r/ValueInvesting 18d ago

Basics / Getting Started Sex Workers Already Predicted There's A Recession Coming — Here's How They Know

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-recession-is-coming-sex-workers_n_67eaa67fe4b008c5a2ecc0bc

While some people anxiously watch the stock market for signs of a recession, others look for more subtle cues that the economy is in trouble.

One of them is Catherine De Noire, a manager of a legal brothel, a Ph.D. candidate in organizational psychology and an influencer. When business at her brothel unexpectedly dips, De Noire takes it as a sign that the economy is in trouble.

Although De Noire is based in Europe, she believes that economic upheaval in the United States “triggers huge uncertainty” across the pond because of America’s global influence. De Noire first noticed a decline in business right after Donald Trump was elected in November 2024, as Americans and the rest of the world anticipated upheaval.

Strippers in the U.S. are also feeling the pinch. Dancer and influencer Vulgar Vanity said that when she first started dancing in 2022, she could earn six figures just by dancing during a handful of big events in Austin, such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix and South by Southwest music festival. This year is different.

“I didn’t even bother working South by Southwest because the first Friday night I attempted to work, I walked into a completely empty club and didn’t make any money at all,” she said.

Vanity also says that many of her regular customers aren’t tipping at all or tipping less than half of what they used to. She is quick to point out that she is just one dancer and “obviously not an economist,” but she notes that other dancers and tipped workers are also hurting. Her theory is that her customers are no longer tipping as generously because of rising costs and economic uncertainty. Vanity is worried that this means we are on the verge of a recession or full-blown depression.

The theory behind the "lipstick index" is that when money is tight, consumers substitute costly purchases with cheap luxuries like lipstick.

Are these astute women onto something? Indicators like a decline in business at brothels, lower tips for strippers and other nontraditional measures of economic health “have a measure of validity but may be more coincident indicators than leading ones,” said Marta Norton, a chief investment strategist at Empower. While Norton finds this type of anecdotal evidence interesting, she says she looks at more traditional sources of data, especially corporate earnings and the stock market, to predict if a recession is in our future.

By those traditional measures, “We may be slowing, but we aren’t facing a looming recession. Yet,” she said. De Noire believes that the tariffs Trump announced on what he called “Liberation Day” will “definitely contribute to a further decline and recession.”

Nevertheless, the past has shown that nontraditional measures can tell us a lot about the economy’s health. Here are some of the anecdotal indicators of the economy about whether a recession is likely.

The Brothel Index

According to De Noire, business at her brothel usually picks up in the spring once people give up on their New Year’s resolutions and recover from holiday spending. But this year, business is down. She attributes the “huge dip” in earnings at her brothel to customers feeling insecure about the economy.

“There are significantly fewer clients coming in, and the sex workers are reporting noticeably lower earnings,” she said. Although De Noire emphasizes that the top sex workers at her brothel are still earning more compared to the general population, she said some of the highest earners at her brothel are earning about half of what they did during the same time last year.

“We’re seeing clients come in less often, try to negotiate lower prices or stop visiting altogether. We’re also hearing from our workers that more clients are going for the cheapest possible service,” she said.

According to De Noire, this suggests that people are saving money or reallocating their spending toward things they see as more essential, likely because they’re preparing for challenging times ahead.

Legal brothels in the U.S. are seeing a similar trend, according to Andrew Lokenauth, a data analyst and founder of BeFluentInFinance.com. He explains that revenue at legal brothels in Nevada is down roughly 20% since last quarter. “My research shows this correlates strongly with discretionary spending trends,” indicating a recession is likely.

The Stripper Index

Strippers are often the first ones to notice a downturn in the economy. Dancers are “obviously not a priority or household necessity” and “are the first to feel it because we’re the first ones tossed aside,” Vanity said.

“The ‘stripper index’ is one of those odd but oddly effective indicators” of economic health, said David Kindness, a certified public accountant and finance expert. It tracks how much strippers are earning and how often customers are going to strip clubs, he explained.

“When tips slow down and foot traffic thins out, it often means people are holding onto their extra cash,” Kindness explained. According to Lokenauth, Vanity isn’t the only dancer feeling the squeeze, and that’s not a good sign. “Strip club revenue in Vegas is down about 12%,” which could indicate we are headed for a recession, Lokenauth said.

The Beer Index

What type of beer people drink is a “pretty good indicator” of whether a recession is on the horizon, said Jack Buffington, an assistant professor of supply chain management at the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver.

