MCT DIRECTBeing a call girl is just like any other job, at least according to Debbie, a woman who works at a call girl agency in St. Louis and whose last name is withheld to protect her identity. In fact, even the terminology is wrong – the proper name is escort girl.
Escort girls are considered to be more elite than prostitutes because they are able to choose their clients, are usually attractive, and are often educated. Because of these stipulations, they are able to charge higher prices for their services.
Debbie explained that an agency receives a call (hence the informal name) from a potential client whose name is taken by a receptionist, and one of the girls, who is free to choose her clients and the hours that she works, calls the client back.
The client is then free to choose among a plethora of sensual activities, such as watching a strip show (complete with being able to choose the girl’s outfit), receiving an erotic massage, being dominated by a dominatrix or having phone sex. Some clients, especially elderly men, seek the company of an escort girl at a bar, in their homes, or at a hotel because of loneliness. Other clients include couples who simply get pleasure from watching a strip show or being entertained in some other way in each other’s company.
Though it seems that this kind of career would not be bound by many rules, there are a few hard and fast standards. While an escort girl and her client can be totally nude together, they cannot touch each other’s private parts. In fact, sexual intercourse with the client is prohibited in accordance with the majority of state laws and international laws. Only a few places, such as the Netherlands, Germany, Ethiopia, and the state of Nevada legally allow forms of prostitution.
So what is it really like being an escort girl – a position stigmatized in many parts of the world? Do they come from mostly one background or look a certain way? Would you notice one walking down the street?
In fact, Debbie, who was convinced by a friend to join the industry, says that escort girls come from all walks of life and regard themselves simply as women looking for a paid position.
“It’s a job, not a lifestyle. You are not getting in the game. It is a job that pays well. People put themselves through school doing this,” she said. “It allows you a lot more time to do other stuff. You don’t have to work eight hours a day. You can choose when you want to work. There is money freedom, time freedom, and you get to meet nice people.”
She disagrees with the stereotype that escort girls should be lumped into the general category of “whores, hoes, and sluts”, and she asserts that the work can actually be empowering.
“Women [in this profession] feel good about themselves. We live in a Puritan country. Women are not supposed to be in control of their own sexuality. If you’re in charge of your own sexuality, people think you’re nasty,” she said. “We live in a country where 98 percent of women are generally mutilated. The attitude about female sexuality is vilified.”
Debbie considers her work to be fulfilling and honest. “I don’t do things I am ashamed of, and I think deeply about what I do. Would you rather do something honest that you enjoy, or do something that causes pollution and sends people to Iraq? Do you want to be a Catholic Priest? I could go on and on about hypocrisy,” she said.
Considering these thoughts, would Debbie be worried if her children became interested in her line of work? Her response is simple: “I will let the kid be what the kid wants to be.”
She cautions that these sentiments do not apply to street prostitution. “If a runaway teen gets into street prostitution, yes, there is a big dysfunction. Human trafficking is horrible,” she said.
In terms of prostitution by choice, however, Debbie does not see a problem.
“It’s just a job.”