Why is that sex workers are found so attractive by politicians that they are willing to risk their reputation for a few minutes or hours of pleasure?
The recent resignation of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer following a scam over his meeting with a sex worker has prompted such questions across the West.
The appeal of prostitutes to politicians is, in fact, identical to their appeal to "ordinary" men. On a psychological level, it doesn't matter if the women come from the Emperor's Club or a sleazy strip joint. It doesn't matter if they cost $2,500 an hour or $40. The appeal of hookers lies in the temporary psychic relief they supply to men struggling with conflicts about guilt and responsibility, says Michael Bade, a psychologist and psychoanalyst in San Francisco.
Having studied the dynamics of sexual arousal for almost 15 years, and having treated dozens of men who find sex workers irresistible, I have found that for the overwhelming majority of them, the appeal lies in the fact that, after payment is made, the woman is experienced as completely devoted to the man -- to his pleasure, his satisfaction, his care, his happiness, Bade says.
The man doesn't have to please her, doesn't have to make her happy, doesn't have to worry about her emotional needs or demands. He can give or take without the burden of reciprocity. He can be entirely selfish. He can be especially aggressive or especially passive, and not only is the woman not upset, she acts aroused. He is not responsible for her in any way. She is entirely focused on him. He is the center of the world. Now, of course, these interactions are scripted. The prostitute is acting. But it doesn't matter. For men who like to go to go to prostitutes, the illusion of authenticity is enough.