Brothels- they are a taboo topic, to say the least. Especially for our extremely conservative society here in the United States that, across the board, is uncomfortable with nudity. In fact, prostitution is not only legal but also regulated in eight European Countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, and Turkey. In the United States, on the other hand, it’s legal in solely one specific state: Nevada. Did you have any doubts? Naturally, the state containing Sin City would be the culprit.
On VIVA GLAM Magazine’s recent road trip through Nevada, we made an interesting stop. Out of pure fun, we knocked on the door of a brothel, and guess what? We got invited inside. Since we’re up for any adventure, we conducted a somewhat bizarre interview. Inside, we learned that not only is prostitution legal in the state of Nevada, but it can also actually be an extremely lucrative business for any woman who has what it takes to live in that world. Apparently, not only is there a regular clientele in these brothels, but there is also some celebrity clientele, making the business run more than efficiently. In fact, when we spoke with the general manager of the location we visited, we discovered that on a slow month, these ladies can make anywhere from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars per month.
Because of this, there are schoolteachers working the brothel on weekends to build a large savings and even a law student utilizing her skills in this industry to pay her way through law school. This business is so lucrative for her that she flies almost fully across the country and back weekly to work a few days at the brothel around her schooling. So, while some of the girls came from directly off the streets, just as many, if not more, have normal, everyday careers that they work in tandem with their time at the brothel.
What may be even stranger to grasp, however, is talking about selling sexual favors as if it is a normal thing. After all, we have such deep Puritanical roots in our country, that it took a bit of our interview to get comfortable speaking so casually about prostitution, something that is illegal in 49/50 states here. But I’m glad we did, as it became one of the most interesting interviews we’ve ever conducted.
As we walked into the establishment, we were lucky enough to see a customer arrive, and the general manager (GM) was excited to have us see what he called the ‘lineup’. The girls who were working would come together in a line and present themselves to the client. They weren’t allowed to speak to him until he picked someone, but they were required to turn around, show him their feet, or do what was requested of them during the initial lineup. Once he picked a girl, they would take him to their private room to do the negotiations. Why? Well, it was much easier to negotiate prices while sitting on the client’s lap and turning them on. If they’re ‘ready to go’, so to speak, they’re more likely to spend more money.
Naturally, each girl can choose what she will and won’t do. If she won’t do a service someone wants, she can bring the client to a girl who she knows will, and they can decide from there if they will accept the new girl or leave.
And the GM of the establishment was proud at how well he trained these women to negotiate. They were tough negotiators, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. But, perhaps, that’s why they were able to bring in such hefty salaries. There’s also a house minimum amount that the ladies can’t negotiate below, which makes sense.
Like with any business, the brothel must balance out what it offers, so they keep a variety of women of all types, sizes, and hair colors. They generally need at least one “porn star” in the establishment, as that’s a fantasy for men. They also need women who are bisexual, too. When we asked, he explained that the majority of their business comes from truckers, which makes sense as they are regularly passing through the area.
When asked why these women went into this field, he quickly responded, “Because most of them just love sex, so it’s a win-win for them.” Despite being a business, as it is most definitely a lucrative business in Nevada, the GM explained that the girls in this establishment get empowered from their time there. Many of them feel as if it is a sorority for them. They work out together in their in-house gym in the mornings and all eat dinner together family-style in the evenings. He even knew what each girl’s favorite foods were, so he kept the place stocked up for them with groceries. Honestly, you could feel the pride exuding off of him with how he felt toward the girls, especially when he spoke about how he had saved several of them from the streets.
I’m really glad we got to enter into the brothel to conduct our interview, as it provided a very different way for us to look at legal prostitution. We have such a negative view of prostitution across the world and, moreso, in the United States that it was quite interesting to really see it as a lucrative business for these women, an experience that many of them love and use to get ahead in their lives. After hearing how much money they make, we can see how quickly they could retire from this business and be set for life. While this is most definitely not a career most people are cut out for, the ones who are can really make a steal on it.