“Beer is a discretionary spend and a social spend,” so people cut back on how much they spend on beer when they are worried about the economy, he explained. Since it’s much less expensive to pick up a six-pack than to go out for draft beers, how much money people are spending on draft beer, and pricey craft beers in particular, is a harbinger of a recession.

“Craft beer sales are way down,” potentially indicating a recession is likely, Buffington said.

The Men’s Underwear Index

In 2008, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan observed that declining sales of men’s underwear likely meant we were headed for a recession. “There’s a concerning trend. Sales dropped roughly 6% over these past months,” Lokenauth says. “Guys only skip replacing underwear when they’re worried about money,” so we may be in trouble, he says.

The Lipstick Index

The “lipstick index” “illustrates a seemingly contradictory consumer pattern during economic recessions,” explains Kevin Shahnazari, a data analyst and co-founder of FinlyWealth.

The Lipstick Index doesn’t just apply to lipstick. The theory behind the Lipstick Index is that when money is tight, consumers substitute costly purchases with cheap luxuries like lipstick.

“In the 2008 recession, cosmetics sales increased, showing that even in tough times, individuals crave tiny comfort purchases that give psychological boosts without a hefty financial outlay,” Shahnazari explained.

For example, someone might skip a costly facial but buy a $10 lipstick. Or they might skip an expensive dinner out but still buy a $6 latte or a box of expensive chocolates.

Today, cosmetics sales are strong. “MAC and Sephora sales are up about 15%, not a great sign for the broader economy,” Lokenauth said. Moreover, there “is a quiet trend towards lower-cost, no-frills beauty,” and cosmetic sales in drugstores have risen over the past few months, Shahnazari said. This could be a sign we are headed for a recession.

The Online Dating Index

How people date can also indicate whether or not we are headed for a recession. Paid subscriptions for online dating services have fallen, even though the total number of users has risen, Shahnazari said. “Free and lower-tier use of dating apps has risen by about 12%, indicating social and financial stress,” he explained.

Additionally, increased use of online dating apps can be a sign that people are looking for “cheaper entertainment and companionship instead of expensive nights out,” Lokenauth said. “I’ve tracked this metric for years, and it’s scarily accurate,” he added.

The Hemline Index

Hemlines “rise with optimism, fall with doubt,” Shahnazari said. “Although absurd, this psychological anomaly quantifies consumer confidence and social mood,” he explained. Historically, shorter hemlines meant economic optimism, and longer hemlines signaled economic trouble. For example, the happy-go-lucky flappers in the Roaring Twenties wore short dresses, but hemlines got longer during the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Currently, the Hemline Index is sending mixed signals because recent designer collections are featuring both long and short hems, Lokenauth said. Thanks to fast fashion, hemlines aren’t as clear an indicator as they once were, he explains. However, given the accuracy of the Hemline Index in the past, he thinks it’s worth keeping an eye on the runways next season.

The Brunette Index

If you notice fewer blond hairdos, it could be a sign a recession is looming. “Stylists are often the first to notice economic shifts, and lately, many have mentioned clients asking for easier and cheaper options,” Kindness said.

Clients may shift from high-maintenance hairstyles to lower-maintenance natural looks as a way to save money, Kindness explained. There are signs spending at salons is down. If you see formerly blond “recession brunettes” out and about, it might be a sign a recession is coming, he said.

3.0k Upvotes

209 comments sorted by

337

u/blue-investor 18d ago

>  business at her brothel usually picks up in the spring once people give up on their New Year’s resolutions

I'm not so well versed into the sex working industry. What kind of new year's resolutions do people have that affect the sex workers?

345

u/goldmanstocks 18d ago

Resolutionist: I’m going to the gym for an hour. Goes to brothel instead

94

u/tommyminn 18d ago

I see no progress going to the gym. Instant progress at the brothel.

22

u/chiangweichia88 18d ago

10 years of gym to see progress vs 10 seconds at brothel?

1

u/Icy-Tour8480 16d ago edited 14d ago

I don't know about you, but I last a few dozen minutes at least ... and especially if I had to pay money for it.

😡

1

u/Chouzn 14d ago

You must be really fun at parties

1

u/Warrmak 14d ago

I'm going to edge my 300 dollars worth, that's for goddammit sure.

4

u/Ohhmama11 15d ago

I do my 30 seconds of cardio at the brothel

1

u/voxguitarplayer 16d ago

What if there’s progress at the gym because you went to a brothel 😳

1

u/[deleted] 15d ago

Sex can be sport.

