The Best Little Whorehouse in Paleo

The title of this post is a nod to a Broadway play and I believe movie by similar title, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.  It was what came to mind when I learned that Robb Wolf was actually bringing his paleo message to the Bunny Ranch in NV.  The Bunny Ranch is a legal brothel billed as providing "Sexy Girls, Great Drinks and Fine Cigars since 1955".  From time to time this place has made the news, and such.  It's where men of means go to pay a goodly sum to obtain the sexual services of a woman.  

One of the things that has many in the paleo community upset lately is the supposedly "mistaken images" of the diet that pop up in magazines and such whenever the diet is written about.  There can be no doubt that paleo suffers from some of these problems through their own doing.  One such "misconception" is that paleo is a diet for men engaging in stone age reenactments.  Gee, wherever would  anyone get those sorts of ideas?  

Paleo has an image problem and if it goes more mainstream, folks like Robb Wolf should expect to be held to the same standards as the society as a whole.  It's ironic that he was bemoaning some supposed double standard applied to paleo science but thinks it is perfectly fine to tell me to go eff myself.  Then he goes off trying to make me out to be some sort of unhinged stalker type (don't these clowns have anything else to say?) which anyone who has read the emails knows is hardly the case.

So apparently there's some manufactured outrage over what I said in my last post:

Meanwhile, y'all will be comforted to learn that Robb's outreach to women is to bring paleo to actual whores (dictionary definition).

For  this I've been taken to task by Karen Phelps (who seems to have a bigger problem with Melissa but is just ... clueless in my opinion, and who I'm told does PR for AHS. Good choice there.)

Karen supports women whoever they may be?  Ha!

This is part and parcel of what is wrong with feminism and why I don't identify with the term.  People, all of us, men, women and whatever else should be judged on our own merits, for better or worse.  

Both Karen and Robb are treating Melissa and myself as one in the same because we are both women who have spoken out about some common things.  Karen, your feminism is one of throwing out strawmen and fem-bravado with such gems as: 

“There are also lots of types of feminists thru anti-porn to sex positive.” Exactly. And there are feminists who aren’t afraid of the word “c*nt,” who don’t care what insults are lodged at them because in the large scheme of things they just don’t matter, who understand that life is an even playing field even if the other players don’t, who know these things because they are borne of real life experience and not the wishful idealistic thinking of keyboard feminists who pretend to speak for all feminists while throwing other feminists under the bus because their ideas don’t jive.

My world is not one of feminists and non.  It is one of one standard for all and arguing ideas on that basis, not by devolving into profanity, degradation and ultimately threats.  Keyboard feminist.  Pot. Kettle?  Look at your last tweet in the above exchange.  The hallmark of faux-feminism is trying to pigeonhole women based on virtue of gender.  

As to the Bunny Ranch, I am not compelled by virtue of my genitalia to respect the people who work there for the work that they do.  But go look up whore in the dictionary, here is the mainstream Merriam Webster definition:  

whore noun \ˈhȯr, ˈhu̇r\
1: a woman who engages in sexual acts for money :prostitute;

I used the term correctly.  After all of the inane explanations about how the c-word can be a term of endearment between penis possessors across the pond, please don't come at me with the other definitions of the word, etc.etc.   I said what I meant and told you exactly how I meant what I said.     You all know there's no equivalence here.  Oh, and the same alternate meanings can be found for most/all of the synonyms and euphemisms for "woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money", including the incorrect term for the sex workers at the Bunny Ranch preferred by Robb (hookers).  

But what ever happened to "it's just a word" anyway?  Yeah, that's just exactly the same as just one of  the spews from Nikoley:

You'll see a nice feminist in there.  Sigh.  Too bad when I was being threatened by Kruse and Nikoley I just didn't have this installment of platitude laced fluff to see me through.  This was last May, so you all will have to pardon me if I'm not feeling all too empathetic to Robb Wolf's plight about his two year ordeal of committing to doing Jimmy Moore's silly ass cruise and some people (including myself) wondering why on earth he would want to associate himself with such a circus.  Poor poor Robb.  

For the record folks, the worst threats against me have been deleted. They occurred after the open declaration of war. Such posts and declarations have included the word annihilate on multiple occasions. There is no ambiguity in the meaning of that word. There have also been references to rape and murder (though not by Nikoley himself, posted for long periods in his comments section that he now moderates). Threats to post my address and place of employment (former I think, but cannot know for sure). To contact students and interfere with my job. This is not just name calling.  This is not a feminist issue ... or it shouldn't be.    Yet Robb and Mark and Paul and others are still doing business with this man.  That is your paleo community.  

