Filed under: hookers, people from rhode island | Tags: prostitution, rhode island, the news
Local investigative reporter Bill Rappleye posted a blog entry Monday, asking viewers whether they thought the state should ban prostitution. Almost immediately, the capitalization-challenged journalist got responses ranging from “No wonder teens are out of control” to “I don’t even smoke or like pot and i think it should be legal” to my favorite argument: “This issue has once again caused Rhode Island to become a joke on national news stations.”
Yes, Kerri P. from Warren, you’re right. National news stations have nothing better to do than laugh at Rhode Island. (They laugh at us on the news, and then when they’re done laughing at us on the news they watch Family Guy and then they laugh at us some more. Poor us!) On Monday Rappleye was surprised by the number of pro-prostitution comments, noting that maybe people actually supported the state’s hesitation to rush a flawed bill through. (Well, he called it a “lack of action,” but whatever.)
Speaking of a lack of action, Rappleye’s story got bumped from the Friday newscast, which was supposed to incorporate some of the comments.* Apparently people didn’t have much to say after Monday,which surprises me since people were talking about it all week. His conclusion:”it doesn’t seem like a lot of rappers [his name for people that read his blog] are worried about the exploitation of women here.”
Ummm… Yeah. Okay.
Filed under: hookers, people from rhode island | Tags: journalism, prostitution, rhode island
On July 21st State Reps David Segal and Edith Ajello published an editorial in the Providence Journal, stating the reasons why they both voted against anti-prostitution legislation every time it’s come up. I know David personally–he started the local news blog I write for–and I know that his opinions about prostitution are more or less the same as mine. That’s why I was surprised by one sentence in the piece. After pointing out the flaws of threatening trafficked women with deportation or jail, the editorial asks a question:
Where does this leave the remaining women, likely the large majority of prostitutes, who engage in sex work by choice, whether out of economic hardship or because of substance-abuse problems?
Because, um, those are the only two options? (And economic hardship and substance abuse problems are choices?) I mean, economic hardship is a relative term, I guess, and I can’t think of many people that wouldn’t say they’re currently facing one, but come on guys.
Well, it turns out that that’s not what was originally written. In a piece on the Providence Daily Dose, Segal mentions that the journal added the “whether” after the fact.
Here’s how it originally read: “Where does this leave the remaining women — likely the large majority of prostitutes — who engage in sex work by choice, out of economic necessity, or because of substance abuse problems?”
See the difference one added word can make? Apparently the ProJo editors couldn’t possibly fathom the idea of women performing sex work by choice. And I can only begin to guess why they changed “economic necessity” to “economic hardship.”
Filed under: heterosexuals, hookers, music | Tags: prostitutes, the scots, twilight sad
…is the name of the new single by the Twilight Sad. The Twilight Sad are one of those bands I automatically assumed I’d hate because their name is so stupid, but I like their anthemy shoegazing.
I really like the video, although I kept getting distracted the first time I watched it because singer James Graham’s voice reminds me of someone. Someone who had a college rock hit in 1983, maybe. I can’t quite peg it. But then a sexy Scottish accent never goes unappreciated in these parts (Malcolm Middleton, holla!)
The band’s signed to Fatcat Records, who also put out the new We Were Promised Jetpacks single, which I’m also really into despite hating the band’s name. The I Became A Prostitute 7″ (heh heh) is out in the UK on Monday.