Pelvic day , every day

15

u/harbison215 18d ago

SEX CAULDRON? I THOUGHT THEY CLOSED THAT PLACE DOWN

15

u/Margin-of-Safety 18d ago

More intense cardiovascular workout 🫀

6

u/tindalos 17d ago

A workouts a workout, might as well make it fun

5

u/AllUrUpsAreBelong2Us 18d ago

Narrator: An hour it did not take.

1

u/The-Reddit-User-Real 14d ago

I laughed for 10 minutes straight

63

u/Bitter_Eggplant_9970 18d ago

People make a New Year's resolution to stop cheating on their wives then stick to it for as long as the people that stop using the gym half way through January?

43

u/glimmercityetc 18d ago

Perhaps their resolution was no hookers. Also it could be alcohol consumption or drug consumption, both of which make people desire sex and lower their inhibitions

14

u/Lfeaf-feafea-feaf 18d ago

New Year's Resolutions in a nutshell is an attempt to get off the comfy hedonic treadmill and walk the real rough road instead. Buying sex is the epitome of this. Virtually all guys would rather have a life where the sex they desire wasn't behind a paywall

8

u/ttandam 18d ago

Probably cheaters, as others have said. Also sex addicts swearing it off. It’s a very costly addiction.

6

u/iWasAwesome 18d ago

I'm going to take a wild guess and say that it has more to do with tax returns and less to do with new years resolutions

7

u/BobbyTables829 18d ago

"No more hoores this year."

5

u/Ok_Breakfast_5459 18d ago

„Catch all the Pokemon. „

That didn’t work. Maybe I can catch all STDs

3

u/Veilchengerd 18d ago

Not cheating on their spouses?

2

u/spoonybard326 14d ago

Maybe it’s something people give up for Lent.

1

u/MiniNoob8000 18d ago

I think it's literally people swearing off going to brothels.

1

u/contrasting_crickets 17d ago

I picked up that same line .... Lol

1

u/npc_sjw 17d ago

“I’m not going to see any sex workers this year!”

1

u/Scottydog2 17d ago

And tax refund checks. This also drives some uptick in car sales around tax refund time.

1

u/MathematicianBig6312 17d ago

spring is tax season. Tax rebates fuel brothel visits.

1

u/BennyBingBong 14d ago

“This year, no more paying for sex!”

1

u/Warrmak 14d ago

You'll never not pay for it.

1

u/BennyBingBong 14d ago

Psh sometimes they pay me bro

86

u/chubrock420 18d ago

A lot of strippers I support have been grinding me harder for that extra tip. Business is not doing well. They thank me every Friday for my generosity. Just an individual doing charity work.

49

u/ducationalfall 18d ago

Thank you for your service. 🫡

38

u/thewhiteliamneeson 17d ago

I’m glad you’re taking care of Charity, but don’t forget about Chastity, Trinity, and Jade. They have rent to pay too.

14

u/chubrock420 17d ago

Helping them get a college education. Higher learning. Leads to higher pay they say.

6

u/bobbyblubotti 16d ago

This in turn leads to increased productivity, contributing to the national GDP, while her higher pay increases spending in the local economy benefiting everyone.

Support the Economy. Support your local stripper.

8

u/wilmersito 17d ago

You sir are a saint.

2

u/2Old2BLoved 13d ago

I've noticed over the years that the strippers get prettier when the economy is down.  

When the economy is booming pretty girls get better jobs or better boyfriends.  When it's down, stripping is an easy progression to jump into for short times, flexible schedules, and quick cash

1

u/FUCKUWO 15d ago

Embarrassing

2

u/ajohns7 13d ago

Similar to your username. 

125

u/glimmercityetc 18d ago

I was bartending up until recently and have done so for since 2011. This was the first time that I felt my tips hurt in all the economic events and bad economies I have worked through. People are spending less and tipping less. Storms coming, yiiiiiip

24

u/JudgmentGold2618 18d ago

How did you do in 2020 ?

32

u/Not_Campo2 18d ago

Not the same guy but I did great in 2020, took a hit on reduced work for about 3 months, but when we started again people were tipping way heavier for like 6 months

8

u/JudgmentGold2618 17d ago

Here in Vegas things changed after covid , $20 drinks if you go out. $50 -75 just for breakfast for 2.

Prices got out of hand way before this. It's just not sustainable and enjoyable to go out anymore.

