Biological Opportunism and Cost-Benefit Analysis

[Rod Hagen]

On day one of any college-level biology course the professor will utilize an initial scare tactic to thin out the class a bit:

"Evolution is a fact, deal with it". He or she will then move directly into selfish gene theory, and how all living things take every opportunity to do what they can to keep themselves healthy in order to fill the biological compulsion of all individuals to pass on their genes (hey! what about the gay animals? where are their genes going? shhhhh). It's like a mantra, and has wormed itself into all branches: plant biology, immunology, herpetology, etc.

 

One component of this idea is "opportunism". And I was reminded of this broad strategy when reading the post next door in the Lounge regarding the much-discussed subject of some escorts being really expensive, and some not. Under opportunism individuals (human or otherwise) will profit from doing something significant differently than those around it. Example: If there are 100 mice competing for food in one house, any one mouse that moves to another will be likely to succeed.

 

In Economics individuals, be they companies or free agents like myself, will undersell competitors if underselling does not carry too great of a cost. A self employed personal trainer will not charge $20 in NYC because she would become hungry and homeless quite quickly. But a restaurant in San Diego can sell Italian food cheaper than it's neighbors if it sells more of it.

 

Then why the hell do we not see more Markos (formerly Reed Parker) in our field? He is everything the rest of us who are at the top are. He's smart, sexy, and best of all versatile. Yet his rates are well below reasonable for his level of service. It obviously works for him at no great cost. If he were starving he would raise his rates dramatically to meet the rest of us (or even the Talvins and AArons, gulp!) or simply retire because he was overworked.

 

I realize that humans are a far cry from plants-all pushing for the same plot of land-and that none of us have the resources coorperations possess for analyzing every business decision before it's even made. Yet there is something both noble in his deed, and innexplicable in my (and others) refusing to follow his lead.

 

Any thoughts on this?

 

-Hagen

 

 

http://www.rodhagen.com

[Guest Monopolizer]

I haven't checked lately, but it seems to me that the escort rates in San Francisco are lower overall. Could it be there is more competition there?

 

Marko is fabulous and so are you Rod Hagen. We must get together soon, perhaps in a 3-way with Marko?

[Guest WetDream]

Interesting thoughts from you as usual. It seems to me that some of the escorts (especially full-time ones) concentrate their marketing strategies on "over nighters." I was luckly enough to spend a hour's time with the fabulous Matt from Vancouver when he was in San Francisco since for he was unable to log longer bookings during a stay here. But he told me he usually doesn't like to take shorter appointments. (And, yes, the rates here do seem lower than usual. I'm always stunned to see escorts in Podunk charging what guys in NYC get!)

 

Also, I think that many quite good escorts aren't in the full-time category. They are doing this to put themselves through school, buy a house, whatever. It's extra income, not what pays the daily expenses. Therefore, lower rates.

 

Also, some people in all fields (even the occasional lawyer) are driven by a love of their work and not the cash rewards it can produce. I suspect that Marko may be one of these.

 

Hmmm.....will have to give him a ring!

[Guest EWC]

If this discussion doesn't get Markos to raise his rates, he's truly doing it because he enjoys it.

[Guest Bitchboy]

Maybe he likes it better than the poster of the following (a sentiment for which no amount of money would compensate):

 

Our profession is nothing less than a voluntary threat to our personal integrity and feelings of self-worth.

 

Why? Because sometimes so much feces spills onto our legs and sheets we become convinced both are stained permanently. From time to time we feel pressured to do things unsafe and unhealthy, othertimes we use the experience to try something reckless that we never would have attempted had he not given us the opportunity, and even go so far as to endanger our own well being. Sometimes the stench of a man's not-oft-washed thigh hair combined with the slippery coat of mucus over his tongue convince us that the I-Have-Had-It scream we bury within (some deeper than others) will finally surface.

