Cash Connection

The Downer was recently showing a flick called "The Girlfriend Experience." It was about this upscale hooker who was paid by men not only for sexual favors, but also to text them cute messages, pick up their dry cleaning, cook their meals, talk about their favorite sports team, essentially simulate for one week all the perks of having a girlfriend minus the headache of fighting or reciprocation of care / companionship because the rate of exchange in this circumstance was of course cash.
Lots of people find the idea so Novel (Big Eye Roll lol :) when in reality Asian cultures have been doing this forever with their Geisha only the Geisha gets married off to their big spenders. Or arranged marriages were again its clear the couple are pairing up to start a family, or sustain one another financially as well as provide some measure of companionship. No emotions just business.
Some people think its cheap to ascribe a monetary value to companionship / any expression of love. Others think ascribing a monetary value clarifies the situation the expectations, and dollars actually validate. Because well we all know how we treat free items...we take them for granted. :) One could argue either side really. But I'm kind of excited to generate the discussion in my dating and relationships course next fall.