From Events Like 'Goutou Loli' to the Concept of 'Prostitution'

Preface

From "Goutou Loli" tearfully lamenting her plight to female cadres like Duan Ying being associated with prostitution, whether it’s trading dignity for money, sex for power, or simply pursuing hedonistic pleasures while making some side income, we must clearly recognize that "falling into prostitution" is not merely a scene confined to Qing dynasty novels. From the elderly man next door being detained for fifteen days, to the commodification of marriage with dowries akin to human trafficking, "prostitution" has infiltrated every aspect of civic life. This article attempts to analyze the causes and processes behind "prostitution" through events like "Goutou Loli."

1. The Monetary Value of "Sexual Rights" Gives Rise to Prostitution

"What else can I do if not sell myself—join a factory’s assembly line?"

This statement from Goutou Loli reflects a common yet straightforward perspective: the returns and cost-effectiveness of providing "sexual services" are far more lucrative and enticing than toiling away in a factory. Prostitution, or "sexual services," can essentially be understood as a form of employment, where money is exchanged for services. However, unlike typical employment, prostitution involves trading not only "labor" but also "sexual rights"—a temporary transfer of bodily sovereignty.

In this context, sexual rights become a unique commodity with high added value due to the extreme imbalance of supply and demand and the low barriers to market entry. This makes the monetary value of sexual services far exceed that of other forms of physical labor. Consequently, a single hour of sexual service often fetches a much higher price than an hour of production work. This creates the illusion of "loosening a belt to save ten years of labor," luring countless individuals into the trade.

Everyone knows that "sexual rights" are invaluable and that full bodily sovereignty is a prerequisite for personal independence. In reality, however, the true cost of providing sexual services far exceeds that of general labor. But beautiful rhetoric aside, how many factory workers would resist temptation if they saw their coworkers who turned to the sex trade earning an hourly wage equivalent to the factory’s monthly salary?

The previous paragraph briefly explored the allure of the "lucrative earnings" behind sexual services. However, readers with some social experience might notice that in reality, the monetary value of sexual services often doesn’t live up to the theoretical appeal. Not all workers who turn to the trade make a fortune. Many women without innate advantages discover that clients in prostitution are even more demanding, income is unstable, and the Pareto principle (80/20 rule) becomes glaringly apparent.

According to a 2012 study by the Financial Research Center of Beijing Normal University, the annual total of sex transactions in China was 498 billion RMB, with an average price per transaction of 200 RMB. In low-income communities, the price was even lower—ranging from 10 to 50 RMB depending on the service. Meanwhile, in high-end clubs in cities like Hangzhou, earning tens of thousands of RMB in a single night is not unheard of. This vast income disparity and the limited exposure of most low-income workers make prostitution an industry that appears glamorous but is in fact highly exploitative. Despite this, many people enter the trade with an optimistic mindset. This gambling mentality, combined with income polarization, provides fertile ground for the phenomenon of "income disparity-driven prostitution," especially during times of economic downturn and reduced opportunities. Whether it’s China in 1923 or 2023, economic poverty, spiritual emptiness, and psychological imbalance remain major drivers of prostitution.

2. The Instrumental Nature of "Sexual Rights" in Producing Prostitution

"Consorting with private businessmen, engaging in sex-for-power deals; privately unethical, severely violating social and family ethics, having improper relationships with multiple people."

The instrumental nature of "sexual rights" refers to using the transfer of sexual rights as a means to exchange for benefits—essentially engaging in prostitution under the guise of "mutual needs." This is exemplified by officials like Duan Ying, Dai Lu, and Chen Shu, whose sex-for-power exchanges fall into this category. Unlike those "forced onto the mountain" or "forced into prostitution," these individuals willingly use "sex" and even personal privacy as bargaining chips. They often retain a degree of control over the situation, representing a proactive form of prostitution.

Essentially, this mirrors the sentiment behind "Why should three generations of effort be outdone by your one generation?"—a mindset of, "I was born attractive and open-minded, so why not use this to gain more benefits?" This form of prostitution is subtle, seemingly unassailable, and less directly reflective of social conflicts. However, its consequences remain deeply damaging.

In a Chinese context of widespread corruption, what happens if everyone depends on shortcuts for promotions and even develops a dependency on such pathways? How should honest female cadres striving for merit-based advancement cope? Will the social credibility of female promotions be further diminished? Will upright female officials face increased malicious speculation? Will there be more aristocratic officials exploiting women, akin to characters in Tolstoy’s Resurrection? Of these, how many will spend their lives atoning, like the novel’s protagonist? One person breaking the rules leads to consequences borne collectively. Every "shortcut" or "clever tactic" has repercussions.

Beyond personal ambition, prostitution’s societal role is undeniable. As George Orwell illustrates in his dystopian novel 1984, alcohol, eroticism, and lies serve specific societal functions—comforting and pacifying the lower classes, while diverting social pressure. Thus, the creation of prostitution might also stem from deliberate governmental policies or societal management needs. The 1857 book Prostitution argues that regulated prostitution can effectively mitigate social tensions, making it a necessary tool for governance. In this scenario, the function of the erotic industry parallels that of alcohol, differing only in that the former involves "people" while the latter involves "substances." Historically, the effects of prohibition, whether in Russia or the United States, have been profound. Prohibition in America fueled crime and gang activity, while studies suggest Russia’s alcohol ban contributed to the 1917 revolutions. Both cases highlight societal instability—an outcome governments are eager to avoid. Consequently, supporting the erotic industry while maintaining control over it becomes another driving force behind prostitution.

Simultaneously, demand drives supply, and supply creates demand. The high costs and delayed returns of marriage perpetuate demand for prostitution, fueling its development and specialization. As Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nationsexplains with the example of pin-making, division of labor enhances efficiency—a principle equally applicable to the erotic industry. Modern society’s emphasis on "efficiency" and "cost-benefit analysis" inevitably extends to sexuality, turning prostitution into a profession with unique advantages: lower costs, quick results, and professional expertise. Unlike traditional relationships, hiring a prostitute incurs fewer financial obligations, features clear contracts, and avoids additional responsibilities—making it efficient and personalized.

3. The Structural Social Problems Behind Prostitution

For radical leftists, addressing prostitution through legislation and administration only obscures its root causes, amounting to whitewashing capitalist society. Prostitution’s issues lie in a highly commercialized society and privatization. The former has been discussed earlier. Privatization underpins all transactions, making nearly everything tradable. "Sexual rights," possessing both scarcity and utility, are perfectly poised as commodities. Thus, where there’s a market, there will be transactions, and people will fall into prostitution—even if explicitly prohibited.

Privatization also means individuals inevitably lack resources, leaving exchange as their only means of acquisition. For the impoverished, their sole resource is often their labor. Women, in most cases, cannot sell labor in the same quantity as men, and even for the same amount of labor, women are often paid less. Additionally, lower-class women often face exploitation from upper-class elites. This leaves them with "cost-effective" options: unpaid domestic work, low-intensity home-based manufacturing, or prostitution—a field uniquely available to lower-class women. For men, the poverty and exhaustion caused by exploitation make marriage, with its high economic and time costs, nearly unattainable. This explains why prostitution is more prevalent among lower-class men, creating the phenomenon of "the lower class exploiting itself."

撰稿：John

编辑：Estrella, 一半豆浆