Common View on Prostitution

[Guest]

CRW asked the staff what the overall view was. I'm not staff or a helper. I wouldn't mind knowing as well. But my characters mostly had different views on it. One thought being a noble's concubine was an enormous honor. Another smirked because to her, it meant the person was unfit for anything other than spending her days on her back. Another was ambivilent and didn't give it much thought one way or another; everyone needs a hobby.

My current character considers public prostitution (as opposed to being a private concubine) to be worse than being a slave. She'd never pay someone for sex, and if she had the itch and a decent man wasn't around to scratch it, she could damned well scratch it herself for free, thankyouverymuch.

I think it depends a lot on the "class" of prostitute we're talking about. A common whore from the 'rinth vs. a noble's concubine, vs. someone who has goals and dreams and just has trouble making ends meet so does what she has to in ordered to feed herself until she can find a better life for herself. Each comes with different mindsets, and I think each would have different perceptions from other people attached to them.

Those are my 2 sids but I'd like to know if there's any "official" word on the matter.

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

I'm not sure I agree with you there... I think a prostitute would be a fairly accepted proffesion, no matter how skanky or low-class the whore in question is. Sure, they might get some snickers from their peers, but all in all, it's not that huge a deal. Here's some things to think about...
-Monagomy is rare on Zalanthas.
-Zalanthans have some very skewed morals when compared to ours. They don't have marriages, and they don't have a religion that tells them what is bad and what is good sexually.
-Similarly, sleeping with one, and only one, person is not an expectation among the populace of Zalanthas. It's not even something to be admired. It's just plain not important who you screw.
-People are going to respect other people with money. And trust me, there are rich, 'experienced' hookers.
-People are going to respect other people with a talent, who can support themselves, and are good at what they do. If they're good at giving BJs, then so be it.
-STDs don't exist on Zalanthas, to my knowledge.
-If they do, not many people would know their cause.
-Many STDs are 'silent'. You could have them and not even be aware of them (all this talk of STDs is just to point out that a prostitute wouldn't be mocked for having an itchy crotch).

In my opinion, a professional prostitute wouldn't be ridiculed, other than a handful of lame jokes made by jealous peers. However, a person that just flaunted their naughty bits for all to see, and slept outside their race often with no exchange of 'sid... That's another story!

[Carnage]

I've been the opinion that nobody really bats an eye at prostitutes. I think the lowest class, "I'll screw you for five 'sid" kind are ridiculed and mocked, just like you would look down on wannabe assassins who will knife anyone for fifty obsidian. Other than that, I don't think anyone really cares or gives more thought to it than someone would think of a miner or craftsman or house servant.

[Anonymous]

Um, you're both saying you disagree, but you're saying the same thing I'm saying. That it depends on the "class" of prostitute, and the person viewing the prostitute.

A wealthy commoner would probably look at a filthy rinth rat whore with disdain, not with jealousy. A poor rinth rat would look at a wealthy whore with jealousy and maybe even admiration. A noble in the north wouldn't look at a whore at all. A noble in the south would decide if the whore has "class" and if so, would probably try to take her as a concubine. If the whore has no "class" then they'd either ignore her altogether, or use her to service his guards, maybe.

Like I said, it depends. I don't know why you say you disagree, when you are saying the same thing I'm saying but just in different words.

The profession itself, I agree doesn't seem to be any more or less "worthy" than any other profession in the game. But the "class" of the "professional" I think does make a huge difference.

[Carnage]

I never said I disagreed. I'm saying that, besides the cheap inexperienced kind, I'm of the opinion that nobody really cares or gives it a second thought and considers it any different than other jobs. People look at it like a fledgling warrior: inexperienced ones are dopes who are clumsy. Their services are worthless. That's your 'Rinth whore right there. On the other side of the spectrum, the ones that are better with etiquette and pleasing are the equivalent of an experienced warrior.

Will some people be jealous? Sure, I think so. Why shouldn't that guard captain be indignant that, after giving years of his life to service of the house and risking himself to further whatever cause and all of a sudden some big-breasted woman who screws the noble suddenly has more sway than him. People are jealous for all sorts of reasons.

Then again, I think that's something that PCs do rather than the population of Zalanthas. One of the biggest problems in this game is that people bring over their ideals of sex and love. My suggestion is to think of a concubine/whore or whatever as a masseuse (*sp) or a cook. You enjoy a cook's cooking, but would you rather have them or an experienced member of the house if you had to choose? The former is easily dispensable, there's tons of people willing to have the opportunity, while the latter is something that can only be -made- through hard years that they may not survive.

