Pornosophy: Prostitution v. Marriage: An Economic Analysis

Prostitution is no laughing manner. Women or men have the right to do anything they want with their bodies, but many prostitutes are sex slaves who are abused by pimps. However from a purely economic standpoint the difference between prostitution and marriage might be compared to that of renting or buying an a co-op or condo. It’s also tantamount to the difference between renting or leasing and buying a car. The person who purchases the services of a prostitute is basically renting his or her body for a short period of time while the person who ties the knot is basically doing the equivalent of buying a condo or buying shares in a co-op. If you’re a busy person who is out of town a lot and who leads the kind of life where you're only at home for an hour or two a day, you might consider purchasing the services of a prostitute rather than going through all the responsibilities that come with marriage. Employ a prostitute for three hours, have dinner and sex and even have him or her sing you lullaby and good night. Your out of pocket expenses might seem large, but they’re nothing compared to the married person who is responsible for the maintenance of the full package including cosmetic body work (for instance botox)—not to mention the cost of alimony when it’s time for a trade in. Employing the services of a prostitute like renting a car or apartment turns out to be a good way to cut costs. When you’re finished with your rental, you simply pick up your deposit and leave (which is why it’s always good to have as short a lease on a person or apartment as possible). Of course you may fall in love with an apartment. If you know you want to keep it forever, then you might want to fork out the cash and incur all the maintenance responsibilities that come with owning something. There are men and women who are known to have married their favorite prostitutes for the same reason. I might be having a great time in my rental and think egads I want to live here forever. However, when the lease is up you have no guarantee you will be able to renew. Marriage similarly provides some degree of insurance that the prostitute whose services you're enjoying can be yours forever.