# sugar daddy and sugar baby website **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 26, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-daddy-and-sugar-baby-website/797355 "2017-09-26T16:25:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pippers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b5a626/32.png) [@Pippers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pippers)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-daddy-and-sugar-baby-website/797355/1 "2017-09-26T16:25:27Z")
> **[Belgian 'sugar daddy' ads prompt outcry for luring students](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41398623)** > > A dating site drives vans around Belgian universities telling women how to pay for their studies. I’m all for “to each their own”, but I can’t understand how this wouldn’t be construed as prostitution plain and simple. So if your morals are fine with being a whore (yes I’m using the term for effect) then ok. Does it really matter whether you’re paying off student debt, buying food for your children, or simply indulging in lavish clothes? You’re having sex for money. That means you’re a prostitute. No? The guy in the article says he doesn’t see the difference in his parents being married for 50 years and him paying a young girl for sex (or just companionship, righttttt). After all his dad puts money into his moms account every month, golly that means dad is paying mom for sex and raising a family has nothing to do with it. Really? What am I missing? ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-daddy-and-sugar-baby-website/797355/2 "2017-09-26T20:10:45Z")
It’s not prostitution since sex isn’t guaranteed. In any case even if it were, prostitution is legal in Belgium so I’m not seeing the issue. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-daddy-and-sugar-baby-website/797355/3 "2017-09-26T23:52:54Z")
This worldwide furore must be positively mortifying for the website’s publicists. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-daddy-and-sugar-baby-website/797355/4 "2017-09-27T00:14:12Z")
> [@Pippers](#): > > I’m all for “to each their own”, but I can’t understand how this wouldn’t be construed as prostitution plain and simple. So if your morals are fine with being a whore (yes I’m using the term for effect) then ok. Does it really matter whether you’re paying off student debt, buying food for your children, or simply indulging in lavish clothes? You’re having sex for money. That means you’re a prostitute. No? > > The guy in the article says he doesn’t see the difference in his parents being married for 50 years and him paying a young girl for sex (or just companionship, righttttt). After all his dad puts money into his moms account every month, golly that means dad is paying mom for sex and raising a family has nothing to do with it. Almost everyone is a “whore” on some level including me and probably you too. People create different types of arrangements based on their wants and needs and match them up with someone that wants a complimentary arrangement. That is fundamentally what romantic relationships and marriage are about and have been that way historically. People just get confused because romantic comedies distorted the concept especially starting in the 1980’s until today. The guy has a point. Husbands used to pay their wives for sex with things like mink coats and fancy dinners. People still do the equivalent today but some are just more direct and straightforward than others. You can call it prostitution in the judgmental sense but that doesn’t really help differentiate it from women that chase rich men in general or vice versa. There is also a big difference legally speaking. In general, it is only prostitution if you pay directly for specific sex acts during a defined period. If someone pays your rent and buys you a car and the sex just happens because both people are up for it, there isn’t a whole lot authorities can do about it. That isn’t very different from many husband-wife or boyfriend-girlfriend relationships. Almost all cities of any size have escort agencies that advertise openly. They are really just high-end prostitutes but you are just paying for someone to hang out with you with no guarantee of sex. It isn’t your fault if she falls in love with you at first sight. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-daddy-and-sugar-baby-website/797355/6 "2018-01-17T04:43:48Z")
> [@the linked article](#): > > The man behind the website, Norwegian Sigurd Vedal… > [@Donald J. Trump](#): > > We should have more people from Norway. Hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![Tee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Tee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tee)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-daddy-and-sugar-baby-website/797355/7 "2018-01-17T14:02:09Z")
> [@Pippers](#): > > [Belgian 'sugar daddy' ads prompt outcry for luring students](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41398623) > > I’m all for “to each their own”, but I can’t understand how this wouldn’t be construed as prostitution plain and simple. So if your morals are fine with being a whore (yes I’m using the term for effect) then ok. Does it really matter whether you’re paying off student debt, buying food for your children, or simply indulging in lavish clothes? You’re having sex for money. That means you’re a prostitute. No? Prostitution is transactional, and marriage is a partnership. A kept woman or man is an attempt at the best of both worlds imo, it is neither transactional nor a real partnership. You can think of marriage and manage your marital affairs along the lines of prostitution all you want, that’s your business. But they are very different institutions. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-daddy-and-sugar-baby-website/797355/8 "2018-01-17T14:05:46Z")
If they’re both adults, people should mind their own business. No victims here. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-daddy-and-sugar-baby-website/797355/9 "2018-01-17T14:48:20Z")
> [@Tee](#): > > Prostitution is transactional, and marriage is a partnership. A kept woman or man is an attempt at the best of both worlds imo, it is neither transactional nor a real partnership. So what is it? To each their own, I say. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-daddy-and-sugar-baby-website/797355/10 "2018-01-17T15:04:08Z")
The paying for sex part isn’t the reason why prostitution is illegal in so many places. It’s all the other stuff that usually goes along with it like STDs, Violence, robbery, etc… The whole sugar Daddy/Sugar Baby dynamic has none of those stigmas attached to it (typically speaking). Also, the reason why Asian “massage parlors” are able to stay in business is because they are keeping their business off the streets, indoors, out of site and out of mind of the public. So the authorities are less inclined to do anything about it. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-daddy-and-sugar-baby-website/797355/11 "2018-01-17T15:09:04Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Almost everyone is a “whore” on some level including me and probably you too. People create different types of arrangements based on their wants and needs and match them up with someone that wants a complimentary arrangement. That is fundamentally what romantic relationships and marriage are about and have been that way historically. People just get confused because romantic comedies distorted the concept especially starting in the 1980’s until today. > > The guy has a point. Husbands used to pay their wives for sex with things like mink coats and fancy dinners. People still do the equivalent today but some are just more direct and straightforward than others. > > You can call it prostitution in the judgmental sense but that doesn’t really help differentiate it from women that chase rich men in general or vice versa. There is also a big difference legally speaking. In general, it is only prostitution if you pay directly for specific sex acts during a defined period. If someone pays your rent and buys you a car and the sex just happens because both people are up for it, there isn’t a whole lot authorities can do about it. That isn’t very different from many husband-wife or boyfriend-girlfriend relationships. > > Almost all cities of any size have escort agencies that advertise openly. They are really just high-end prostitutes but you are just paying for someone to hang out with you with no guarantee of sex. It isn’t your fault if she falls in love with you at first sight. Has anyone ever suggested that some of those views might be considered misogynic? Wait, it’s all coming back to me now… ---
**Author:** ![Tee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Tee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tee)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-daddy-and-sugar-baby-website/797355/12 "2018-01-17T20:22:46Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > So what is it? > > To each their own, I say. I dunno. Employment?