Economy of Sex: It's Cheap These Days

The Washington Times ^ | 15 June 2011 | Cheryl Wetzstein

[Vigilanteman]

Think you haven’t heard of sexual economics? Listen to the pop culture.

“Money can’t buy me love,” crooned the Beatles. “My love don’t cost a thing,” pledged Jennifer Lopez. MTV artists got “money for nothing and the chicks for free,” groused Dire Straits.

Even Adele, in her current No. 1 hit, “Rolling in the Deep,” warns an ex-lover, “Go ahead and sell me out, and I’ll lay your ship bare.”

Evidence of sexual economics — a mashup of Adam Smith and Dr. Ruth that seeks to explain how the “sexual market” works — is everywhere, said University of Texas sociology professor Mark Regnerus.

“One of the biggest unacknowledged facts about sex is the underlying economy to it all,” he said. “When you look into it, it’s really amazing how it works. And it’s fairly elementary as well: We put a price tag on sex. You might not think we ought to do that, but we do. Sex, at one level, is an exchange. … Each person gives the other person something of themselves. But it is typically a different something.”

Mr. Regnerus and co-author Jeremy Uecker use sexual economics theory in their new data-driven book, “Premarital Sex in America: How Young Americans Meet, Mate and Think About Marrying.”

Their conclusion is that, for young single Americans, modern rules of romantic engagement “clearly favor men” and penalize women who want to marry — especially those who want to save sex for marriage.

The price of sex today is “pretty low,” Mr. Regnerus said.

So what was the old “exchange rate” for sex, and how has it changed? Researchers have long recognized that male-female mating systems revolved around exchanges. Even in ancient times, men and women bonded because one could cook . . .

[ConservativeAtLast]

Something about free milk and a cow...

[delphirogatio]

Aggravating this fact, is that many males are establishing their education and careers during the female's "prime", thus these males are forced to postpone their marriage until such a time as they are influential enough to attract the women they desire.

And, let's not forget that women, too, are deciding that they can neglect their "prime" in order to establish a career before having a family as well.

And, many seemed unconcerned about the abandonment issues flowing directly from the "modern woman's" approach to having children out of wedlock or continuously attempting to move up the ladder when it comes to men. It's devastating families and leaving so many people with pain they will carry the rest of their lives.

[Vigilanteman]

Why worry? You couldn't afford her anyway.

FWIW, I have my doubts that sex with one of these supermodels would be any more satisfying than sex with my wife of 27 years.

[MrEdd]

Women shortchange themselves when they give it away for casually and for free. If women did not do that, then men would be forced to pay for sex via hookers or would have to marry.

I would say the driving force here is that the consequences of sex appears to young women be removed .

Sex is not something "Men" desire.
Sex is something "People" desire.
Go to any 12 step program for addicts and you will find it full of women who couldn't control their libido any more than whatever else they were abusing.
The lesbian subculture is just as promiscuous as the gay male sub culture or the marital swapping subculture.

For thousands of years consequences alone kept women from being as promiscuous in general as men. The reason the left is so panicked about states defunding Planned Parenthood is that sexual license has long been not just a means to an end but a primary gal for many of their constituents. If there is a consequence for sex - however small, then people begin removing themselves from the meat market.

[Polynikes]

“Sexually, a man need never marry - he can get sex with minimal effort. “

That's true, all he needs is a Blackberry/Iphone and a Twitter account. :~)

[Hodar]

In time and with proper care, these so-called loveless marriages could and many, in fact, did grow into useful, happy families.

India, in fact, has had a culture last over 1,000 years based in part, on "arranged marriages". I wonder how their divorce rates and crime rates compare with ours?

[GOPJ]

“When women collude to restrict men’s sexual access to women, all women tend to benefit,” he said, noting that “if women were more in charge of how their romantic relationships transpired … we would be seeing greater male investment in relationships, more impressive wooing efforts, fewer hookups, fewer premarital sexual partners … shorter cohabitations, more marrying … and more marrying at a slightly earlier age. In other words, the price of sex would be higher. It would cost men more to access it.”