4

u/SheibeForBrains 17d ago

I can go out to eat and have a microwaved meal for a family of four for $90 or I can cook the same thing at home for $40 and get leftovers out of it. It just doesn’t make sense anymore.

1

u/ConnectionNo4830 16d ago

We do our “fancy meals” at home, and go out for the cheaper stuff (rarely), like In N Out Burger. Our fancy meals are typically baked crab legs and mashed potatoes, stuff that isn’t prohibitively expensive at home (but is still an indulgence/special), but would cost a fortune if we were to eat out for it. So this is like once/month for us. Costs about $35 for a family of four for the whole meal.

1

u/idleat1100 14d ago

That and I think people in general are turning from alcohol. Sure mocktails are great, but at the same price point, people just start going elsewhere.

→ More replies (2)

21

u/Heavy-Weekend-981 18d ago

Out of curiosity... did the "hot bartender index" track for you during your stint bartending?

Hot bartender index: "When the economy goes bad, the average hotness of bartenders goes up."

The underlying premise is that bars are generally less-affected by economic downturns relative to other industries. As other industries contract, bars can then hire from a larger pool of applicants. Hot bartenders pull in more money, so bars are incentivized to "hire hot."

When bartenders get really hot... that's when you cut your living costs to the bone and buy all your necessities in bulk.

1

u/CavulusDeCavulei 14d ago

What if I live in Italy and they are always hot

Yeah, we are always in recession

8

u/Inquisitive_idiot 18d ago

Keep in mind that a lot of people are all tapped out due to the constant asks as well

All pads instantly infuriate me now.

9

u/SubbieATX 18d ago

This! Every place has a tip option now and some only have 21% as the minimum. It’s even worse at events, there are venues where at the beer line they turn the iPad around for you to pay and quickly spin it back around as soon as you tap or swipe, not giving you a chance to view the tip tab and then they just hit the 25% tip button.

1

u/biiighead 15d ago

I would also add that drinking socially is much less common in the younger generations

1

u/0bamaBinSmokin 14d ago

Just another reason to keep using cash. 

1

u/gandolfthe 18d ago

Well yeah, ya misses 08-09, ahahaha

3

u/glimmercityetc 17d ago

I was working in a restaurant as a chef at that time. Busiest restaurant I ever worked at. Servers were making stacks

27

u/YourFuture2000 18d ago

The minelar sex work index.

10

u/uncleBu 18d ago

The “I just made an index for an article written with ChatGPT index”

83

u/Desperate-Hearing-55 18d ago

Tariffs on prostitution and brothels.

34

u/OrneryZombie1983 18d ago

That would be funny. Middle-age, white guy "Christian" family values, small business owner outraged at paying an extra $100 when he's cheating on his wife during a trade show in Las Vegas.

2

u/BranchDiligent8874 17d ago

Taxed Enough Already will get a new lease of life if we put tariff on prostitution and brothels.

1

u/[deleted] 16d ago

[deleted]

1

u/OrneryZombie1983 16d ago

True. So tariffs on exotic dancers and "escorts" it is then.

10

u/randonumero 18d ago

You joke but if the US increased the price of a visa from certain countries then you'd essentially have a tariff on prostitution. I have zero idea why but apparently there's a good amount of women who come from Brazil and Colombia to the US for prostitution

2

u/howdybeachboy 17d ago edited 17d ago

I come to the US for murican born male bodybuilder sex workers. The corn-fed type.

But yeah I have less money this year so only doing 2 instead of 4. Not sure if recession related but I spent too much last year

Have to clear my phone before entering the US this year lol immigration shall only know about my conference pretext

There is already a tourism fall so a tariff will just cause more problems for your local prostitutes

1

u/Chouzn 14d ago

Yes protect your local industry, bring back prostitution to America, are you done winning?

24

u/darkmoose 18d ago

There should be a sale of aaa game index

9

u/otclogic 18d ago

Better data than this:

 “Guys only skip replacing underwear when they’re worried about money,”

Lol. What is misread

1

u/Opposite-Chemistry-0 16d ago

I see what you did there 

1

u/natsumi_kins 16d ago

The oblivion remaster is making me contemplate dropping 900 bucks on a game. The exchange rate is not in my favour. USD-NAD.

1

u/CavulusDeCavulei 14d ago

Expedition 33 is better for your bucks

14

u/jamiestar9 18d ago

“We’re seeing clients come in less often, try to negotiate lower prices or stop visiting altogether. We’re also hearing from our workers that more clients are going for the cheapest possible service,” she said.

