FACT OR FICTION...BOOKS ABOUT SEX WORK.
For a number of years now my senses have been dulled and bored by the amount of people tugging at the profitability of the sex industry. In particular the stories of sex workers. Everybody loves the happy ending of Pretty Woman but that time has come and gone. We now have a new generation that’s come to the realisation that not only does sex sell, but what really sells is a hooker story.
Now, as an ex sex worker this stuff always offends me. All the books and movies, all the interviews and media bombardment. You would think that as a sex worker I’d be delighted at having a positive light shone on the industry and work that was such a major part of my life, In a way yes, of course. Only if that light is correct and being told or written by an actual sex worker. The thing is it absolutely enrages me that we’ve become a gimmick, a tool by which other people completely non-related to the sex industry, can profit from without having an actual clue about what it’s all about. I can wholeheartedly appreciate and admire all the books out there written by women or men who have lived and worked as sex workers, but cannot do the same about made up fantasy. The books that are actually taken from the pages of someone’s life just don’t manage to achieve the same level of exposure, simply because the authors don’t have the agents to organise shambolic media junkets. But mainly they don’t achieve the same kind of heights because they don’t feature the same hyped-up love stories.
That’s my problem with all these books and TV shows, they’re either written by bored over fantasising house wives, ex journalists or scripted by men. All of which have never even stepped foot in a brothel for some pleasure. Sure they do some research but that’s not good enough. So they write semi romantic stories claiming female empowerment. That’s all fine and good but where’s the real stuff. I want reality, I don’t want some pumped up journalist claiming she was a high class escort, pushing her new found call girl business saying things like “the industry’s evolving, parlours are dying out”. Not to mention throwing the prerequisite to all hooker stories, the I fell in love with a client spiel and then the empowerment of leaving an abusive relationship. So why not just write about the realities of abusive relationships and their detrimental impact. Because adding you were a prostitute sells and the former doesn’t.
If I want to read about sex workers I want to read the truth, the hardships, the trauma, the sex, the excitement and the money. What I don’t need is a love story and a lie just so someone can make some extra cash. What we need to do is learn to celebrate real sex workers, not a fantasy of them and their lives. The claim that these books and movies have given sex workers a more understanding social platform is false. One author claimed that her story has shown professional women who work within the corporate world, that they have another avenue for sexual release and extra income and because these professionals are now exploring this work, society is somehow more accepting of sex work. How utterly condescending and false. Which corporate female or male is going to advertise these kinds of extra-curricular activities, what a load of bollocks. Making false statements to boost your new venture while using the lives of real sex workers.
Now these are all just my humble opinions, I don’t want to be accused of bias and you know what I could be wrong, all these stories could be 100% true. Could be yes, but I’m going from my gut and 18years of experience and my gut says I’m right. I want raw guttural erotica, major highs and lows, I want to hear about the drugs, the seediness and then the triumph. I want to know about the street workers, the parlours, all the hilarious stories girls have, stuff about the owners, I want all of the above and yeah some love in between too. A lot to ask for, I don’t think so, just the truth.
Love Lexi XXX