 

But it doesn't. We wash our legs (and our sheets). We breathe through our mouths instead of our noses and eventually ask him to rinse with Scope. We privately berate ourselves for taking another stupid risk. We cope, we internalize anger, we disassociate ourselves from our bodies-to the extent we are able. And somehow we never, ever, scream.

 

Are we exploited? Fuck yeah. Do most of the men believe they contribute to this exploitation? As the text above indicates, probably not. Is this our own fault for becoming prositutes in the first place? Probably. But the next time you've "ordered in" look (deeply) for that silent scream, and then talk to me about accountability. I'll be in the laundry, washing out the shit.

[Rod Hagen]

LAST EDITED ON Jan-25-01 AT 09:43PM (EST)[p]Interesting perspective you have Wet Dream, that low and high prices are less a reflection of market strategy, and more a possible indicator of one's passion for one's work.

 

Still, I have to believe that it is possible to charge premium, or near premium in my case, rates AND love your job. And yet I cannot help but feel that in Marko's, and others' case, there is something a bit nearer to a touch of altruism involved; or maybe I'm just gullible. :-)

 

Let's suppose for a moment that some individuals keep their rates low because they genuinely want to be accessible to all, or at least most. That kind of generosity exists, I do believe that. However, getting to my original question: why then don't others move into that territory with a more capitalistic agenda?

 

I hear "$220!, WOW!" so often that I can't even imagine how the really high-end escorts charging upwards of $300 for their time are berated by surprised and slightly offended clients inquiring about rates. WHEW. So, if there are that many people out there who would be much more willing to meet with us for $175 as opposed to $250, is it simply pride that stops us from permanently slashing prices? I honestly don't know.

 

Interesting.

 

-Hagen

 

http://www.rodhagen.com

[Rod Hagen]

LAST EDITED ON Jan-25-01 AT 09:45PM (EST)[p]Yawn.

 

It's so much easier to stir up trouble with somebody else's well-written and controversial material than to create your own, isn't it Bitchboy?

 

http://www.rodhagen.com

[Rod Hagen]

MONOPOLIZER, where were you the night of my chat? I was certain you would be there. You were missed. I would LOVE to see you again. I think about you often. Have you replaced any of the "Love sees no color" prints with some more lovely impressionists? I'll just have to see for myself. CALL ME SOON.

 

-Hagen

 

http://www.rodhagen.com

[Guest Monopolizer]

The impressionists are nice and all but what really gives me a woody are the abstract expressionists. All the violent and slashing out-of-control color makes me writhe in ecstasy.

 

I missed your chat but enjoyed reading the transcript. What really struck me as awesome and made me think were the comments you made about your monkey. I wish I had a good monkey... Mine is a dud right now and needs to be rehabilitated or possibly replaced.

[Justice]

LAST EDITED ON Jan-26-01 AT 00:05AM (EST)[p] I've often wondered how you guys decide on the rates for your time. I suppose that it has something to do with your competition, whether you're into it on a full or part time basis, whether you're truly into it or are just going through the motions, how long you plan on staying in the business and the kind of clients that you're hoping to attact. Clearly, an escort who charges $175 an hour is going to attract a very different type of client than the guy who charges $350 for the same block of time. But whose to say that a client will have a better time with the more expensive guy. There are so many variables that go into whether two -- or more :-) -- people are going to enjoy spending time with one another (or if they'll enjoy what they do together :-)). The rate should not be the sole consideration.

 

I've only been with two escorts. One worked for Maximum Escorts. The other was Rick Munroe. (I think that the two of you should get together and fuck -- but that's the subject for another thread. ;-)) In both cases, I worked out all of the specific details of what I was looking for, before the rate was even discussed. Maximum actually put their rate in writing. (I'm sure that they checked me out first.) I didn't ask Rick about his rate until after we had agreed to meet. The fact that both guys agreed to two very specific scenes was more important than the rate for their time. I'm sure that I may get burned one of these days, but I think that its safer to keep the discussion of the rate down to the absolute minimum.

