“This big house and all this money around us… it don’t mean nothing. I’m fvcker! That’s what I am --and that’s what you married!”
Perhaps some men see power, fame, and acclaim as a means to get as much sex as they want. Expecting them to be monogamous after they’ve reached the pinnacle of success is like expecting a boarded plastic surgeon to settle for a $50k salary.
Wasn’t this the plot/premise of a South Park episode?
Start with insecurity. A lot of successful people are incredibly worried that it will all go up in smoke. Known a lot of people, who, once they get past “doing reasonably okay”, get more and more anxious as the income increases. The opposite of what you might think.
Note that there is sometimes a link between bullying and insecurity. Often, but not always.
Some successful people got there by being bullies. Pushing around subordinates and such isn’t the biggest thrill. How about forcing someone to have sex with you for pay? Now, that’s a top notch bullying experience. Really calms down your insecurities.
Think of all the reasons why you DON’T frequent a high end call girl. Typically it’s because a) you don’t have the disposable income to spend and b) you are unwilling to take the legal and social risks if you get caught.
Wealthy powerful men don’t have to worry about a) and I suppose in certain cases they don’t give two shits about b).
Seriously. What is the legal consequence of getting caught with a prostitute? In New York it’s a Class A misdemeanor punishable with a fine or up to a year in jail time. Maybe his wife divorces him, but that just gives him more time to bank more prostitutes. Sptizer evidently is rich as shit so it’s not like he’s going to go broke and his family money is not subject to getting split in a divorce.
So IOW, he’s not exactly “risking it all”.
Maybe for some it’s insecurity. A lot of successful people were nerds when they were younger. They became successful because while all the dumb jocks were banging cheerleaders, they were holed up in the library or computer lab. Now those dumb jocks are fat middle-aged men making $50k a year and the nerds are now wealthy and successful and women are responding to that. But on some level they are that rejected nerd still proving they can get the hot chick.
Then again, a lot of wealthy and successful people grow up in an entitled culture where they have been getting everything they wanted since birth. There’s no “insecurity” to it. Their wife is just an accessory that they would not think twice about cheating on any more than they might care about not driving their usual car or eating at their favorite restaurant a few times a week.
How is Spitzer so wealthy? Is it all family money? I think the most lucrative thing he’s done was work as a partner at law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom for like 2 years. While that’s a lucrative job, they aren’t paying tens of million of dollars.
I think if I were a wealthy unmarried man of a certain age I would ONLY do high-end hooker sex. There has to be a better way to do it without getting caught. I know many men manage to.
Luxury real estate. His father owned quite a bit and he has continued to grow his family’s holdings. Spitzer himself has disclosed that he makes more than $2 million per year as a landlord.
I like this idea. It makes the most sense to me.
But I don’t think I really know. I just don’t get it, really. I don’t understand the desire for power, either. Infatuation is really nice, even in little crushes, but when it hits me, it’s about how wonderful that particular person is. Paying for sex as a disposable commodity just seems sad.
I think in at least some cases it’s a quite different effect – guys in powerful positions at least sometimes use sex workers as a way to be vulnerable. Not “maybe I’ll get caught” vulnerable per se, but more like, “I usually have to be guarded and false and perfect in how I act and speak all the time, I need to just be me for while and be a little reckless” vulnerable. That’s why you also get all the stories about sex workers being paid just to talk or to do pretty light duty play with rich guys.
And it’s also part of why there’s a fairly common theme in BDSM scenes that “high profile, successful business guy” types are often submissive. Giving up power is how they separate from their day to day shit. (Corollary: a lot of dominants can be flakes, fuckups, or menial workers outside the dungeon).
It doesn’t have to be at all. Some people can separate sex and intimacy and romance into neat, separate piles and fulfill them independently. Most of us don’t really have that talent or luxury, but there are folks for who it works.
And there are also folks who enjoy sex but aren’t comfortable in relationships for any number of reasons. I think it would probably be healthier for everyone involved if such folks can get their sexual stimulation in an honest, straightforward way without having to “pick up” partners with potentially false promises.
There’s a sort of cliche that most sex is sex work, it’s just done on a barter system – we trade sex for companionship, support, and, well, more sex. Overstated? Probably, but I think there’s some truth there.
I’ve always assumed that the transgressive nature of the sex is part of the appeal. Isn’t sex with a hooker one male fantasy, along with the naughty nurse nancy, Catholic school girl, cheerleader, and so on? But combine that fantasy with enough cash and a feeling of invincibility, and – hey, no need to fantasize or just do role-play with the little wifey; you can actually act out this desire for real!
But I have no idea; this is mere speculation on my part.
Me am Rich.
Me want Sex now.
Me am powerful.
Me get sex now!
Wouldn’t it be just awesome to catch The Donald in a sex scandal?
I think there are many men out there who believe that the best part of being wealthy and or powerful is the access to a steady stream of good looking and compliant sexual partners.
I can guarantee you his polling numbers won’t go down one bit.
He’s America’s Berlusconi.
Sadly, I agree. But it would still be fun to watch. His sexual MO, though arguably distasteful, doesn’t seem to enter into the realm of truly scandalous, alas.