‘Pretty Woman’ students sell sex to fund degrees

The Sunday Times ^ | May 11, 2003 | Simon Ostrovsky

[MadIvan]

ONE DAY Vera Golubeva would like to live in the West and work as an accountant, but she has no hope of a grant to finance her studies — so for now she is selling her body on a street in St Petersburg.

Golubeva, 22, is far from being an exception. A study has found many women who work as prostitutes both in Russia and abroad are not the poor, uneducated victims of coercion they are portrayed to be; they have consciously decided to become sex workers to pay their way through university or college.

The study, carried out for the MiraMed Institute, a Moscow-based organisation that tackles sex trafficking and social issues, found many Russian women were drawn into prostitution by the Pretty Woman syndrome.

Shonda Werry of Chicago University, who carried out the research, said women told her they had been impressed by films such as Pretty Woman that make the lives of sex workers appear glamorous. Like Julia Roberts, who plays the prostitute heroine, they hope to meet a rich man who will whisk them away to a comfortable life abroad.

“I have a few foreign clients who are in love with me,” said Golubeva, who is doing a correspondence course in accounting. “I could pretty much get any of them to get me a visa to their country if I wanted, but I’m waiting for the right one.”

She started dancing in a club on Nevsky Prospekt, St Petersburg’s main avenue, but moved to the street after a dispute with the owners.

Golubeva’s situation is typical, said Werry. “Many college girls talk about prostitutes’ glamorous lifestyle and are impressed with the benefits that come with the job.”

A few Russian prostitutes do appear to succeed in establishing relationships with foreign clients and go to live with them abroad. Many more do not. Student sex workers are often more concerned with making money than insisting their partners use condoms.

MiraMed, founded by Juliette Engel, an American doctor, has been campaigning to warn young women of the dangers of prostitution — and discouraging them from responding to advertisements for lucrative work abroad.

“People assume prostitutes just come from poor economic backgrounds; this just isn’t true,” said Engel.

It could be a struggle to persuade many like Golubeva who are already in the business to quit. “I can make $250 on a good night,” she said, “and my bosses have flashing lights on the roof of their car, so I don’t get any trouble from anyone.”

[MadIvan]

I've heard college education is getting expensive, but this is really ridiculous.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[netmilsmom]

What is it with the new PC "Sex Workers"?
What ever happened to prostitute??
Or Whore?
Or Ho?
Or Slut?
Or Lady of the Night?
etc.

[ChadGore]

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.

[MeekOneGOP]

bttt for later read. LOL, I think? . . .

[wimpycat]

"Sex workers" sounds so...so....communist, so Eastern bloc, so 1984-ish.

Even "working girl" sounds better. Or "sporting woman". Or "fancy woman". Or "streetwalker". Or "call girl".

[gortklattu]

Ohh Lookee Here... An educated slut. Hey, that's today's society! When I've posed as a poor man, nothing.....when I have shown my wealth, babesaplenty!

[green team 1999]

said women told her they had been impressed by films such as Pretty Woman that make the lives of sex workers appear glamorous. Like Julia Roberts, who plays the prostitute heroine, they hope to meet a rich man who will whisk them away to a comfortable life abroad.

ah,hollywood moral values exported,and fools believe it.

[Wneighbor]

Reminds me of a dumb joke:

TEACHER: Students, I want you to use the word horticulture in a sentence.

STUDENT 1: You can lead a whore-to-culture but you can't make her think.

Somehow, this fits doesn't it? I mean, more concerned about getting the money than the condom and all. Nothing particularly new to the profession, but displays lack of thinking of the future for sure.

[netmilsmom]

What ever happened to prostitute??
Or Whore?
Or Ho?
Or Slut?
Trollop, Tramp, Harlot.

---

That's the spirit!

---

Sex workers" sounds so...so....communist, so Eastern bloc, so 1984-ish.

Even "working girl" sounds better. Or "sporting woman". Or "fancy woman". Or "streetwalker". Or "call girl".

---

All of those are better. "Sex Worker" put me in the mind of "Coffee Taster" for some reason. You know, those people who taste and spit?

[gcruse]

"I'm here to help you pay for college."
"Matriculate?"
"I got here as soon as I could."

