Stereotypes about prostitutes and the world of prostitution are both abundant and contradictory—prostitutes are human trash, and they deserve what happens to them, for example, or prostitutes are canny businesswomen who bring in good money by providing a service that men are all too willing to pay for. Each of these distinct portrayals serves to accomplish the same purpose: They hold prostituted persons at arm’s length, proving primarily that they are “not us.” Movies like Pretty Women show the proverbial prostitute “with a heart of gold,” a lovely outsider with a pure heart who can be saved by Richard Gere or some other knight in shining armor.
The reality, however, is much more complex—and ugly.
Read more about the reality of prostitution in The Portraits of Exploitation.
Daniel Weiss is the senior analyst for media and sexuality for CitizenLink, an affiliate of Focus on the Family.
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