So yeah, I think it is funny (not in a ha ha way) that after Robb Wolf tells a woman to go eff herself, and he chooses to align with and even accept the support of Richard Nikoley, his next speaking engagement happens to be at a brothel.  But Robb loves women because working at the Bunny Ranch is da best, and just like being a professional athlete for a few years because there's an exit strategy and they have a 401K and receive investment advice and good healthcare.  Woot!  Robb has the life getting to speak there.

Here is my personal view on the Bunny Ranch.  If you're going to be a prostitute, that's the best place to be.  Legal prostitution in this manner is a far safer profession than walking seedy streets working for a drug pushing pimp.  If you're a consenting adult and acting on your free will, so be it.  There are ample opportunities for women in this country to make livings in other ways, so I don't agree with one line of feminist thinking that these women are in any way, shape or form victims or vulnerable.  And I presume that if I did directly call one of those women a whore to her face meant in derogatory fashion, Karen Phelps would be telling her to suck it up.  Right?  Riiiiight.

But back to prostitution and the glorious environment of the Bunny Ranch.  This is not even remotely the case for the vast majority of the female population of this plane. I just find it sad that some women would voluntarily engage in what so many are enslaved to do.  I hope it is OK with the feminism police if I express that opinion.  On the one hand they make good money and all of that as high end prostitutes, on the other hand, they are still prostitutes and there's no sugar coating that.  And unlike the professional athlete, I'm thinking that being in such a profession is a serious impediment to entering into a relationship and having a family and things like that.  To which I'm sure one response would be how sexist of me to presume a woman might want to get married and have children as part of her full life, right?  Yeah, well there's other things in life besides making 6 figure salaries for a few years.  Yeah, Robb really thinks highly of the profession and would never mock it, right?  Below is the first four or so minutes of Episode 168, computer issue stuff edited out:

None of this is criminal, it's the bigger picture here.  For someone so concerned about his movement, Robb doesn't seem to have a clue how that looks to the outside world.  Apparently Dr. Oz (persona non grata  for, among other things, promoting questionable diets and allowing Gary Taubes to look foolish) is going to be doing a bit on the paleo diet and is seeking success stories of women in particular in the NYC area.  I do wonder how all of this would fly with his usual audience/following if a woman who struggled on the paleo diet or who didn't fit the ideal bill turned up ....

But continuing to dig his heels in (I'm not linking to Nikoley's blog, sorry),  Robb left this comment there in the "Friday Morning" post.

Wanted to say “Thanks” to Richard for posting this.

Some possibly interesting backstory:

Richard shot me the updated C-word post. I thought it was actually going to curry hysterical favor for people who do nothing but try to tear this whole thing down. Richard and I had a bit of back and forth on it, essentially “agreeing to disagree” and that was that. No internet bombings, no emotion filled whoopee-cushions.

So Robb's response is to mock me.  OK big boy.  This man threatened to annihilate me -- it was a real threat, perhaps not a physical one (who knows), but real nonetheless, and I'm not entirely unsure some razwellian types didn't already do their part to interfere with my life. Stuff doesn't add up y'know?  This isn't emotional whoopee cushion stuff.

Tell me, are there any female law enforcement officers in your program?  Any officers who have dealt with victims of these sorts of threats?  This cavalier attitude is most disturbing.

Today, on the heels of my visit to the Bunny Ranch, we have this. Bigger picture, more important stuff.

As to the visit to the Bunny Ranch, some folks who seem to get a lot of mileage out of the misogyny card gave me a pretty good ration for doing that talk. Actually MAKING FUN OF HOOKERS AND PROSTITUTES, and the fact I’d stoop so low as to interact with these people. THIS passes the sniff test because the vitriol is being dispenssed by women? Really?

I didn't make fun of hookers.  My point was of the "you can't make this stuff up" variety as regards the serious problem paleo has with women who dare speak their minds.  Where was there vitriol Robb?  Sounds like you sat on your emotion filled whoopee cushion.   

The reason I ended up at this talk is one of the girls who works at the ranch had polycythemia, horrible anemia and a number of other problems. This girl is a documentary film buff and, while watching the Perfect Human Diet, heard about some issues that reminded her of her own condition. She bought my book, ate paleo and reverssed a condition that had nearly debilitated her for 6 years. So, not only is this woman being made fun of by, misogyny concerned women, but indirectly so too was her condition and ability to do what a slew of doctors could not do: Get her healthy.

