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I just found out that the notorious secret call girl/escort blogger is a postdoc!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/nov/15/belle-de-jour-author-blogger-brooke-magnanti

The most interesting part for me was this bit:

Well, maybe if she hadn't moved to London without a job, (always an incredibly foolish thing to do) but stayed where she was, which is bound to have been cheaper than the big old smoke, she wouldn't have been so desperate. Yes, it's a telling indication of poor job opportunitites, but it's also a tale of daft choices.

Hold on a minute... "forced to" seems a bit of a stretch, especially in the light of the next sentence:

“I did have another job at one point, as a computer programmer, but I kept up with my other work because it was so much more enjoyable.”

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Yeah, I didn't spot that Magictime. I struggle financially as a self funded PhD trying to complete in full-time time scale, but I wouldn't dream of going on the game. I certainly wouldn't move to London! I hate this Belle du Jour thing, the original Bunuel film was about trauma responses, not about how much of a laugh being on the game is. It's put me right off Billie Piper - sell out

I have a bit of knowledge in this area. Just for the record some people choose to be sex workers. I know this for sure. Even PhD students.

Yes, that's what we are saying, the blogger was not 'forced' into prostitution. And the fact that some people want to be sex workers doesn't change the fact that Belle du Jour was about trauma response.

I was responding the the last sentence of the initial post.

Oh, ok. Sorry Slowmo!

That's alright. I should have quoted to make it clear. I've got one eye on a chapter I'm editing and one on here so apologise for the vague comment!

Well, I'm not turning to prostitution to make ends meet if I end up even more skint than I am. (up)

Being as part of my research is into the historical aspect of this stuff and the paper I'm writing right now relates to it I'm also rather put off the whole idea.... It doesn't surprise me actually - I knew she was a graduate, I didn't realise she was doing a PhD though. It is a hard thing to contemplate, its certainly not something that I'd go for although I could do with the cash! Seriously though - its extremely sad, I was reading however that a large number of prostitutes and escorts are university students and post grad students making ends meet.

I know of a friend of a friend who took up lap dancing to pay her undergrad fees and living costs, and, apparently, that was verging on prostitution. It is a very, very sad thing if undergraduates, and other students are looking to this as a last resort. Although I don't think the blogger did go into this out of desperation, I suspect she may have had a best seller in mind all along. One that nicked a famous title from, and misrepresented, a film of a very different story (GGrrrrr). I mean, why move to London? We all know that your next potsdoc could be anywhere in the world, so why plant yourself in one of the most expensive cities in the world when your skint and waiting for the opportunity?

Wow thanks for the link!

I think it's good for her that she had a good experience and never regretted it. I won't ever consider prostitution myself though so will jsut have to stay being skint haha.

My fellow researchers, It’s her fate, what to do. Fate can make a pauper to be wealthy men/women and vice versa as well.
After all we are merely actors/actress on this world stage.
Happy researching, cheers.

hmm what about a job in starbucks!?

I reckon she did it for a few dates, and then decided to make some cash out of the blog. However, although Bristol are supporting her publicly I wouldn't be surprised if her contract was not renewed in 6 months time and she was discretely removed from the premises lol.