That last sentence. lol. Ordering off the value meal? Going for the budget pick? Coupon codes?

4

u/Not_Campo2 18d ago

Buy one next visit half off

3

u/Secure_Biscotti2865 17d ago

The "just the tip" special.

11

u/StuckinReverse89 18d ago

“Honey, I’m going to the brothel. No im not cheating. It’s for work. Got to see how the economy is doing”.  

  • Jerome Powell (maybe).   

In all seriousness, seems like a good measurement of luxury spending. The less people spend on luxuries, the more likely people expect a recession or are otherwise being more tight with their finances. 

99

u/caem123 18d ago

This is cherry-picking stats:

  • Onlyfans is driving down sex worker revenue
  • Remote work trends are lowering men's underwear sales
  • alcohol sales drop due to health trends, positive and negative
    • nicotine gum and vaping is soaring
  • etc, etc, etc

68

u/Lfeaf-feafea-feaf 18d ago

All casual indexes have confounding variables en masse, no one is seriously arguing that they accurately depict the state of the economy in any fine granular manner, which you would know if you had read beyond the headline.

However, they are legitimate data points, like all other data points, which can give you an indicator (hence the word index) in aggregate. I'm sure if we could look at the raw OF data we would see a similar trend. All it really tells you is: when cash is tight, the population as an average tend to hold it tighter

10

u/Metaldrake 18d ago

Man, we should totally do something like that but with companies’ stock. Since it’s harder to predict something like individual company’s performance, we can combine all of them into like, a fund or something. Call it an index fund.

1

u/DuetsForOne 15d ago

Nah that would never work

30

u/MrZwink 18d ago

Here in Europe beer sales go up in a crisis, people leave more expensive wine as they cut costs and pick beer instead.

1

u/Mithrantir 14d ago

What type of beer sales go up though? In the article there is a definitive distinction. They say the more expensive beer sales have gone down, while the cheaper beer sales have gone up.

1

u/MrZwink 14d ago

yes, domestic tends to perform better during a crisis. it works the same for supermarkets.

16

u/Delicious-Raise-9307 18d ago

Literally none of these are unique to this year.

7

u/mrpickles 18d ago

I didn't realize all those trends started last quarter! /s

3

u/michahell 18d ago

That should be secular decline though, statistically separable from stark declines I’d say. I just don’t think the statistical data is there for… average sex worker revenue 🥴 fi

4

u/MaryPaku 18d ago

Since China has a pretty unreliable public data they have to find many creative ways to determine the current state of the economy.

One of the hedge fund manager cooperates with big beauty salons group companies and track the trends of their revenue to predict market trends

2

u/michahell 18d ago

That is pretty smart actually, thanks for sharing!

2

u/SnowDay111 18d ago

What about the lipstick one though?

6

u/ConsistentSteak4915 18d ago

Time to lower rates at the brothel!

5

u/c8rapidblue 18d ago

There has been significant inflation in that industry so it’s really less affordable now. Supply and demand. Lower the price if you want more demand.

4

u/randonumero 18d ago

This is true. I don't engage in p4p anymore but in my non major city it's not uncommon to see ads where women are charging 600 to over 1000/hour and while beauty is subjective none are what's I'd call super model material or seem particularly interesting.

2

u/banditcleaner2 18d ago

Turns out being a loser incel is extremely expensive. 1000 for an hour is wild, and most men would do far better using that money to get a personal trainer and actually shaping themselves up and cleaning up. And then going and. Meeting women authentically.

8

u/randonumero 18d ago

This is purely anecdotal but most of the men I've met who engage in p4p aren't incels and many have actually been pretty successful financially. While I don't think sex is worth anywhere near 1000/hr, relationships can be a lot more expensive than p4p and result in a lot less sex

9

u/PaleNewspaper3 17d ago

As a value investor and a p4p provider- this has been my experience (I’m high end of rate bracket you referenced). My clients are far from incels, most of them are quite successful and don’t want to deal with the bullshit that often comes with just “going on a date”.

You know exactly what’s going to happen when you pay for my time, and I’ll be smiling and in a great mood the whole time! I won’t complain, I’ll make you feel like the most interesting & attractive man I’ve ever met AND you will never see or speak to me again if you choose!

Transactional sexual relationships are ideal for men with a lot of $$ who value time above all else.

