[Klwohu]

As one of the many people who hold that sex work is NOT real work, and is instead deeply exploitative and nasty, I'm glad that this is being done. Sex workers in recent times have taken over Reddit, the sex worker spam is unrelenting. Not sure if it's bot-driven or what, but it's unacceptable.

[RosanaAnaDana]

>sex work is NOT real work

What a weird perspective. Do you consider performance music or performance artists to also not do real work? Do you think that successful internet sex workers are putting in less than 40 hours a week? I can't speak for them directly, but I would bet successful sex workers are putting in at least that much if not more time than that per week to ensure their business is successful. In fact I would guess (and I'd love to hear from a professional) that they prob burning the candle if they expect to build their business.

Such a weird perspective to have. What is it that makes sex work not work relative to other kinds of creative/ performance based 'work'? I mean, even a greeter at walmart is putting on a kind of show, at a fundamental level, whats the difference? Is it not enough effort in your perspective? Not enough time per unit effort? Is it that they get paid to much? Too little? In your perspective, what qualifies as 'real' work? Is a lecture at a university 'real' work (trading your time and a perspective, only communicated; nothing materially trades hands) not real work? Is a laborer putting up concrete block not real work (trading their body and their time for money)? Is marketing not real work (you don't create anything)? Is management not real work (you don't explicitly 'make' anything?

Even just in asking the question, it makes me consider that you may have a poor definition of what 'work' is if you don't consider modern sex work as 'work'. I'm interested to hear how you define work.

[Klwohu]

You were more interested in delivering a canned lecture. I don't have to justify myself to such a rude person. Sex work is NOT real work, that's not just an odd perspective, it's the majority opinion.

[Alekhine]

'Sex work is not real work'

'Elaborate'

'No'

[Klwohu]

My explanation eventually leads back to Marxism and destruction of the family unit and other cornerstones of public order and decency which form the core of Enlightenment Western civilization. This isn't the proper place to critique Marxism. I'm sure everybody feels the chilling effects in their own workplaces and on the Internet, as well. Some things are just not fit to talk about outside certain welcoming spaces, like 4chan.

[542354234235]

So what is "real work"? What does it do, or produce, or involve? Is sex work just one of the many things that aren't "real work" to you, or is it just sex work? Is providing a service not real work? do you have to produce a tangible object? Is giving someone a massage real work? Does it become not real when using one's genitals instead of hands or back?

[denton-scratch]

Does a psychotherapist do "real work"? Psychotherapists talk a lot to people about sex. Is that really just telephone sex?

Is the work more or less real if that therapist is allowed to touch you?

What about the two ladies that looked after my Dad, while he was dying? They got him up, washed him, dressed him, and put him to bed. I know they used to smear ointments on his body. Is there really such a clear distinction between care work and sex work?

I'm seeing some pretty shocking prudishness in this thread. Different people live their lives in different ways, and scolding people who are not like you isn't going to change that.

People that think sex is necessarily "dirty" and worthy of disapproval are people with problems. They're entitled to their point of view, but trying to enforce that view through repressive legislation is just mean and intolerant.

[scpedicini]

This didn't really feel like an explanation or an answer as to why you believe sex work is not "real work". What exactly are the characteristics of real work? Once you've defined those qualities it'll be easier for HN to understand why you believe it falls outside that domain.

As far as sex work being nasty and exploitative I can think of plenty of capitalistic industries that are and have been equally exploitative to their workers. (mining industry, Foxconn, etc).

[dragonwriter]

> My explanation eventually leads back to Marxism and destruction of the family unit and other cornerstones of public order and decency which form the core of Enlightenment Western civilization

As Marx himself pointed out, it is capitalism which, by reducing the working class which composes the greatest part of society to consumables in the system of production, destroys the family unit and other cornerstones of public order and decency of the society in which the Enlightenment emerged, and the capitalist habit of blaming opponents of capitalism for that is a diversionary tactic.

[Klwohu]

Capitalism is entirely a concept within Marxism and doesn't exist outside that particular philosophy. Maybe that's why Marxists have reached total penetration and are having difficulty converting new useful idiots. Most people wised up to the re-definition of language and the predominance of neologisms and tuned it all out.

[herbst]

> majority opinion

of whom?

And what is work then? What factors need to be true for you so you consider a money making activity "work"?

[cush]

It sounds like you have completely dismissed the concept without spending a moment looking into what it means.

[Klwohu]

Wrong, it's the result of continuous study. Call me a Nazi but please don't assign me bigotry.

[cush]

Who said Nazi...? Not bigotry, ignorance. But you really just proved my point...

Oh you're continuously studying sex work? Please link us to some of your publications then.

[herbst]

How does that make you an Nazi?