[Angela Christine]

A wealthy commoner would probably look at a filthy rinth rat whore with disdain, not with jealousy.

Well, yeah, but that has nothing to do with the proffession itself.

A wealthy commoner will likely feel equal disdain for filthy 'rinth rat mercenaries and filthy 'rinth rat peddlers.  'Rinthers are not just dirty but also "unclean," they are poor and diseased, they have criminal tendancies, they have nasty manners, and they are clearly inferior since only inferior people would choose to live in a place like that.  (It may be that it wasn't them but their parents that "chose" to live in the 'rinth, but even before scientific interest in genetics people understood about traits being passed "in the blood").  A person with a low-class 'rinth accent that manages to get hired into a noble house guard will still be subject to snickers and wrinkled noses, at least behind his back.  The only thing lower than a 'rinther is an elven 'rinther.    Likewise a classy, well-spoken, attractive commoner will generally be treated pretty well, regardless of whether he works as a prostitute, an aide, a merchent, or any other legal proffession.

Social class is simply a more important factor in interaction than proffession.

AC

[Rindan]

I think that it is a profession that in its normal form probably would not be wildly envied, but neither utterly loathed.  I think it is ok to make quips about someone being a prostitute or associate it as a low brow insult to call someone a 'rinth whore.  Despite the lack of monogamy, parentage is something people care about.  There is a world of difference between being a half-breed and a full blooded human.  I don't see why that wouldn't extent to being the son of a whore being seen as less respectable then being the mother of a jeweler or noble assistant.

For instance, if someone a Byner a shit shoveler, even then being a mercenary is not a taboo profession, it doesn't always garnish a great deal of respect.  I think whoring would probably be on the level of a mercenary, or perhaps a little lower is STDs are common.  It is a profession, and an okay profession, but there are things out there better.  Not nearly as bad as it is viewed today, but you probably wouldn't brag that you are in the son of a whore.  I would call it low class work and I think it would be treated like such.

Now, as others have pointed out, that probably would not be the case with all whores.  The average whore is probably very poor, very dirty, probably takes a beating now and then, and probably is not much to envy.  A noble concubine on the other hand would probably be an envied person by a lot of people.  They get to be the in good graces of some Lord/Lady, and they probably are kept relatively clean and healthy.  Some people might look down on it just due to unskilled nature of the work (in their eyes), but I imagine most would probably be jealous of the idea of being pampered in exchange for letting yourself be screwed by the a local lord/lady on occasion.

So, can you throw whore about as an insult?  Sure.  I think it fits the game fine.  Want to insult someone's mother by calling her a whore?  Great.  Get descriptive and describe the types of patrons the victim's mother might have taken on.  That said, you probably should not jump out of your seat in surprise or disgust if someone claims to be a whore.  It is a normal profession.  It is generally not a glamorous profession that pays a great deal or is widely respected in my opinion, but it isn't that bad or that big of a deal.

[God]

Whoring is the equivalent of begging, only lower. You let some disgusting, mutated, vicious man(doesn't really matter what they look like, long as they pay) stick his dirty thing into you for a few 'sids. Generally you have a lot of STDs, a lot of bruises, and are very desperate. Usually you'll have a pimp, who pretty much owns you, in order to avoid getting overly abused by customers. That would be my view of the average whore.

You can't get lower than a whore, in my opinion. I'd pity them more than loathe them, but women might view it as particularly disgraceful.

[Anarchy]

Sex in Armageddon - a normal non-taboo thing. Having sex with another breed is a diffrent matter. Got an itch, well scratch it because you might be dead tomorrow.

Whores - Subject to snickering, the butts of all jokes. Alot of them out there. Dirty, poor street/brothel workers. In a powerarch, i would rank them above untribed, unclaned 'rinther elves.

Courtesans - Same as everyone else its a -damn- good paying job and you have more of a choice to pick your patrons. Clean, neat, well spoken private workers. These girls would be joked about only because in a world based on power, they took charge and used what they had, in a powerarch i would rank them right under nobles, next to a Borsail house captain.

Concubines - The Nobles play things, above Whores, below Courtesans but can wield so much more power. Snicker at them, but behind there backs, you will never know how much sway they have over there noble patron, and you REALLY do not want a noble to take notice of you. on a powerarch chart, i would rank them next to Courtesans, and even above lesser house junor in some case. Well spoken, clean neat wealthy, they would be treated like a noble's child.