[annyokie]

Dorothey Parker alert! That was her quip! "You can lead a whore to culture, but you can't make her think."

[gcruse]

That was Dorothy Parker asked to use horticulture in a sentence at the Alqonquin Round Table in New York in the 1920s.

[netmilsmom]

Pls see post 12. Sorry to have missed you on the reply.

[HennepinPrisoner]

From this week's Onion

Stripper Failing School She's Working Self Through

LAS VEGAS—Exotic dancer Tricia "Mercedes" Hrlevich, 22, who is stripping to put herself through school, is failing her Red Rock Community College business classes, sources said Tuesday. "I definitely want to do something with, like, business," said Hrlevich, who has received Fs on three straight economics exams. "Dancing at Cheetah's [Gentlemen's Cabaret] is just a way of getting closer toward that goal." Hrlevich then accompanied a balding 54-year-old to the Champagne Room, where she earned $60 toward a Psych 101 textbook she will never read.

[ErnBatavia]

Ohh Lookee Here... An educated slut.

Hey! She can make change...right?

[Wolfie]

Maybe some day you folks will explore the meaning of "capitalism". (Hint: it isn't always something you like).

[Principled]

What ever happened to prostitute?? Or Whore? Or Ho? Or Slut? Trollop, Tramp, Harlot.

or strumpet

[Cathryn Crawford]

Y'all know I'm going into debt going to school.

Are you guys suggesting I should do this? I mean, I don't want to ruin my reputation yet. I'll wait till I'm a paid political whore columnist.

Of course, some people think I am already. HA! I'd like to see the money!

Just kidding, of course...(in case you read this and don't know about my ironic sense of humor)

[eddie willers]

If all the girls who attended the Yale prom were laid end to end, I wouldn't be a bit surprised.

[Cathryn Crawford]

Despite my Southern accent, I don't think my voice is that sexy.

[ricpic]

When you do achieve your dream and make it to the position of paid political whore columnist, at least be an honest whore and deliver the message that no matter how much the feminists hector men, the truth will out: MEN LOVE TARTS!

[Cathryn Crawford]

Way more than an inkling. I think I sound like an eneducated hick. I can't remove the drawl, even if I try. I just can't.

[Cathryn Crawford]

LOL - after meeting many men, I've come to one conclusion: you're absolutely right.

[RLK]

I have known domestic women here who put their way through graduate school by hooking on the side.

[Dan from Michigan]

Despite my Southern accent

That's all that's needed. Every guy I know loves southern drawls or twangs.

[Cathryn Crawford]

I say y'all constantly. Sometimes I write it, too.

I also say "fixing to", like, I'm fixing to do something.

[Cathryn Crawford]

Someone once told me that if a man didn't like my Southern accent, he was gay.

I still refuse to be a "sex worker". What a stupid term. What about "phone whore"?

[Loyalist]

Someone once told me that if a man didn't like my Southern accent, he was gay.

There was a girl from South Carolina when I was in j-school who could keep me spellbound just by her drawl. A Southern accent is a damn sight sexier than a French one, believe me.

[Cathryn Crawford]

LMAO...that's just perfect.

[headsonpikes]

Suitably enough, perhaps, the French have the loveliest term...

...'fille de joie'.

[Porterville]

Hookers??? In Russia??? I'm shocked, I tell you, just shocked...I'm changing my plans and vacationing in Prague..

[Travis McGee]

Super Natasha, anyone?

[Cathryn Crawford]

I should hope so. French accents are annoying. I'd hate to think mine was.

[Cathryn Crawford]

By the way, mine's a Texas accent. The best kind.

[Victoria Delsoul]

This is just pathetic, what's wrong with having a decent, honest job?

[Senator Pardek]

By the way, mine's a Texas accent. The best kind.

Tru dat.

[Cathryn Crawford]

You just don't understand our complex speech. Very hard to do.

:-)

[Senator Pardek]

Self-respect is so 10 minutes ago, as is the phrase "so 10 minutes ago".

[Cathryn Crawford]

I started to ping you over here. You know what I mean when I refer to my accent. It's pretty thick...LOL :-)

[Dan from Michigan]

You just don't understand our complex speech. Very hard to do. For one thing.....where IS yonder?