[Bilbo]

There may be a somewhat karmic rather than altruistic feeling here. For a long time as a masseur, I charged no more than I myself could afford to pay, figuring partly that that way, when what goes around comes around, I would be more able to find a masseur I could afford. I finally gave in and did some mystery shopping over the phone lines (This was before the internet was so very popular, let alone this site, but I still feel that to get the total picture, you need to figure in the guy's who aren't represented here.) and then raised my rate to just above the average. Oddly enough, when I raised my rates, I got more clients rather than fewer. If I had a point here, I've forgotten what it was.

[Guest WetDream]

It is a complex situation. I charge by the hour in my occupation also and have raised my fees over the past. It is a question of figuring out what the going rate is, what your level of experience and expertise is ... and ego and pride in what you produce. Can't see that I'm any different that you guys that escort.

[Guest Nice Guy]

!

 

WetDream has some really good points. I only see Escorts for Overnights. SOme are worth the price, others should take a lession or two. Matt, only did overnights with. So I have no Idea what he would be like for an hour. Matt's overnight if fair and affordable and consistant.

Escorts who charge substancially more, as you do, Rod, either make it or break it. I have seen guys who have flowing reviews and worn't worth the bucks.... TO ME! My point is.... it is my call if I feel the evening was worth it. I don't have to see them again if it was not. I get over my curosity in a real hurry if I don't see the dollar value in the individual. I usaully like saying I have done "that one" and he was so,so or Fab or a must see again.. That is how I work it. And there are just a couple out there I don't dicker with when it comes to fees. It is all in the individual preferences and the personality of the Escort. Maybe I am jaded, but it doesn't take much for me to see through the "persona" and find out if I really want to see this guy again.

Oh, AND A quite note on San Francisco. I think the rates are less simple because of supply and demand. The non-escort supply is way out beyond the escort supply. And there are very few hit and misses in that town with the non-escorts. There is something for everyone in that town regardless if they have 2 dimes to rub together.

ng

[Rod Hagen]

RE: !

 

>Escorts who charge substancially more, as

>you do, Rod, either make

>it or break it.

 

Hi nice Guy, Sorry our paths crossed this weeekend.

Isn't 220/hour and $1000 for an overnight, my rates, about in the middle of the escorts here? I may be wrong, but I know I'm far from the top tier that's for sure.

 

http://www.rodhagen.com

[Bilbo]

An accurate assessment

 

Hagen's question spurred me to do something that other threads have tickled me towards. I went through the last week of newest reviews here and made a note of what the escort was charging from each review. It is somewhat inaccurate, of course, but when dealing with that many numbers, any averaging system is going to be pretty close to any other one. (I do wish I could find my calculator, for one thing.) Non USA currencies were ignored, since I wasn't about to look up exchange rates right now. If one escort review listed a range, I used the average of that range for my purposes. I am going to start a new thread with this news, but the basic answer is, Hagen, No. You are not near the middle as far as this survey goes. The range goes from 80 - 300. The Median was 170. The Average was 175. Of the 11 who listed fees higher than 220 (out of basically 97 entries) 2 I forgot to note where they were, 5 were in NYC, 3 were in LA and one was in SD (and I don't mean South Dakota). So basically half of them on one coast and half on the other.

[Guest Nice Guy]

RE: !

 

Rod,

Your hourly is just a little above the norm now from what I can tell. But your overnight is high. I have done everything from 400 to 1500 for an overnight. Quite a few good ones were at 5 and 7, or 8, AND I do ask for a discount on the ones I see a lot of. Fact is Fact. And I usually get it. SO that 7 or 8 becomse 5ish. You and a couple of others I would never ask, and I don't believe I actually have. I remember a special you were running at one point, and I missed that, damn!!!

SO, you do what the traffic will bare, it works that way for almost everyone who does this full time. You also "work" all night as I recall and therefore earn every dime (ahhhh how well i remember). One of these days Sir, we will mesh schedule wise.

take care. ng