[aeshyw]

Please, please, please, please please - leave your Western morals and ideas about sex out of Armageddon.  The morality in the game is not remotely similar to what most people practice in real life, and there is no church to introduce the ages old 'if it feels good it must be bad' logic. Heck, most templars have concubines of their own.

A concubine and a whore are also two very different things. A whore is generally self-employed, or in the service of some shady organization or another, and without noble sponsorship.  A concubine is a servant that is -so- trusted they are allowed to sleep in their own lord/lady's bed - a position that could easily place said noble's life in danger if they are not loyal.  A prostitute does not have to show loyalty to their customers. A concubine had better show loyalty or heads will roll, quickly. In addition, a poorly behaving concubine or one who is seen in public as ill-suited, is a drain on their noble's social status..so they are generally chosen with some care.

Add to that the fact that in the social structure, concubines and or consorts are fairly highly ranked:

http://www.armageddon.org/general/ranktable.html

A concubine or consort sometimes has the ear of their noble. They sometimes can influence who is hired and who is not.  A good concubine may be serving their noble in many other ways not obvious to those who watch.  It is not only inappropriate to confuse Western morals with those your character might logically have...it can in many cases be dangerous.

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

Um, you're both saying you disagree, but you're saying the same thing I'm saying.

Did I?

I think it depends a lot on the "class" of prostitute we're talking about.

I'm not sure I agree with you there... I think a prostitute would be a fairly accepted proffesion, no matter how skanky or low-class the whore in question is.

Hmm. Yeah, doesn't seem like I did...

Being a whore is not a cause for scorn. Think of it as being a postal worker or garbage man on Earth... Not flashy, and people might try and make fun of you for it, but really, no one has any huge hatred for you because of it. As I and others said before, morals on Zalanthas are way different than those on Earth. You could go around and bang everybody in the Known World, just lie on your back and spread your legs in the middle of Tektolnes' court. People might snicker, but hell... They'd probably join in.

Furthermore, a concubine and a self-employed whore are going to be different, just like a mercenary and a Borsail Captain are going to be different, just like a mugger and a licensed assassin are going to be different. The thing is, not everyone can be a concubine, Captain, or assassin. One job might be more glamorous and high-paying, but that doesn't mean the other one is something you should stick up your nose at. In general, the PC populace represents some of the more... For lack of a better word, interesting, people of the Known World. Players are the real movers and shakers. Sure, there's always going to be a PC playing a desperate 'Rinth rat, but in the end, that 'Rinther could easily someday be an expert assassin, or a leader of an enormous gang. With us ambitous players constantly changing the face of the Known World, it can be easy to forget that a lot of the Known World is constant. That is, your average commoner is probably stuck in a dead-end job with no clear end in sight. Some people have no jobs, just dig through human feces and refuse, looking for some 'sid or some food. There -really- are worse professions than a hooker out there, and it's a fairly common and accepted job.

Here's an example. You hate elves. Most people that aren't elves do. But it'd be damn stupid to go around and beat up every elf you see, wouldn't it? There are elves around you constantly, almost as many of them as there are humans. Trying to fight them all would be a good way to get yourself killed. It's the same way with whores. It's good way to get money. It might not be the best way, or the most 'honorable' way, in your opinion, but you might stir up some bad blood with their superiors when you try and point that out to them. Making blanket insults is a good way to get yourself into a bad situation.

Or at least lose you senior citizen's discount. :wink:

[Krath]

*rub his hands together with an evil glint within his eyes as he plans his next prostitute killing character, Jak the Ripper!*

[ShaLeah]

Please, please, please, please please - leave your Western morals and ideas about sex out of Armageddon.  The morality in the game is not remotely similar to what most people practice in real life, and there is no church to introduce the ages old 'if it feels good it must be bad' logic. Heck, most templars have concubines of their own.

This should be in the introduction page of:
http://www.armageddon.org/intro/whatyouknow.html
So should many other generalities of Zalanthas.

I'd like to think that whoring, like killing and protecting are, is very prevalent on Zalanthas.

That said, I have to agree, whoring is directly dependant on the class, manners, cleanliness and looks of the whore.

