Sex Trade

Emma Baughman’s blog “Sheila Take A Bow” analyzed Andy Warhol’s film, “Flesh.” “Flesh” was a controversial film because it defied social norms, exhibited “gender-bending,” and shattered traditional gender roles, even for the 1960s. Yet, Warhol’s film not only pushes the social limits but also pushes one’s imagination. The most intricate component of “Flesh” is the plot. Joe Delesandro, who play the main character, “Joe,” is a heroine addict. Maybe that’s not so exciting. However, “Joe” is prostituting to support his heroine addiction and assist to pay for his wife’s girlfriend’s abortion. A feeling of bewilderment somewhat takes over. The notion of a male prostitute is not only peculiar, but abnormal as well. Warhol definitely pushed my imagination. I began to wonder, why can’t a man be a prostitute? However, the answer came as quickly as the question. On a social context, it is almost impossible to comprehend men being prostitutes because it defies social norms in two ways. For one, men are generally at the hierarchy of social status. On the other hand, women are categorized as “second-class” citizens. Prostitution is perceived as a “female dominated” trade. Conclusively, men shouldn’t be engaging in prostitution because it doesn’t “fit” their social status. Secondly, women are perceived as the “typical” gender to engage in prostitution. If men began to enter into prostitution, are they taking on a female role? Furthermore, are they breaking implicit gender roles? Yet, at some point in history, society’s bubble has to be burst. There are not any statistics to prove that male prostitutes do exist, but they do. Prostitution is not a specific gender based trade, and almost anyone could enter into it. Although some type of stigmatization may be felt in stating this notion, it is real. To say that there is no such thing as a male prostitute is equated to saying that there is no such thing as a male porn star. So, maybe Warhol didn’t create a gender breaking concept, but he made it possible to think outside the box on terms of sexuality and social norms.