When the milk's free, why buy the cow?

[Vigilanteman]

When the milk's free, why buy the cow?

My Daddy taught me the same thing and, as one pleasant result, I managed to keep my zipper zipped until the day I was married.

And I married a woman who was taught the same. We've been together 27 years.

[Mariner]

"“When women collude to restrict men’s sexual access to women, all women tend to benefit,” he said, noting that “if women were more in charge of how their romantic relationships transpired … we would be seeing greater male investment in relationships, more impressive wooing efforts, fewer hookups, fewer premarital sexual partners … shorter cohabitations, more marrying … and more marrying at a slightly earlier age. In other words, the price of sex would be higher. It would cost men more to access it.”

All it takes is a few party girls to screw things up for the rest of them:)

[caww]

I lost my husband in the 80’s. High school sweetheart. Quite the eyeopener when I began dating. Decided I wouldn’t play in the ‘meat market’. Have seen many men come and go for that. As soon as they see this “cow” doesn’t milk unless you buy it...they move on to those who do.

Most are not looking for a woman, they are looking for what a woman can provide, which for most only a woman can provide. I see it as the problem isn’t the man’s as much as all the woman who are handing it out for free. Though you’ll not get a man to admit that...they want woman to do so.

[MEGoody]

I would say the driving force here is that the consequences of sex appears to young women be removed.

I don't disagree. However, as much as women want to deny it, men and women are different.

Women casually give away sex hoping something will "click" and they will get love out of the deal. Men have casual sex because it feels good. They have no aim for it to turn into anything else. If a man wants to get married, he doesn't have to give away sex to get someone to agree to marry. Women too often think they do.

By the way, I'm speaking of somewhat mentally and emotionally "normal" men and woman. Sex addicts in a 12 step program aren't typical. I doubt that adding back in the "consequences" of casual sex would stop the sex addict.

[Vigilanteman]

Too many of them are that way, I'll admit. Some say it is nature; I say it is the inability or lack of will to control natural impulses.

I don't know what I would do if I lost my wife. My best friend lost his to cancer some years ago. It took him several years and lots of money and heartache to find another. He wouldn't lower his standards. He finally found a woman who wouldn't lower hers either.

God bless you in finding a soulmate, or learning to live without one and rely on family and friends, as the case may be.

[Luke21]

There are a lot of variables in this. Some men think of women as little more than sex providers, while others believe they are the finest and most beautiful creatures ever invented upstairs. That's a huge disparity in viewpoint.

There are times when a gracious woman can make a man's day by saying hello to him. Absolutely nothing follows the interaction. But the man, especially us old timers, know that we have met a special woman and appreciate her for it.

Modern day feminism also has several varieties, the man haters, the lesbians, the activists in politics and corporations, and the educated and glitterati type that devise television shows where young men and fathers are shown as perpetual targets of insults, bromides,and demonstrations of incompetence. We commonly see movies and shows where a small girl slaughters whole armies of men. We now call our mailmen “letter carriers” and firemen “firefighters.” People twist themselves into knots trying not to offend our official secular religion. Is it any wonder some young men would settle for a romp in the hay and no further responsibility, when popular entertainment, much of education, and the news is full of this crud? This what we have convinced many young men the world is made up of.

News stories also abound of “I want half” divorces. My brother and best friend have been scorched by their ex-wives, while my son, my stepson, and I have long term marriages to excellent women. I've been married to my lady for 34 years and there is no one anywhere I would rather have spent my life with. She's the best “person” I know or have ever known.

It just isn't that simple to say “most men,” or “most women” do anything. We are all different, and wonderfully so.

[Albion Wilde]

bttt

[TheDingoAteMyBaby]

Women also pay for sex in that they must be physically attractive. People may take that concept as a given, but it hits home if you are the woman lacking that gift. And unlike a man’s wealth, a woman is guaranteed to lose that attractiveness as she gets older.