To insult a woman who sells services, call her a rinthy whore, that's the lowest of the low in the whoring ladder.
Calling a woman a whore is not, in my humble opinion, an insult at all.
Grabbing your crotch lewdly, mouth twisted in a sneer, you say to the voluptuous. silk-clad woman, in sirihish:
  "Feck you, ya whore!"
Tossing her honey-green mane over her alabaster shoulders with a husky laugh, her eyes taunting as they stare at your stained, ragged gear,  the voluptuous, silk-clad woman says to you, in sirihish:
  "I sincerely doubt you could afford me, sellsword."

In Allanak, I would say that most high classed whores would probably end up being concubines. You can bet Lord Tor is not going to want Lord Borsail and Lord Valika riding his kank, much less fucking his whore, so eventually, if a whore is successful, she or he would have to make a political choice, where he or she is going to place his or her loyalties. That would be something a wealthy, succesful whore would aspire to. Lower whores would admire her from afar, wanting to be like her, once they got over the jealousy that is.   :wink:

In Tuluk, whoring would be an art. Everything is an art in Tuluk, making love would be no exception.  Sure, they lose noble and templar patrons, but they make up for it for living a lot longer due to their not being claimed. They don't have to play the political side like the whores in Allanak do and that is well worth it, ensures longevity. Anyone gets too possessive? Get yourself a master of assassination, no problem. Gotta love that Tuluki custom.  :twisted:  



ShaLeah
-who wishes people would get over their real world opinions when playing the game.

[Cyrian20]

I believe it doesn't really matter, No one would really care, you live in a world that was torn apart long before your great grand parents even shared thier first tube of spice. It is a dirty dead world, and you risk the chance of dying at a regular basis. If not from some dirty elf then from some grumpy dwarf or some bynner flying off the shield wall and landing on you. So why would anyone give a damn if someone found a way to pass the time enjoyably as well as making sid off of it. Sex makes you feel better after a hard day of slaying gith and living off whatever roots you could find in the wastes.

Look at Britian before the Christian movement. Men would patrol and when they stopped through towns they would spend time with the local purchasable women. Not because they considiered themselves conquerers or somesuch but just because they wanted to have a good time as did the women, But since they couldn't very well enjoy themselves with the soldiers and work a 9-5 at the same time they got paid for it. No one thought any less or more of them and when the soldiers left they continued thier life with little if any hassle. I see that sort of the way it would be in arm. We aren't westerners we are armers and as such western morales don't really belong

[My 2 sids]

Two things...

A.  I'm not sure people would have pimps.  I would think perhaps groups/brothals... but not pimps.  I think the idea of a pimp would be too sexest in a world where there is no "fair sex" to protect.  Protection would come in the form of partners or groups... but not just some burly protection guy who owned a girl.

B.  Anyone ever watch the old show Gunsmoke?   I think Miss Kitty is an -excellent- example of what a whore would be like in game.  A buisness woman, tough, has friends, is proud of her employment... but dosen't let the job run her life.

I personally think why we have gotten so confused as to the roles of whores in game is because how some PCs play the whore.  The PC comes across more like 'arm jewrey' looking for a good time, than an actual buinsess person.  Every other profession, its said to be poor RP to be 'working' every moment one is logged in.  But there are some whore type PCs who insist on 'working it' every time they log on.   Maybe I'm wrong... but I never see some PCs with just friends or a "comforatble t-shirt and jeans' type outfit.

[marko]

Just something I would like to point out - a concubine is not a whore in any way shape or form.  A concubine by modern definition is:

A woman who cohabits with a man without being legally married to him.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

In ancient times this definition was a bit different:

Taking the western view - a child of a wife received full inheritance and was the child of the father, a child of a concubine was the child of the concubine and received no inheritance (although they received a lifetime of gifts so long as the father lived).

A concubine was a secondary wife.  A wife of lower legal status.

As we move eastwards through societies, the status of a concubine becomes even more blurred with the introduction of harems.  To keep track of the status of a harem's membership there was a need for different words.  What is interesting is that the children of these concubines often had full legal rights of inheritance.

For instance:

Japanese emperors were allowed - 3 consorts, 9 wives of high rank, 27 wives of lower rank, and 81 concubines (William Price, Japan and the Son of Heaven).

In Islam law:

"What is a concubine?

The slave girl that was allotted by the state to the respective household, thus became the consort of one member of the household. Only this person was allowed to have a sexual relationship with this slave girl. The difference between this person's wife and the slave girl was that his wife came into his house through the proper marriage contract (Nikaah), and the slave girl was allotted by the state.

What is the status of the offsprings of this relationship-- to the man, in their lives, wealth and will etc?

