The Economics of the Straight Male Gigolo Industry

I thought this was an interesting article. I was searching to see if anyone else posted this and found this thread that is similar:
http://www.eccie.net/showthread.php?t=385345

The Economics of the Straight Male Gigolo Industry

By Dan Savage • June 1, 2012

I’m a straight male from Southern California and I really want to be a straight male escort. The problem is the industry is shrouded with deceptive “agencies” that take advantage of the situation. Also, it’s not like there’s a Male Escort 101 course that I can take to learn how to avoid these traps. I don’t know if you can help, but I really want to get into this industry, hopefully through a reputable agency. Do you have any advice, can you put me in touch with any male escorts (preferably straight ones) so I can pick their brains, and do you know of a reputable agency in my area? —Seeking The Upright Deal
“There is no gigolo industry,” says Dominick, the former escort who writes Ask Dominick, an advice column for male escorts and male escort wannabes at Rentboy.com, a gay escort listings site. While Dominick’s column focuses on issues that gay escorts confront, STUD, it’s the “Male Escort 101” course you’ve been looking for.
“What STUD is seeking is a fantasy—one that has been fueled by cultural products like American Gigolo and HBO’s Hung,” says Dominick. There are no reputable agencies in Southern California—or anywhere else—that book male escorts to see female clients, just as there are no websites like Rentboy.com for straight male escorts. “The fact of the matter is, almost all clients for escorts are male—whether they’re looking for male, female, or transgender escorts.”
Dominick speaks from experience: When he was working as an escort in New York City, his ads stated that he was available for male or female clients. “Over three years, I went on exactly one call with a female client, an attractive older woman who seemed to be working through some intimacy issues,” says Dominick, “and one call with a married couple for a cuckolding scene, which was initiated by the husband. During that same period, I averaged about 5.5 calls per week with men. That gives you a measure of the demand from female clients.”
And no demand from female clients means no escort agencies and no Rentboy.com-style websites—at least no legit ones—for straight male escorts.
“Because there are many more men clamoring to be gigolos than there is actual demand for gigolos,” adds Dominick, “shadowy scam agencies come and go, ‘guaranteeing’ bookings with female clients to gullible young bucks—in exchange for monthly listing fees. That said, if there are any legitimate agencies out there, they are likely to be in New York or Los Angeles. A quick Google search produced two agencies in LA: One had dozens of females and just two men, the other had a stable of six straight male escorts, charging posted rates of $200–$300 per hour. I won’t provide the links, since I have no idea how reputable these agencies are, but you can find them yourself in .25 seconds on Google.”
Another option, STUD: listing yourself as a “sexual healer” at a new-age site like Sacrederos.com.
“That site lists male and female sexual healers, for male and female clients, for such services as coaching, tantric awakening, and sensual massage. If this is a direction you are thinking about, have at it,” says Dominick. “Otherwise, my advice to you is to pursue a profession with the potential to bring you into contact with a wealthy female clientele—business consultant, art handler—and be exceptionally good and loving to all the women in your life.”
You can read Dominick’s column at Rentboy.com. Dominick has also written for the Red Umbrella Diaries, a sex workers’ reading series in New York City. It takes place on the first Thursday of every month at Happy Ending. Dominick is curating the October Red Umbrella Diaries, and sex workers—escort, massage, porn, phone, stripper—with stories to tell can email him at askdominick@gmail.com. —Dan