Sex and Stupidity

Hypocrisy? Self--delusion? Oh, let’s just call it what it is. Stupidity. America’s attitude toward sex is simply mind-boggling.

Bill Maher has it right when he says that we all need to stop over-analyzing the “whys” with regard to L’affaire d’Elliot Spitzer…the guy just wanted to have sex with a hot babe and got caught (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-maher/spitzers-trysts-stop-ov_b_91141.html).

But how ridiculous was the rush in print (see the NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/nyregion/13kristen.html?scp=2&sq=ashley&st=nyt) and all the TV news shows (Today Show, Anderson Cooper, Oprah, and everything on Fox News) to interview professional call girls ? This might have been Heidi Fleiss’ best week ever.

Of course there’s nothing new in all of this. Way back in 2000, America got its first look at high priced hookers when FOX created the genre I like to call “’Ho-TV” with "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire?" Today, you can see any number of women (aka skanks) eager to have sex for fortune and fame on “Flavor of Love,” “Rock of Love,” or “That’s Amore” to name a few; there are even boy ho’s on “I Love New York” that ultra-classy spin-off from “Flavor of Love.”

The success of all these programs is the obvious. The reason millions of people tune in these shows is that they let you see what legalized prostitution looks like, up close and personal.

Ironic then, that in the only state where prostitution is legal, the department of tourism’s has a national marketing campaign themed “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” And paradox on top of irony, they continue to market it as a family vacation destination, much like that other family friendly spot, New Orleans (both pre and post Katrina).

Only in "the Big Easy" could you go into a convenience store for a bottled water and a bag of chips and come out with a desk-top toy of a two people engaged in oral sex that was strategically situated next to the cash register. I'm no prude, but if that's what passes for an impulse purchase at a Store 24, then everybody needs to stop being so indignant when public figures are caught up in a sex scandal.

Too bad that Governor Spitzer couldn't follow the example of one of his most distinguished predecessors, Nelson Rockefeller. Old Rocky knew better than to engage his girls on an hourly basis. When he died with his pants around his ankles in the presence of his 26 year old "aide" Megan Marshak, it was a one day story and there were no wire-taps involved. And, Megan never had to pay the monthly mortgage on her New York apartment again. Almost everybody lived happily ever after.