The children were exactly like the other children from the person's legally wedded wife. They were to be given exactly the same rights as his other children. The children of the slave girl would inherit the property exactly as the other children. There was absolutely no difference amongst the children. And once any slave girl bore a child, she could not be sold to anybody else and thus became a permanent member of the household.

Of note is this:

Prostitution is a result of illegal lust, and is a huge sin in the eyes of Allah. The allocation of slave girls was a issue of the times to envelope the woman taken as slaves in a war into the Islamic society. "

Source: ZanAmu

Now, this is all fine and dandy - I could continue to point out differences in the usage of concubine in the real world but how does it relate to Armageddon?  

Well, to the best of my knowledge a concubine in Armageddon is akin to the 'western' definition - a wife (read as exclusive sexual partner) of lesser status where the children are the children of the concubine and not the father.

A consort  is a favored concubine - a higher social ranking.  

A courtesan is simply a high paid prostitute.  

Therefore - once again - a concubine is not a prostitute.  Prostitutes have their place and concubines have theirs.

[2 Lazy 2 Login ShaL]

But there are some whore type PCs who insist on 'working it' every time they log on.   Maybe I'm wrong... but I never see some PCs with just friends or a "comforatble t-shirt and jeans' type outfit.

How many whore PC's have you ever met in game that admitted to being whores? I've personally met one and I've been playing two years. The other PC whore I met was a former whore.

I think you're confusing sensual women with whores... women who undulate their hips as they walk, who speak in throaty whispers or purrs, who ooze sexuality, are not whores.  Fuck me PC's maybe, but not whores.

I find it interesting that My 2 sids chose to use whore type PC's, -that- is the mentality that keeps people thinking in modern day terms. What do you mean by

whore type PC's

exactly?
Good looking? Lots of male admirers? Dripping in silk? The way they speak, move and act? Since I've played the game, people have degraded any woman seen as beautiful or sensual and I personally think we need more women like that. Strong, cunning, secure in their abilities, secure in their sexuality, powerful, the product of -alot- of disdain from more insecure women and men, some might even say hatred. Why is it seen as a bad thing for a woman to be sexually powerful? Why does that automatically make her a "whore type"?

Let's face it, until we can get the players to act according to the world, we're going to have antipathy towards sexually powerful PC's.


ShaLeah
-who finds the "whore type" statement to be speaking louder than most of the answers to this post.

[Rindan]

I find it interesting that My 2 sids chose to use whore type PC's, -that- is the mentality that keeps people thinking in modern day terms. What do you mean by

whore type PC's

exactly?
Good looking? Lots of male admirers? Dripping in silk? The way they speak, move and act? Since I've played the game, people have degraded any woman seen as beautiful or sensual and I personally think we need more women like that. Strong, cunning, secure in their abilities, secure in their sexuality, powerful, the product of -alot- of disdain from more insecure women and men, some might even say hatred. Why is it seen as a bad thing for a woman to be sexually powerful? Why does that automatically make her a "whore type"?

Let's face it, until we can get the players to act according to the world, we're going to have antipathy towards sexually powerful PC's.


ShaLeah
-who finds the "whore type" statement to be speaking louder than most of the answers to this post.

I think the common objection against 'whore type PCs' in the context of the large breasted, pale skinned, silk clad, perfectly clean person is not so much that they are pretty, just that they are they can blatantly ignore reality.  They walk through a sandstorm, through the commons, down a shit covered back alleyway, and into the Gaj in their slippers without a hood or proper cloaked for walking through a sandstorm.  It certainly isn't universal.  I recall one pretty woman who went to great lengths to be good looking, she just kept it reasonable.  She had her provocative clothing, but she always wore a working (if provocative) pair of boots, had a decent (but still nice) cloak which she would just take off when inside.  Storms messed up her hair and she got dusty like everything else does.

It would be a very strong misrepresentation to label it as a female PC only problem.  I can't even begin to recall how many times I have read some male descriptions and groaned a little because they are sheathed in muscles of doom, when in combat start doing amazing combat maneuvers with their day old character, and when hurt never so much as flinch at the pain of having an arm removed or suffering templar torture.  It is pretty common and normal to want to pick the extreme ideal of a gender to the point of absurdity.  You have the drop dead gorgeous woman who float across the ground and have never seen dirt, and then the man who drips with testosterone and won't cry out even as you pull out his intestines and wrap them around his neck.

