Selling Sex to the Desperate

This letter to Andrew Sullivan caught my eye. It begins.....

I'm a professional dating coach for men (if you've seen the Will Smith movie "Hitch," kind of like that). I take guys out to bars, night clubs, malls, bookstores -- wherever they want -- and show them how to meet women, talk to them and get dates.

The fact that it's possible to make a living that way isn't something to which I want to devote too much thought, but he apparently fills a need.

Business is good. In fact, business is better than ever. And it keeps pouring in......But what surprises me more than the fact that all of these men are turning for help in their love lives, is HOW DESPERATELY they're turning for help. Guys have been paying me with the last remnants of their bank accounts, deferring rent and bill payments, digging deeper into their credit card debt, even asking me to set up monthly payment plans for a single night out -- a night that typically nets a client only a few phone numbers and maybe a date or two.

His theory?

These single men who have become demoralized financially are seeking their solace not in some sort of economic recovery, but in the arms of a woman. The loss of financial security drives them to seek emotional security. And meanwhile, I'm cashing more checks than I even thought possible a year ago.

I asked a female co-worker what her initial impression would be of a guy who would go to this length. Her response - "loser". More specifically, by further damaging his personal situation to hire the service the guy compromises his ability to capitalize on any initial positive results he may see from it. He would be much better advised to use the money to get his life back on track, then make use of this service if he thinks he needs it.

I wonder if the coach ever tells a potential client this. His last sentence doesn't lead me to think so; it would mean fewer checks to cash.