Sugar Daddies and the New Prostitution Index

Significant age disparity in sexual relationships has been and remains a feature of couples in many cultures and societies. The most common pattern in heterosexual couples is an older man with a younger woman.

Sugar daddy – a rich, usually older man who offers money or gifts to a less rich, usually younger person in return for companionship or intamacy. This differs from prostitution in that the older man is usually the sole financial provider to the younger person. In Japan, there is a loosely similar practice known as enjō kosai.

Sugar daddy arrangements are fast becoming a popular alternative for those seeking no frills instant gratification. For me, conventional dating went out with the Bush administration, and the time was ripe for adding a lucrative twist on my dating life. Single, small business owner, college-graduate and broke, I was aware that in order to survive this era of change, I would need to monetize – everything.

Committed, long-term, traditional relationships can be a beautiful thing…but most of us can share sob stories resulting from relationship drama.

Since the global economic collapse, millions of people have lost their jobs, and the financial well being of a potential mate is more important than ever. But what’s the difference between a ‘sugar baby’ and a money grubbing ‘gold digger’?

Unlike a ‘gold-digger’, a sugar baby doesn’t set out to marry a rich man to ‘settle down with’. Sugar babies don’t settle, nor do they seek ‘commitment’ or superfluous obligations from their intimate partners.

One of the unique aspects about this type of dating is that people who would otherwise only date within their 'appropriate' or familiar social niches, are inclined to arrange mutually rewarding relationships with those well outside their socio-economic class. It’s an ironic way of overcoming the ill effects of social stratification. It's a way for me to meet an end without the pretense of monogamy, commitment, or sacrificing all dignity with a sex-for-money transaction. In this economy, what intelligent, upwardly mobile young person wouldn't consider a mutually beneficial arrangement (physical or platonic), to help keep hope alive?

Today’s emerging ‘sugar babies’ are self-empowered recession savvy millennials, and we know an opportunity when we see one. What’s the problem with adding a little sugar to an already Craigslist-afflicted personal life?

Dating to climb the social ladder is definitely more appealing than a cheap, brute, one-night-stand. Like many others, I've passed up opportunities to have a sugar daddy in the past, but the concept of creating an 'arrangement’ had the clarity I sought; I would get financial support and competitive edge from discreet relationships with rich and powerful man. A sugar daddy arrangement can be a unique, enriching experience between people who understand, and value the meaning of reciprocity.

Diamond Doll of CT 11:58PM February 15, 2009