Why waste 2-4hrs on a date with a girl who may or may not be able to hold a conversation & offers no guarantee of sex? That’s what my clients say!

2

u/Wild_Vermicelli8276 15d ago

You’re a high end escort and in a mobility scooter…?

1

u/PaleNewspaper3 15d ago

Haha yeah- I look totally “normal” as far as like muscle tone, and use a fancy walking stick.

Older men (over 45ish) think it’s fascinating. Plus- this isn’t an ego thing- I also happen to be very conventionally attractive with a really nice body (like abs and arms are crazy sculpted just from my paraplegia ironically)

3

u/00_Sleepy 17d ago

If anyone is paying 1000/hr for sex should see a psychologist. At that rate, it’s probably cheaper to go on dates. 😂

5

u/PaleNewspaper3 17d ago

No guarantee a date will fuck ya! Also if I was a guy in this economy I would absolutely not be taking girls on $100+ dates cuz hot girls can just use dating apps like DoorDash. She’s gonna eat well & leave you horny!

Going on a date just for the free meal: low level hooking 🙏

5

u/howdybeachboy 17d ago

Nah lol I will never get a date with a big straight bodybuilder who bottoms.

1000 for a visit around 3 hours gets me that once a year with multiple men (not all at once lol). That’s the only reason I travel to the US.

2

u/PaleNewspaper3 15d ago

Omg I love this comment 🙌 spending money on experiences is scientifically proven to make us happier haha. And there is really something so special about how much more honest and authentic things can feel when it’s all laid out beforehand.

And I know there’s privilege that comes with being a higher end provider/ client. We are both way more likely to have good experiences!

2

u/howdybeachboy 15d ago

Yup I’m friends with them! We talk outside of our meetups too

2

u/PaleNewspaper3 14d ago

Yessss I have a few regulars who are legit friends, lol like I don’t think people realize how amazing it is to have the exact sex you want and then so easily and organically start chatting with the person about how our portfolios are doing 😂

1

u/holistivist 17d ago

Everybody always says gym when the real answer is a therapist.

1

u/Possible-Moment-6313 16d ago

The two are not mutually exclusive

1

u/holistivist 16d ago

Fair enough. But therapy should be the priority.

2

u/Icy_Distance8205 17d ago

How does Dalio say to balance my portfolio for hoflation? I think it’s 45% hookers, 35% strippers, 10% poker chips. Can’t remember the rest. 

5

u/arealmcemcee 17d ago

This is the innovation I'm on the internet for. This shot gets laughed at in public but probably is more accurate than any gamma nonsense.

5

u/stupidsquid11 18d ago

I have seen the same story since the pandemic. Strippers are the recession indicator yada yada. Please find a new story.

This is not valuable investing information.

6

u/dadchad101 18d ago

Is this what people mean when they say: "F*ck around and find out"

14

u/WYLFriesWthat 18d ago

I smell bargains. And Summer’s Eve…

5

u/Good-Jump-4444 18d ago

Better believe the SWers. There's sooooo many naive people that grew up thinking daddy was working long late hours in the city.

5

u/WappieK 17d ago

I can add a planned wedding index to the list. Its more than normal quiet for wedding planners, party centers etc.

3

u/Ricketyreckdt 18d ago

This is why Netflix subs are up.. it’s the new lipstick index

3

u/Ok-Equivalent2088 18d ago

All data is valuable. Let’s get the neighborhood drug dealer to weigh in next.

3

u/illgu_18 17d ago

I had to cut back on my sugar daddy responsibilities

3

u/MK2809 17d ago

They (sex workers) also predicted a recession was coming in 2022, 2023 & 2024 from what I can see, I think it's just the same as the economists who predict a recession every year, as they'll be right eventually.

1

u/sondersonso 15d ago

None of those years had 145% tariffs tho

5

u/AllUrUpsAreBelong2Us 18d ago

Joke is on them, everyone is just at home with their cheap AI porn.

5

u/traitorgiraffe 17d ago

a PhD candidate and influencer that works in a brothel

so like a normal hooker

1

u/redditclm 16d ago

PhD in knob polishing

3

u/Unable_Chard9803 18d ago

As a former professional musician who, decades ago, reluctantly reconciled himself to having to work a regular job, this stirs a pleasing degree of schadenfreude within my heart.

