# The Whore of Mensa. How much would conversation with a bright woman be worth to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 30, 2006, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492 "2006-10-30T22:11:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2006, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/1 "2006-10-30T22:11:00Z")
Re Woody Allen’s “[The Whore of Mensa](http://woodyallenitalia.tripod.com/short-uk.html)” concept, let’s make that scenario real, and let’s say you got tired of dating willing, but not too bright or well educated women, and you really wanted some attentive, and potentially challenging conversation with an intelligent, well educated woman who had a real depth of knowledge. How much would you be willing to pay for that woman’s conversational time over some coffee or lunch at a nice bistro? > [@](#): > > In the Allen book, there was a short-story called, The Whore of Mensa, wherein a man can find female sexual partners with ease, but yearns to have stimulating and entertaining converstion with a woman. He is forced to hire, “intellectual prostitutes,” for a lack of a better term ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/2 "2006-10-30T22:16:46Z")
Isn’t this essentially the idea of the geisha, or the courtesan? Sex might (or might not, depending on your source) be part of their job, but the far greater portion of their time and energy is spent entertaining men at parties, both with conversation and with various performing art forms. They were arguably the most learned and educated women of their time. Why, yes, I do love\* Dangerous Beauty\*, why do you ask? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2006, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/3 "2006-10-30T22:24:50Z")
This would be one of the reasons I’m in the SCA. YMMV (wildly), but I’ve been pretty lucky. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2006, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/4 "2006-10-30T23:32:27Z")
But stimulating and intellectual conversations can be had with all bright persons. The opposite sex provides something that only the opposite sex can. ---
**Author:** ![YellowTail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5ac83/32.png) [@YellowTail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YellowTail)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/5 "2006-10-30T23:45:29Z")
Just attend a Doper-fest! BTW, what’s SCA? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Ripley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b782af/32.png) [@Tom\_Ripley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Ripley)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/6 "2006-10-31T00:10:17Z")
Thats why i joined the boards. Im a model, and i never get into any interesting conversations with my workmates. ---
**Author:** ![Sonia\_Montdore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Sonia\_Montdore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonia_Montdore)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/7 "2006-10-31T00:17:14Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] Isn’t this essentially the idea of the geisha, or the courtesan? Sex might (or might not, depending on your source) be part of their job, but the far greater portion of their time and energy is spent entertaining men at parties, both with conversation and with various performing art forms. They were arguably the most learned and educated women of their time. ) [/QUOTE] Not to mention the hetaira, who were intellectual and sexual companions of ancient Greece: [http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl\_hetaira.htm](http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_hetaira.htm). ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/8 "2006-10-31T00:17:59Z")
You assume I’d ever date > [@](#): > > not too bright or well educated women Not so. And as soon as I found a nice smartygirl who ALSO wanted to date me, I married her. Why, just last night we had a lovely conversation about disorders of the basal ganglia and their implications for the medications used to treat schizophrenia, while eating homemade meatloaf and watching _The Simpsons_. Bliss, I tell you! Bliss! ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/9 "2006-10-31T00:20:17Z")
Can I be the first to volunteer to be a Gigolo of Mensa? ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/10 "2006-10-31T00:32:06Z")
[QUOTE=YellowTail] BTW, what’s SCA? [/QUOTE] SCA = [Society for Creative Anachonism](http://www.sca.org/) Your welcome. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/11 "2006-10-31T01:13:49Z")
What?? You mean I could be getting PAID for being an attentive listener and great conversationalist to all these nerds I date? Sheesh. Society owes me a LOT of money! ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/12 "2006-10-31T01:18:26Z")
Fortunately, I’m married to one of the most intelligent women I’ve ever met so I never have to pay for it. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/13 "2006-10-31T01:56:38Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Fortunately, I’m married to one of the most intelligent women I’ve ever met so I never have to pay for it. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but she sneaks out on you and gives fabulous conversation to all the boys in town. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/14 "2006-10-31T12:06:54Z")
[QUOTE=Dragwyr] SCA = [Society for Creative Anachonism](http://www.sca.org/) Your welcome. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Shouldn’t it be “You’re welcome”? Hey, it’s a MENSA related thread, right? ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/15 "2006-10-31T13:56:47Z")
[QUOTE=pseudotriton ruber ruber] Yeah, but she sneaks out on you and gives fabulous conversation to all the boys in town. [/QUOTE] the loquacious little hussy! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/16 "2006-10-31T14:38:12Z")
Conversation with intelligent people, you say? To me it’s worth about $14.95 per year. 😃 > [@WhyNot](#): > > Isn’t this essentially the idea of the geisha, … greater portion of their time and energy is spent entertaining men at parties, both with conversation and with various performing art forms. I think they’re more about telling men what they want to hear. A little different from what the OP is suggesting, I think. (Or is it?) ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/17 "2006-10-31T14:45:30Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Fortunately, I’m married to one of the most intelligent women I’ve ever met so I never have to pay for it. [/QUOTE] Hell, I’m married to one of the most intelligent women I’ve ever met and consequently pay for it all the time! ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/18 "2006-10-31T16:38:13Z")
[QUOTE=Jackknifed Juggernaut] The opposite sex provides something that only the opposite sex can. [/QUOTE] Speak for yourself 😛 ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/19 "2006-10-31T20:24:59Z")
I must say I think it’s a pretty insulting idea that intelligent women are that scarce. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492/20 "2006-10-31T20:30:24Z")
No, but pretty ones are _ducks, runs_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whore-of-mensa-how-much-would-conversation-with-a-bright-woman-be-worth-to-you/378492.md?page=2)