This movie is terrible for women.

Rating: 5/10 (12 December 2007)

I was very sad to watch this movie again after a few years, because it used to be one of my favorites. However, the anti-feminist content is too blatant and too dangerous to ignore.
PROSTITUTION IS NOT FUN. It does not result in fancy outfits, thrill rides in sports cars, or offers to escape it all for free. Of the 130 San Francisco prostitutes studied, 82% had been physically assaulted, 83% had been threatened with a weapon, 68% had been raped while working, and 84% reported current or past homelessness (Farley, 1998). Furthermore, 68% met the criteria for a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Similar studies are listed below.
The movie presents an unrealistic picture of this situation, and therefore trivializes a serious issue and exempts men who solicit prostitutes from examining the ill effects of their behavior. I could write another page about the nauseating gender roles at play in the film, but that's a story for another day.
References
Farley, M. (1998). Prostitution, Violence, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Women and Health, 27(3), 37-49.
Kurtz, S.P., Surratt, H.L., Inciardi, J.A., Kiley, M.C. (2004). Sex Work and "Date" Violence. Violence Against Women, 10(4), 357-385.
Raphael, J., Shapiro, D.L. (2004). Violence in Indoor and Outdoor Prostitution Venues. Violence Against Women, 10(2), 126-139.