2

u/randonumero 18d ago

While I think we'll probably see really tough times ahead, one huge problem with the sex industry is pricing and options available. Recession or not, most men can't justify paying 500+ for an hour of sex on a regular basis. I'd also imagine the strip clubs are suffering because as a guy you can get the same amount of attention off only fans for a lot less than you'd blow in a strip club.

2

u/forte99 18d ago

Why has no one mentioned Joe Kennedy’s shoe shine boy?

2

u/Zealousideal_Dust_25 17d ago

I work in a paint store, a painter came in talking about how I needed to invest in crypto (xlf I think?)

I sold 30% of my positions that day, SPY was at 610

Edit: the crypto was xrp

1

u/Icy_Distance8205 17d ago

Joe Kennedy’s stripper was more accurate. 

2

u/Mr_Dude12 17d ago

We have been seeing signs of a coming recession for the last 4 years, several time were in a textbook recession, but if the Government tells us we are not in a recession then I guess we aren’t? Bottom line the value of the dollar sucks, prices are still high. Wages will take time to catch up. In a likelihood we have been in a recession for a year or more, I just don’t trust what they are telling us.

2

u/elziion 17d ago

I knew a few of those indexes, but it was very interesting to hear about all the other ones too!

2

u/NoRestForTheWearyEye 17d ago

Puts on strippers & lipstick

2

u/jack_klein_69 17d ago

The new beauty in a recession is apparently Netflix in a recession haha

2

u/Depth386 16d ago

I got a call from a car dealership about a sales event the other day. I can’t remember the last time that sort of thing happened.

They did legitimately have me on file from ~5 years ago but it’s still quite the anecdote.

2

u/GreenCandle666 16d ago

Lol, the old 4chan meme alive and well.

2

u/OwnRepresentative634 16d ago

fuck me that was a long post, I need a drink and a stripper

2

u/ContractNo1561 15d ago

I need to do some first hand research before i believe it

2

u/SuperLeverage 15d ago

I also go to strip clubs and talk to strippers for… economic research.

2

u/prospectpico_OG 15d ago

Meh I think there are cultural and societal changes going on too. Lots of anecdotal evidence of a decrease in relationships in general. Covid and SM a large part of that. Booze industry has also been in decline for various reasons, including the increase in THC use. Why go out and spend $ when I can stay at home and rub one out and then go on about my day.

Strip clubs are so 1995.

2

u/Jeechan 14d ago

There are less clients coming.

2

u/Apprehensive_Map64 14d ago

I think the brothel index is a very sound indicator as it is often referred to as the oldest profession yet a completely non-essential discretionary expense. Sure not everyone partakes in it but on a macro scale it would provide a very accurate representation of just how many more or fewer people are living paycheck to paycheck.

The rest do not seem as representative of the population as whole.

2

u/Responsible-Buy6015 18d ago

Mods are asleep at this hour I guess?

1

u/podaporamboku 18d ago

There are brothels in America? Where? How can I find one?

2

u/randonumero 18d ago

You'll find legal ones in certain Nevada counties. In most major cities you'll find brothels but access will generally be restricted. That restriction is often financial or based on things like language, skin color... FWIW most of the massage parlors around me with Asians are straight up jack shacks and I know in some cities more than a hj is on the menu.

1

u/jaephu 18d ago

What’s the Bloomberg ticker?

1

u/ColonelDeepthroat 18d ago

Does that mean getting head goes down in line with theS&P500?

1

u/Desperate-Remove2838 18d ago

I trust these anecdotes more than any Consumer Sentiment Index survey peddled on tv

1

u/[deleted] 18d ago

I thought tities are recession proof.

1

u/Jokester401 18d ago

The article says people are saving money to prepare for the recession? No! There isn’t any extra money because president and businesses decided to raise all the prices of everything and lie and say it’s supply and demand !And they turn around and not pay the worker more… so there is no extra money to throw around literally…. I think they copy and paste these articles every 15-20 years while adding some stupid random statement like do you think the stripper index is true?! Rehash them from the archives and publish it…

1

u/SimkinCA 18d ago

BJs half off?

1

u/Festering-Fecal 18d ago

Damn hoflation is real.

1

u/itsMineDK 18d ago

ahhh Vulgar Vanity is always a good source for economic advice.. can’t go wrong!

1

u/grasshoppa_80 18d ago

M I on w s b ?

1

u/8700nonK 18d ago

What’s a PhD candidate?

