The "two bullets in the chest" thing is because for-profit colleges target vets. That's what's so insidious about them, and about this ad--they market themselves to people who are usually left out of the American College Dream, saying, "We see that you're smart, and we'll accept you even if your grades weren't perfect and no one in your family ever went to college, and you'll get a degree that will change your life." Except what you'll actually get is massive amounts of debt and a degree that a lot of professionals will dismiss as crap. It's exploitive and shitty, and it works because traditional colleges don't go out of their way to welcome non-traditional students.

I would watch a whole reality show called "I'm Here to Make Friends," where people can get eliminated for being mean and selfish, but if everyone is nice and personable, nobody gets eliminated and you just watch them all getting to know each other over time.

I believe that in the context of a million articles that have been written along those lines, this reads to a lot of sensitive (and I mean that in the good way--as in caring and thoughtful) people like it's just one more. On that level, it's a clear failure. I am seeing from the response that it's hurting people, and that's never good.

Do I actually think Taffy was contemptuous of her subjects? Still no. "There's something off there" is the kind of vague device reporters use all the time when they feel that someone isn't telling the whole truth. "Tigress" could very well be doing the best job for her right now, and still come across like she's protesting too much when she talks about it. That's worth noting. The nicknames are meant to evoke stereotypes I think she was actually trying (and failing, evidently) to upend. And I genuinely do not believe Taffy was aiming for "My work is better and more important than giving blow jobs."

I do believe she's contemptuous of the Daddies, and honestly, so am I. To me, the point of this article is to illustrate the difference between the Babies—practical and ambitious young women doing a job—and the Daddies, who want to believe their money is buying them a companion who actually cares about their narcissistic droning AND their boners. If you look at the catalog of "Tigress's" dates through that lens, keeping in mind the stated desire of some Daddies for "no professionals," you see that fantasy bubble bursting. It's not an indictment of Tigress's choices, although I grant that many people will take it that way, and it would be a better article if Taffy made it explicit that that's NOT the point, or otherwise handled that differently.

I mean, I don't know if I'm reading it right, either—I would have to ask Taffy. But if you start from the premise that this is not a thoughtless hit piece on sex workers, it reads very differently. Obviously, not everyone's going to start from that point, or should be expected to in a culture that typically heaps scorn on sex workers, so again, I take your overall points. I mostly just bristle at the authoritative statements about Taffy's state of mind.

This is also my takeaway. Granted, I'm friendly with Taffy, so I'm reading with the presumption that she's not an asshole, and I may not see what comes off the page for those who have no direct evidence of that. But I don't read it as being critical of the sex workers--I just see her highlighting, with the perspective of a woman who has at least a decade on all of them, that this is something individual (conventionally attractive) women can keep doing until they're maybe 30, and men can keep doing until they die.

I'm opening my fake internet arms to you right now. <3

One million heart emoji to you all.

I just finished watching it and said the same thing. If not for sexist bullshit, Durst would have been in jail a long time ago.

Oh, Nicole. The stairwell thing about gave me a heart attack, even though I was reasonably confident that you eventually escaped. All the love and admiration and respect in the world.

Yeah, that's pretty much it! ThatOtherWench's comment, below, also gets at it. It's more like, "Even if they're right that it's the best thing ever, why do I need the best thing ever—especially when I feel like what I've already got is great?" I don't honestly believe it's the best thing ever for everyone, but even if I did, why couldn't I choose to skip it? I already know I'd rather have a career I like that pays reasonably well than a career I hate that pays tons. I'd rather have a comfortable monogamous marriage than the excitement and passion (and uncertainty) of new relationships. I'd rather live in Chicago than New York, even though loads of my friends and colleagues are out east. I make decisions all the time about what's right for me vs. what has the (theoretically) biggest payoff, you know? But it took a lot of years before I was ready to reframe the kid decision that way.

I completely feel that—I definitely would have had a kid if I'd gotten pregnant between, like, 25 and 31. But the older I got, the less it seemed like something I was obviously cut out for.

Thank you all so much for the kind words!