Right around a year ago this time, I wrote a post about the Showtime reality show, Gigolos. Aside from the undeniable titillation factor of watching hot guys having sex, there’s something appealing about how the show depicts the lives of men who work as professional gigolos. You get glimpses into their private lives, their interests outside of work, and the kinds of things one spends time thinking about who works as a gigolo, like the constant need to stay über fit (Captain Obvious news flash: it’s good for business). But as I’m watching Season 5, my curiosity drifts toward the clients and what their stories are. I ask myself: Who, exactly, are these women hiring gigolos? And why?
I first began really thinking about this when one of the episodes depicted a woman with issues of heartbreakingly low self esteem. She’d lived her life never really having much attention from men, never feeling she was very pretty, or desirable, and her self confidence was in the toilet. To finally get some male attention, she decided to hire a gigolo. Or at least, that’s what she said on the show. I’ve read articles alleging that the clients are really paid actresses, which would mean their stories are as real as Paris Hilton’s singing talent. But let’s put that aside and assume the background stories are true. Call me a mush, but I was touched by this woman’s story. Whether it was true or not doesn’t even actually matter, because I sure as heck can identify with her insecurities. Haven’t we all been in situations where we’ve felt we’re not pretty enough, or smart enough, or skinny enough or whatever enough? Who hasn’t been plagued with feelings of inadequacy? It’s a damn sucky place to be. If someone comes along and assures us that those feelings are wrong, that we’re actually pretty special, and the person doing the reassuring also happens to be a guy so hot we go weak in the knees, all the better, right? Yet I have to admit, there’s still a part of me wondering whether a bruised ego really gets a boost from someone who’s only saying all the right things because you’re paying him to.
There’s a wide variety of female clients on the show, ranging in everything from age to body type to racial background to profession, and they all come with their reasons for hiring a gigolo. Several of them do it to see fantasies brought to life. One woman had a thing for vampires, another wanted to pretend she lived during the Renaissance. Then there’s “Jill,” a mother of four daughters, who explained that she and her husband of over 27 years had decided that – although they’re soul mates on an emotional level – they wanted to open up their marriage physically and have sex with other people. Jill decided there’s no better way to accomplish that dream than by hiring four gigolos at once. You go, girl! Hey, I’ll be the first to admit that she seemed to have a screamin’ good time with it. Another segment featured a woman who, by her own admission, had intimacy issues and confessed that guys “freak her out.” Enter, gigolo. She and her friend hired Bradley Lords, whose services the friend had used once before. He helped the woman shed her inhibitions and enjoy being in the company of an attractive man.
One thing is for sure, Cowboys 4 Angels, the escort service the gigolos work for, appears to be doing a bang-up business. Owner Garren James sports locations in Las Vegas, L.A., San Francisco, New York, south Florida, and Chicago, so clearly someone’s hiring them, with each and every client having their personal reasons why. I have to say, the “cowboys” featured on the website are gorgeous so it wouldn’t exactly be a hardship to spend some time in their company. In the end, whatever reasons a woman may have for hiring a gigolo are hers alone. And after all, the show takes place in Las Vegas so whatever happens there . . . well, you know.
What do you think? Would you ever hire a gigolo? Sound off below and don’t forget to follow me. I’ll give you lots of good reasons to do it.
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