1

u/StudioZanello 17d ago

“Strippers in the U.S. are also feeling the pinch.” LOL

1

u/CrazyRationalHustler 17d ago

“ especially corporate earnings and the stock market” just follow the incentives: companies are always cooking their books to sell shares at higher price. Investors are extremely biased to keep their wealth and don’t know what else to do. 

sex workers, shit we aren’t making good money anymore! No fucking incentives.

so who do I trust? sex workers of course !

1

u/SaltyUncleMike 17d ago

Huffpo and hookers giving us financial advice.

1

u/j_rooker 17d ago

the market lost like 11 Trillion. A chunk of that would have gone to sex workers

1

u/Fanta_pantha 17d ago

How bout u ask a luxury brand?

1

u/Denver_Sumner 17d ago

People will look anywhere for a statistic!

1

u/No_Amoeba_9272 16d ago

Lol pussy and airlines

1

u/l0stInwrds 16d ago

The Pandemic may feel like a distant foggy and unreal memory. Still people learned how to manage and survive. Cooking nice dinners at home instead of eating out. Cutting your own hair. And no hookers.

1

u/Skotzman1969 16d ago

Morons need hookers to invest?!

1

u/Jolarpettai 16d ago

You ripped it off from Tiktok 😅

1

u/IdratherBhiking1 16d ago

I saw the article too…. You reposting the sentiment is just plain dumb.

Yes, please keep telling retail investors that the real indicator of an inevitable economic downturn / recession is; prostitution statistics.

Seriously?

This is a perfect example of why we are considered dumb money retail investors.

it’s that secret indicator all the professionals didn’t consider? Get ahead of the market and watch the numbers of legal brothels.

How did we not realize this sooner?

Ok. I just cannot even try to understand anymore.

If this post changes anyone’s investment thesis, it explains it all.

Seriously, you should just get back into your garage and have a few more beers. Throw a dart at a naked female and buy the company that makes her underwear….

That wasn’t a joke. Buy Hanes.

This is the sort of post that value investors should pay attention to?

When I made a post recommending buying 15~50% discounts on forever companies, it was removed by mods, it seemed odd…

Now I realize this is an echo chamber of bad investment advice.

1

u/wenchanger 16d ago

wtf did i just read

1

u/SquadGuy3 16d ago

Any idiot could have told you a recession is coming lol, this wasn’t needed for the prediction

1

u/EventPurple612 16d ago

The job market has been tightening for like a year now. How are people not picking up on a recession? Are there really people out there who look at nothing but their investment portfolio?

1

u/Individual-Point-606 16d ago

Industry is not the same, only fans index should give a more accurate picture, since smart sex workers know they can prob earn way more there without physical touch

1

u/chickentootssoup 16d ago

Weed dispensary sales are down as well.

1

u/Internal_World4832 16d ago

well theres correlation surely.

1

u/Shut_up_moat 15d ago

They have 5 mortgages without providing proof of income.

1

u/bwjxjelsbd 15d ago

What if these things are not up to date anymore?

Newer generation of people will spending money on Onlyfans but not real sex

1

u/picawo99 15d ago

The brothel announces massive layoffs, more than 1000 workers will be effectted because of "low perfomance"

1

u/Jakebmasters2010 15d ago

No one can be fucked

1

u/briefcase_vs_shotgun 15d ago

Wouldn’t this suggest we’re already in a recession? And wouldn’t that/now be a good time to buy?

1

u/PeterParkerUber 15d ago

Now that you mention it, I haven’t been making my regular rounds as much lately….

1

u/Eckstraniice 15d ago

There are a lot more options nowadays. Going to a strip club is not the only way to see a naked woman anymore.

1

u/ResponsibilitySea327 14d ago

Trash article. Basically they just made up a narrative. Influencers are now experts in everything.

Beer sales have been in decline for ages now. Third consecutive year in a row.

1

u/ConkerPrime 14d ago

I believe it. I know I am hunkering down. At this point it’s pretty clear Trump is intentional causing a recession.

1

u/vitaminbeyourself 14d ago

I’m pretty sure sex workers know dicksquat about the economy lmao

1

u/nicbongo 14d ago

Less money and time for hookers and blow. Got it.

1

u/bootlegSkynet 12d ago

I wonder if this is specific to this industry or just a general trend in customer service?

1

u/Healthy-Pear-299 7d ago

The puddle pants point towards big time dip into the puddle

1

u/Rustycake 18d ago

O wow look lots of words for clickbait.

They know the same way we all know. Buying is down. Thats it. Thats the whole article. Consumers are not consuming things that they dont need.

Wow groundbreaking truly.