I think when dealing with these people it is best just to ignore it and play as realistically as possible.  While sitting next to the dirtless woman, start picking at your fleas.  When fighting the macho man, beat him senseless with utterly ordinary combat maneuvers, or when hurt cry out in pain.  Better just to lead by example.  I think characters that fall under radical extremes tend to be people who are new and have not caught on yet that Armageddon is not a traditional fantasy RPG.  These people tend to catch on pretty quickly if they have role models and mentors that show them the way through their own good RP.

[Delirium]

Sexually powerful PCs I have no problem with. PCs with velvety skin that's pale and got nary a wrinkle or scar, and perfect hair and big beautiful non-squinted eyes with long pretty perfect curling lashes and lovely hands and wonderfully sumtuous curves with a perfect figure.. I do. I should have them persecuted for being a magicker, since that's the only way I can think of surviving in that condition, without being a noble, templar, or pampered member of a merchant House.

"But, I made her nose a teeny bit crooked, so it's okay! She's not an f-me!"

[CindyLou]

I think 2 Sids is saying characters who exist primarily for the purpose of sex. Whether acted out or fade to black. Not just sensual confident sexy women, but women who use their sexuality - not sensuality - to gain favor from whoever. That favor would be in the form of payment (prostitutes) or lavish gifts (courtesans/concubines), or their lives (offering sex to a templar who just caught them trying to steal for example).

Correct me if I'm wrong 2 Sids, but that's what I got from your post, and if it's correct, then I agree.

[Gorobei]

I'm not going to post an opinion here, but I'd like to direct everyone's attention to this:

Hemlines are generally shorter in the northlands, where an above the knee skirt is considered acceptable, but would mark a woman as being of decidedly ill repute in the south.

This is a slightly dated doc, though.  It still labels Tuluk as "Northlands (formerly Tuluk)".

[DrunkenSalarr]

In my years of playing Arm, my various characters have met quite a few whore PCs, they kind of disapeared for a few years, but shortly after I first started playing, there was a fully working PC-run brothel in 'Nak.  I rememer reading the rumor boards (this was before we had talk <NPC> rumor) and from what I heard, they were a very well run business.  

My PC at the time was friends with a number of the employees there, everyone from the whors to the bouncers.  It was a very young character, and so had no intention of actually making use of them, but was treated as kind of an adopted little brother.  I rememer that they didn't "work" all the time, they were very much like other clans in that they had their working hours and their time off.  Yes, they were looked down upon by some PCs, but for the most part they were accepted.  Just another aspect of the world being played out by PCs.

[God]

Obviously, most of us people in the Western culture don't have much experience with whores. I find it very ridiculous that people continously say, "Leave your old-fashioned Western values behind!"

Maybe I'm just obtuse, but I've never read that the humans of Zalanthas are anything other than human, and therefore, I look to the inhabitants and cultures of Earth and myself to decide how whores would be viewed.

1) Correct me if I'm wrong, but Western culture is most sexually liberal and egalitarian culture in the world. Whores have never been "respected" as a general rule in Western culture. Can anyone tell me a culture where they are respected?

2) "Hot" women are probably more likely to settle down with a powerful, rich husband than work on the streets or in a brothel. I don't think anyone here can imagine the trauma associated with whoring. In this "apocalyptic" world, I can only see whoring being more dangerous and shaming.

I'll go on if I have to, but my point is, whoring is the lowest of the low. Expect to be disdained by women, used by men, and generally live a miserable life.

[DrunkenSalarr]

Whores have never been "respected" as a general rule in Western culture. Can anyone tell me a culture where they are respected?

Japanese Culture.  I can not recall the actual term but  I wouldn't exactly call them whores, as that is far too dirty a term for what they are, but they do sell their bodies for money.  It is a highly respected profession, and has been for quite some time.

[God]

Damn, you got me. I forget about those naughty Japenese and their sex addiction.

Everyone seems to assume that Zalanthas is very sexually free and open or something, but I don't see why. It's been scientifically shown that humans are best suited for monogamy - children take a long time to develop, and they develop best with both parents. I see monogamy as the norm on Zalanthas, whether there is marriage or not.

Consider the death-rate on Zalanthas. Then, consider that the population has remained fairly stable(ie, it doesn't halve every generation, or even significantly decrease). Most women are going to be having children, and a LOT of them at that. And in order to raise children, you need a stable home, income, and all that. Usually takes a man's help.

I know, I'm going off in tangents outside the topic, but the point is, women aren't going to view whores as a good part of society. Men will be happy to have their itch scratched, but I know that men don't really "like" or "respect" whores as a profession.