Assuming that Mr. Kraft could likely have just paid for a regular massage and will not be found guilty of the misdemeanor charges leveled against him, I suspect the general public will still be baffled by the frugality inherent in this incident, for why would a billionaire not pay more for a much more expensive massage from a crème de la crème masseuse? I guess frugal ways are in the DNA of some people, wealthy or not.
"The average fee at the spa is $59 for 30 minutes and $79 for 1 hour, Sharp said."
I guess this incident could be humorously characterized as Mr. Krafts own "deflategate" moment, or maybe "inflategate" moment.
"This is not about an old man getting a thrill. It’s about the systematic and intentional destruction of lives for profit."
Robert Kraft prostitution scandal exposes depth of modern slavery, sex trafficking industry
"Sex trafficking won't stop until the costs are high enough to make rich, powerful men feel that buying Chinese girls from a local spa isn't worth it."
It's not just the Florida spa investigation allegedly tied to Robert Kraft. Sex trafficking is rampant across US
"Myles said most are tied to larger criminal networks that have links to the countries where many of the women at the spas are from. Many of the women are coerced to work in the businesses and often earn no wages and have no autonomy, Myles said."
Good points. Obviously, there are organizations and many people who have worked hard for a long time to expose and end this depraved human behavior, and it's tragic that it takes a billionaire being caught at such a place to bring proper attention to this long history of human depravity. Perhaps our supposedly advanced civilization, to paraphrase Jean-Jacques Rousseau, has not advanced but has corrupted our good moral nature, if we ever had one. Whether Mr. Kraft was aware of the many dark workings of the "business" he was a patron of remains to be seen.
As one who has resided in two tourist-centered resort supporting areas, it was almost inevitable to have made the acquaintances of some folks who took up massage as a full time occupation.
Most were women, fewer were men, and though all claimed being certified, only some actually attended massage school for sure.
A fascinating mix of people too.
The most notable personage being an exceptionally nubile woman who always mowed her lawn as scantily clad as possible - and had folks (mostly men, of course) constantly stopping by to visit at such times.
A very amusing little circus to catch sight of as a nearby neighbor.
One very smart couple did their practice in close proximity to each other, such that the man was always nearby enough to be summuned in case a client might demand a 'happy ending'.
Another who could only be described as a 'former hottie' (in visible withdrawal) was constantly talking about the poor morality of some massage clients vs. smiles for others who were clearly 'favourites'.
One more comes to mind...a very attractive, young 'party girl' who was apparently treated badly by her massage clients enough times that she gave up that work and served an apprenticeship to get licensed as...an electrician.
(How's that for a big change ??)
My conclusions:
People generally come in all shapes, sizes & types - and also, whatever values they choose to live by vary very widely, such that one person's value pertaining to unacceptable sexual behaviours may be someone else's value called 'just a good time'.
My personal answer to all the above is to remain merely an appreciative observer as opportunities may occur to be an audience member;
Live & let live is the value I choose to make use of and whatever associations and karma other folks wish to collect are for them to choose - no matter if it may seem 'icky' to me, or not.
@Extraterrestrial_Zoologist
I mostly agree with your position, as long as participants have autonomy, are not being exploited, and all acts are consensual. This specific case has to do with human trafficking and sexual slavery.
Truly reprehensible, I totally agree.
(When it is actually those things & can be proven as such.)
The contrast of that can be to situations where accusations are made due to other motives;
Sexual conduct is mostly a very slippery slope...which is what my reply was intended to point at.
A similar situation in terms of people being 'owned' can be found if one looks very carefully into the labor at some Chinese owned establishments right here in the US.
Many or most of the help can be identified as indentured servants who are working off enormous debts for years just for their escape from the old country.
An example:
Over a period of some years when I was a regular customer at a Chinese place I got very quietly friendly with a server named Henry (not his birth name, of course).
Eventually he was comfortable enough to share that his original profession was as an electrical engineer - but that his degree was not honoured here AND he was approaching his final (tenth) year of working off his debt.
His wife and teenage children awaited his freedom and had hopes that he could get to Canada & arrange for their 'escape' as well.
Some months later he was gone & I never heard any more about his success.