture people, you really ought to go ahead and read the complaint in the article she's quoted in the first place.
--Violation of the Fair Housing Act
--Sexual Solicitation
Or did that just pass you by, in your hurry to defend all men?
(Aside to women: I always find it amazing when men come to the defense of men doing slimy things, as an attempt to differentiate "men" in general from total scum-bags, and in doing so, inadvertently cast their lot with the scum-bags. )
Good men don't defend scum-bags, shadowman.
I was on to you the moment you said, "this is reprehensible BUT"- it was your big fat "but" that gave you away.
"See how much men think of us?"
Why hell Tex, didn't think I'd have to go and point that one out since you seem to fancy yourself an astute reader. But there it is plain as damn day a generality applied not just to the fucks who do things like place housing ads for sex but to "men" in general. Hope that clarifies and I'd go pointing out further generalities but I wouldn't want you thinking that I doubt you could find 'em yourself.
Oh but one other thing:
"the authorities are always seen standing on the sideline of the Internet with a dumb stupor, wondering what laws they should consult,"
That quote along with the typical feminist genera-tionale is what led to the "lecture" you mention. It is a slap at authorities and while some group of attorneys may have taken it upon themselves to sue Craig'slist (because yeh it's the damn website at fault not the ad placer). The attorneys are NOT authorities and what they may elect to bring before the courts seeks to use establish law in the hopes it gets enforced but authorities (you know those labeled as just standing on the side) are the ones who have to make it happen.
Like it or not application of the law isn't so damn easy and that's my point. The authorities are no more on the sidelines than you are in fact they're doing their job so the slight leveled @ them is unfair.
Lookit how mad he gets when you confront him directly!
(C'mon, Tx, don't bait the bear...)
Shadowman, I'm not going to split hairs with you, it's clear who the post is about. Why you feel the need to carry the weight on your shoulders is your issue. As I have already explained.
Keep siding with the un-defendable, mate, you're making my point for me.
Besides: What's so unfair or difficult about the Unfair Housing Act or about Sexual Solicitation laws?
And since we're all generalizing, here's a generalization for you:
Perhaps "men" should start sympathizing with the fact that it's all too easy for "men" to get away with this crap, than sympathizing with the fact that it's soooo hard for authorities to do anything about it.
Boo hoo.
Hey shadow man, enough. As I have said many times before IF YOU DON'T DO THIS THEN I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU
I swear if I had a penny for everytime a rad fem had to say that....
BTW, this is very clearly solicitation. Now that's a law that they can be charged with.
Ever since Fathers4Justice closed their doors, these guys just don't have anything to do with themselves anymore.
Frankly, I'd rather they were throwing flour on the PM.
To be honest, I don't see that this is such a far stretch from the general cultural meme that sex is just one more pasttime. (Yes, I'm marking myself as a conservative, but what the hell.) Having raised a generation that thinks so little of "hooking up"(judging from what I hear from my kids' friends), it seems like a pretty short jump to thinking of it as something you do to get the rent discounted. To these young horndogs, it probably doesn't seem that much different from advertising for a roommate who's willing play chess.
Or, to look at it fromm a different but equally cynical perspective, I've known marriages based on the same sort of crass support-for-sex exchange. This just eliminates the social rituals, you might say.
(Please don't mistake either comment for approval of these dickheads, incidentally.)
Well those are the problems now aren't they?
These don't seem like men who feel entitled to sex from every woman. In fact, they seem like men who realize that, because they have particular traits that women find unappealing, have to pay women for sex.
Sort of the opposite of feeling entitled.
Anonymous,
The fact is that it shows that they ARE entitled to sex. How? You ask.
Because, if they didn't feel entitled to sex, as though it were oxygen or food, they wouldn't in a million fucking years, be putting an ad out there trying to take advantage of a woman who needs housing to get it.
See, we only think about doing things that we feel we are entitled to do. For example- I don't think about stealing money because it's not MY money and I'm not entitled to it.
These men are trying to buy sex, why? Because they feel that they're entitled to sex. Maybe not sex with a specific woman but sex with SOME woman is their entitlement.
If that entitlement weren't there then they wouldn't be placing the ad to begin with.
Further, I don't think that these type of men really care whether they are attractive to women or not.
After all, it's the woman's job to be attractive to men.
As Violet Socks said at Reclusiveleftist, Johns don't worry about whether or not they are attractive to prostitutes, and she's right.
Johns don't worry about being attractive, because they are the one's paying for sex.
You don't feel entitled to money. Do you have a job to make it? These men aren't (to my knowledge) trying to steal sex from women, that's rape. They are trying to pay for a service they value highly.
It seems like these men are trying to purchase sex. I'm not entitled to lunch, but I purchased it.
Don't get me wrong, prostitution is illegal and it should be because prostituting is horrible for women and society tries to protect them from harming themselves.
But entitled, that's not the right word. Really want sex so much that they have to pay for it would be a better way to put it.
I think any woman who answers these ads because she feels entitled to housing at someone else's expense is just a horrible person.
Oh, hi there, Tx! I just came over to see if Burrow had recovered yet from blogcarn, and to see if anybody had noticed the ridiculous brouhaha brewing between Bitch|Lab and Twisty (started by the former, of course).
Craigslist needs to be shot out of a cannon into the void of outerspace.
And anonymous, if you'd actually read the thread of mine that Tx was linking to, you'd see that you're completely missing the point. By miles.
BL v. Twisty!
Damn. That's a stupid move.
I guess any attention is good attention, for some folks...
LMAO, seriously does anyone even take her seriously at all? I don't get it? From what I can see her place is basically her and a bunch of dudes sitting around telling everyone else how bad they are at being a feminist.
All I can say is that is much be hard to be a male Bitchlab follower. Seriously, think about this for a moment, these men have to make the huge sacrifice to like porn and prostitution and strip clubs! Seriously, that must be so difficult.
As for bitchlab and Twisty, heh, Twisty, oh she of the golden tongue, has got my money. That's one hardened blamer who doesn't let anything slip by.
Awww...Geee...better delete this rather than fac the truth.
Here is a link to Heidi Fleiss's Stud Farm http://www.heidistudfarm.com/
It is understandable that the craigslist ad is disgusting, but isn't that what feminism is all about...lesbianism, sexual freedom for women? As disgusting as the ad is, at least the Guy? was honest and upfront, rather than luring an innocent victim.
Hey..who says the ad was placed by a guy? Judging from some of the "females" around these days, it could easily be a rug muncher!
No, but seriously, the reason I happened upon this blog is that I was angry that many, many ads have embedded the preference for a female roommate, which wastes my time and excludes me. I mean, isn't it illegal to advertise a room for rent and specify a sex?
Well, I actually think it is OK to specify a sex, I just wish they would put it in the ad headline, instead of making me waste my time opening the ad.
-gonad
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