Supply & Demand #1: Real People Hook Ups or Phone Sex Service?

I always have a tendency t0 like things which my own demographics aren’t necessarily into, like classic Hollywood films (The Apartment) and geeky stuff (Mythbusters). I’m comfortable with that. But the only annoying thing is, I found myself bombarded by ads that are not directed to my own demographics, like adult diapers, video games, walk-in bathtubs, and invitations to join the US Army (where I could get paid to blow cool things up!).

Take last Friday night. I was up late finishing up a deadline, then I relaxed by watching some good old-fashioned sci-fi on TV. What kinds of ads did I see? Sexy girls in bikini saying seductively: “Call me! I love older men!” One ad in particular emphasized that they aren’t offering phone sex service, but simply matching real people up for chatting - for a fee.

Huh. Let’s look at this claim critically with the theory of Supply and Demand. The basic idea is simple: if the two are not equal, then something’s gotta give. First, let’s line up the facts:

Fact #1: A friend who worked in IT for a large dating site told me that at any given time, there are more horny men out there looking for sex than women. The scale is so imbalanced that some sites are free for women and the men are willing to pay to meet them.

Fact #2: The ad in question is targeted toward male customers.

Fact #3: For the “real people” claim to work, there has to be an equal number of real men and real women calling the chat line.

So if the Demand from men is naturally high to begin with, and the ad is encouraging an even higher turnout, where does the equal Supply of women come from? The only way for this to work, is for paid phone sex workers to fill up that gap. The “real people” claim is a beautiful lie for the male customers, because nobody wants to feel like a lonely, desperate nerd who can’t get a date on a Friday night. Even if they are one. Especially if they are one.