Left on
windshields and littering the streets; flyers advertising prostitution are on
the increase in Madrid. Now they are the subject of a new study by researchers
at the capital city’s Comillas
Pontifical University.They found the image promoted by the flyers of prostitution as a 'voluntary, independent and recreational' activity is in sharp contrast to the reality of the sex trade.
A new study, 'Flyers and Advertisements of sexual services in Madrid', analyses the discourse
and content of 220 different flyers collected in the city’s public spaces.
The
flyers were categorised into four main groups; those where an (ostensibly) 'independent' woman was advertised, those where groups of women were advertised, those where
a company or corporation offered sexual services, and those from companies
offering ‘oriental massages’ from Asian women (a group deemed large enough to
warrant a category of its own). The results of the analysis shed light on the advertising
strategies employed and the demand for sexual services in the underground
prostitution industry.
The
investigation showed the flyers’ target audience to be almost exclusively male,
with only a handful of examples aimed at couples and only one which offered
services to women.
Researchers
analysed word frequency to find the most commonly used words and phrases in the
advertisements. ‘Euros’ was the most frequent word, present on almost every example.
The researchers suggest that this reflects the sex trade’s profit-driven nature
and the consumerist society it feeds on.
The next
most frequent words and phrases include “...years old”, “discrete”,
“discretion”, “girls”, “free drink”, “new girls”, “Orientals”, "Latinas" and “in your area”.
The study
also analysed the images on the flyers. They tended to depict strong erotic content,
featuring women in provocative poses which emphasised the parts of their bodies
considered most attractive to their male audience: buttocks and breasts.
They
identify four main categories of female images;
1. “Curvy”
women, largely represented by Latin American women.
2. Asian
women, usually with a childlike facial appearance
3. Slender women,
with a similar aesthetic to models in the fashion and beauty industries.
4. Fetishised
images of particular female body parts, such as lips, or objects such as high
heel shoes.
The study
concludes that the image transmitted by the flyers of “independent, liberal women
who use their bodies for economic benefits” is far from the reality of their
situation. It masks the sexual exploitation of these women and normalises
prostitution.
The study
also highlights the easy access that local children and adolescents have to the
flyers, and the impact their message has on young people. Following reports
that some local youths collect and exchange the flyers like they were trading
cards, the parents’ association AMPAS has filed a complaint to the City Council,
demanding the regulation of this type of advertising.
In the
final stage of the study, the researchers made calls to the telephone numbers on
the flyers. By comparing the services offered as they appeared on the flyers with
the offers made over the telephone, and information found on internet ‘punter’
forums (where the men can discuss and ‘rate’ prostituted women), they found
many ‘additional’ risky sexual practices on offer. These practices included
fellatio and penetration without a condom (for an extra charge), particularly
evident in relation to the prostituted Asian women.
The study concluded that, while the image of “free, voluntary, independent
prostitution” is present in all of the advertisements by all the different
groups, “it makes a curious contrast to the reality. In fact these services are
mainly offered in apartments; a private sector which authorities lack control over
and therefore likely to hide a huge part of forced prostitution in Spain”.
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Translated by Ben Riddick from http://www.tribunafeminista.org/2017/02/euro-nuevas-y-discreta-las-palabras-mas-repetidas-en-flyers-de-prostitucion/
Read the complete study in Spanish here
Official (poor quality, but readable) English translation of the complete study here
