Why would a prostitute hand over a significant percentage of her hard-earned income to a pimp? What do pimps do for prostitutes besides taking their money??
Pimps don’t appear to do anything to increase a prostitute’s earnings capability, nor do they do anything that I’m aware of to make the hooker’s job any easier. So why would a prostitute want to hire one?
Thanks.
As far as I know, it’s a protection racket. Hookers don’t utilize pimps, pimps utilize hookers.
It’s the other way around. Pimps exploit prostitutes. Illegally working in the sex trade is a very dangerous thing to do - any hint of protection is welcome. ‘Clients’ are less likely to cause nasty problems if they know there’s a big scary pimp expecting his cut of the money.
GorillaMan-"‘Clients’ are less likely to cause nasty problems if they know there’s a big scary pimp expecting his cut of the money."
But how would a client ever know whether or not a prostitute had a big scary pimp?
She could just lie and say she did, and that way she wouldn’t have to forego any of her income.
The way it’s supposed to work is that the pimp protects them on the street, makes outside contacts for specific call services, provides bail money if they get picked up by the cops, finds them places to live if they have to move out of their place, and so on.
The way it usually works is that he gets to make a lot of money off the women working for him and doesn’t do much in return. The problem with being without a pimp is that in a lot of areas, the pimps do watch what they consider their streets, and someone without a pimp is going to find themselves in a world of hurt.
So what’s cool about PIMP t-shirts? 
Why does an athlete need an agent?
Same thing. 
I imagine if you tried to hook free-lance in some neighborhoods, you’ll find yourself beat up or dead.
Why is being a “pimp” considered cool (among rappers and such)?
What’s attractive about the “I exploit women and take the money they get from selling their bodies” persona?
Seriously, I’ve been wondering this for a long time.
The pimp also provides emotional support, much in the way a woman stays with an abusive man because he’ll treat her especially nicely from time to time.
I also seem to recall the theory that the pimp, by taking all of the whore’s money and rationing some of it back to her, and using some of what he takes to provide for her meals and a roof over her head, actually keeps her from blowing it all on drugs in one shot, and thus provides a bizarre sort of economic assistance. I don’t know – nothing that people do is simple, in my experience.
As several others have said, it has to do with support and protection. Why do prostitutes give the pimps money? Well, pimpin’ ain’t easy (or so I’ve heard).
I would also guess that a lot of the time it is the pimp that is exploiting the prostitute. I’ll take this opportunity to plug the best program on public radio, This American Life. TAL ran an episode called “Pimp Anthropology.” Seeing how I have no real life experience with this type of life style, I don’t know how insightful it might be to someone in the “game,” but I found it to be interesting. A former (?) pimp was interviewed and talked about some of the things he did. If I remember correctly, he started pimpin’ by getting his girlfriend (at the time) to perform some act on one of his buddies. He told her something about how they could really use the money, and you already know the guy, it wouldn’t be so bad, etc. Kind of a “foot-in-the-door” method.
For the question about why it is so popular in hip-hop culture probably has to do with where the rappers have come from. Pimps usually have money, and have a power over “their” women. That’s just a guess though.
I’m hardly an expert but if TV is to be believed (and who would dare doubt TV?) the “women” who end up with pimps are hardly women in the first place. They’re young girls (and boys), probably runaways, and the pimp represents a source of stability and authority. A relationship of psychological dependence is created so even if the prostitute were physically and intellectually capable of either operating on her own or getting out of the business, she’s emotionally incapable of it.
Otto nailed it.
Pimps are usually the ones who seduce emotionally fragile girls who sort of “fall in love”, then beat 'em up a time or two so they learn who’s boss, and put them on the street.
The prostitutes think they “can’t get away” from Drexler or Guido - that he would kill them if they tried to leave.
The exception might be something like an escort service - a glorified pimp that actually provides the service of providing an upscale clientele.
As far as the hip hop culture goes, I thought it was pretty obvious that pimps represent power, masculinity, and are always depicted wearing flashy clothes, throwing money around, snorting coke, and having lots and lots of women available to do whatever they want with at any time.
My sociology teacher would call this “tough guise”–the image of exaggerated masculinity that the media presents and that young ethnic men are most influenced by.
This is a weird question. Kind of like asking “Why do cats utilise fleas?”
Why do employees need managers? Didn’t Karl Marx ask that question or am i thinking of someone else?
I’ve read some stuff by Iceberg Slim who was a pimp in the 30s-50s and who later became an author and he more or less said it was because pimps motivate, provide direction, advice, company and protection. one trick many of them do is to pretend they are investing their prostitutes money in high yield underworld dealings and that both of them will be rich in 10 years or so in order to keep them bringing in money (but they really just blow it on drugs & cars) as an example of why prostitutes have pimps. He also said most prostitutes are masochists with severe self worth issues. I guess that attracts women to that kind of person too.
He also said that with the feminist movement and black power movement that hookers (who were mostly black women in his day) feel empowered enough to not need a pimp starting in the 70s or so. So i guess cultural stereotypes of subservience and dependence on males played a role too, the same way that in modern society children take it for granted that they need adults to tell them what to do and to provide for them.
Based on things i’ve read I’ve noticed that the relationships between prostitutes & pimps is very similiar to the relationships between cult followers and local leaders.
Im an ex prostitute and I found myself a pimp, he did not find me. Not all pimps are bad news some are ok. Mine would not allow me to use drugs, none if his girl were under age and most of us were doing it on our own. Its not smart doing it on ur own. I.bz have no regrets about the choices I made, made about $500.00 to $700.00 on a good night and yes I handed over the money freely. Its really no diff than a husband and wife pooling their money togethet to pay bills, entertaining, clothes, cars etc. when I left the business years ago he gave me money and I left freely no hassles.
So did your pimp take 100% of your earnings? I’ve read that some do, and in exchange, the pimp basically provides their living accomodations, food, or drugs or material rewards.
Tangential question - do pimps get free service whenever they feel like it?