Repeat, I did not make fun of her, especially since I don't know her.  Tip here Robb, each woman is her own individual.  I would, however be interested in being put in contact with her as I'm curious what her response to Richard's behavior would be.  Can you make that happen? 

And here I thought “women’s health” “self empowerment” were important topics.

Umm, yeah, they are.  This has to do with the current topic exactly how?  Women can get health plans without having to potentially expose themselves to all manner of additional threats to their reproductive health you know.  

As an aside, before I started with my talk the girls and Dennis Hoff went through some basic housekeeping and business stuff. They do this every thursday, and part of this process is that two personal bankers from WellsFargo come to the ranch to talk to the girls about their retirement, investments, insurance etc. EVERY WEEK this happens. Dennis made the point several times during a perhaps 20 min period “You girls are making good money right now, but what you will be able to do when you are ready to move on will be dependent on what you do WITH that money. Take advantage of the help these people are offering.”

That is very nice.  Relevant here again how?

So, the hypocrisy of M&E are almost painful. And as usual, completely self serving.

"As usual"?  I see no hypocrisy whatsoever in pointing out the folly of your visit to the Bunny Ranch nor your tweet about it.   So if I comprehend what you are saying here, because you did such good work there (paid? not?) that justifies promoting Nikoley's site now?

And in a Libertarian vane, it is also telling that when you legalize and regulate certain “questionable”industries, you tame some of the worst infractions agains liberty and freedom. Some of these girls make high 6 figure incomes and will, after some years of undoubtedly hard work, be able to choose a variety of paths. The places where prostitution is illegal (almost everywhere else in the US) the Black Market produces the equivalent of slave labor.

Yes, and no doubt some of the clientele that have visited these women in NV have visited some of those you speak of in other countries.  It's OK, they make good money for what they do.  I'm not about to get into this more than I've already wandered, but I do wonder if Robb is so enthusiastic about careers in prostitution if he would approve of his daughter going into the profession.  I mean it sounds really great, right?   My guess is he would be less than so, and I'd ask he look inside to the reasons why.  

I was such a misogynist that I’m one of the ONLY speakers that they requested return to talk more about this stuff. What a complete dick I must be.

I never called you a misogynist (and I'm pretty sure M didn't either).  I called Richard one and actually I  think it was ItstheWooo calling him one in the comments on my blog first.  You have agreed more than once that his behavior -- for which he has made no amends -- is unacceptable.  Paul "agrees" apologies are owed, etc., but God forbid he not return the favor of a link or deprive the world of the great science to be had, etc. by holding him to any standard?   As to return engagements and spreading the message ... the Bunny Ranch is a one of a kind.  I can see the allure of law enforcement programs especially in this day and age with healthcare going as it is going, union contracts, etc.  There is plenty of room to expand the evangelism and reach a truly significant large number of people.  But if you truly want to maximize outreach to women?  

Meanwhile there are people out there who need the help of folks other than yourself and I'm pretty sick and tired of the back patting.  I help people here. 

    

I'll leave you with this lovely .... note the dates:

I'm not at all sure what he means by this, could be taken a number of ways.  Perhaps I can get some clarification.  I have more to share in this saga, but I've got a life, some thinking on this to do (whether it is worth the bother), and I'd like to get back to some science here.

But to sum up -- Almost a year of vulgar attacks by Nikoley against not just me but Melissa and others -- no big deal.  Use the word whore in the dictionary definition sense once, now THAT is worthy of mention.

Response to tweet at right?

It'd be a god-send if Jimmy cancelled the thing and it did not fall on me to make a decision.

Robb Wolf

email to me Jan. 3

This was in response to my suggestion that he share with his readers what we had discussed.  There were a ton of people wondering why Robb was still slated to headline the LC Cruise this year even before the whole debacle that precipitated all of this.   As many have related in comments, Robb has at least "evolved" his position on carbs for some time now and it just seems an odd thing to go at all.  It is my understanding that the 2012 speakers did have their passage paid and this is what not only commenters here have noted -- e.g. thoughts along the line of whether a free cruise is really worth it -- but scuttlebutt about the web.  He need not even have blogged on it, he could have responded to a comment here.  Or, since he was apparently bothered by my (paraphrasing) "self-serving withholding of information in thought-to-be private emails" but presumed I would share his thoughts with y'all, he could have just said "Evelyn, I'd appreciate if the next time this comes up in comments on your blog you explain my side".  Simple.  But then I'd still be belaboring under the misconception that Robb Wolf was worth engaging.  My bad.