Porn v. Prostitution, Prolific Profits.

Warning, salty language ahead. Porn star Lisa Ann on the difference between porn and prostitution.



Note the central thesis: the profits earned by corporate interests are evidence that pornographic actresses provide a great deal of consumer surplus. She contrasts this with one-on-one prostitution, in which the workers are relatively anonymous, there is no corporate structure in the US (with some exceptions for Nevada bordellos), and profits are low.

High-end golf courses often hire professional players to instruct members on the finer points of how to select and swing a club. These same pros earn more on the PGA tour, bring more enjoyment to more punters if you will. Would anyone claim that pro golf instructors are being exploited in the off-season?

Not everyone has what it takes to be a Jack Nicklaus or a Lisa Ann. Not everyone wants to be a Jack Nicklaus or a Lisa Ann. It might be a fine thing to share your talents with more people, to bring more felicity to the world, but the labor calculus is up to the worker as much on the links as between the sheets. Assessment of opportunity costs can be a hard slog, but it's made no easier (or more accurate) when done on others' behalf.

I appreciate that Lisa Ann acknowledges that prices contain information, but I'd appreciate it more if she would refrain from assuming others' BATNA. The world is a large place, and there is a great deal of space for a multitude of careers. Consider the possibility that some sorts of sex work can be complements rather than substitutes. Perhaps some of Lisa Ann's feature films are used by working girls to prime clients for one-on-one attention, similar to how pro golf instruction helps recreational golfers better appreciate the skill and finesse on display at the PGA's Masters Tour.

h/t Mistress Matisse for the link.