“Was Holly Golightly Really a Prostitute?” The New Yorker wonders. A British stage production of Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s prompted the Telegraph to ask the same question. After the jump, what The New Yorker uncovered.

About 50 cities in the U.S. have come up with an interesting way to handle dudes who are caught trying to pick up prostitutes—they’re sending them to “John Schools.” In these AA-like meetings, the guys listen to presentations by former prostitutes who tell them how brutal the industry is, health experts who share how dangerous sex-for-hire can be, and therapists who try to get them to understand why they were trying to buy nookie in the first place. The idea is to get the guys—about half of whom are married—to understand that hiring a prostitute isn’t a fun and harmless thing, but that they’re actually part of a much bigger problem. Only first-time offenders are eligible for these AA-like meetings, which are generally held in churches or government buildings. (Repeat offenders and those who try to solicit minors are dealt with more harshly.) The guys also have to pay a $250 fee and finish the class without trying to buy another woman.

I grew up drooling to “Cops,” so my classiness expectations for TLC’s new Thursday night show, “Police Women Of Broward County,” were low. But, actually, “Police Women” is way less trashy than you’d expect. The lady cops bust heads and take names, and they deliver monologues about single motherhood and how hard it is to balance their jobs and their families.

But one of Broward County’s prostitution-busting moves rubbed me the wrong way.

Insight China magazine conducted an online survey of 3,376 Chinese peeps about who they trusted. And their findings are pretty counter-intuitive—folks said that trusted prostitutes more than both government officials and scientists. In fact, prostitutes came in third place as a group, just above farmers and religious workers. The China Daily covered the study this week, saying, “Given the constant feed of scandals involving the country’s elite, this is not bad at all. At least [the scientists and politicians] have not slid into the least credible category which consists of real estate developers, secretaries, agents, entertainers and directors.” [AFP]

I don’t even know where to start with this one. It’s not that surprising that prostitutes beat out government officials who go nuts there with the censor-happy schtick. But prostitutes also beat out students and teachers. And what’s so bad about secretaries? Who would you guys rank as the most trustworthy? Frisky bloggers? Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Have you heard? Italy’s Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, is a total horndog. Worse than Bill Clinton or Mark Sanford, even!

Call girls, audio tapes, barely legal teens, “gifts” of seats in the Italian Parliament for pretty girls ... mamma mia! Four years of high school level Italian did not prepare me to make sense of this mess. Click through for a cheat sheet on why Italy’s head honcho, Silvio Berlusconi, has said, “I’m no saint.”

Although prostitution is legal in Amsterdam, working girls still have trouble getting banks to give them credit and loans. But officials working on “Project 1012” are trying to change all that. Under this plan, peeps are talking to banks, trying to get them to cooperate with the ladies of the night. They’re hoping that, within the next few months, prostitutes will have more access to the financial support they need. Is it just me, or does this sound a lot like a red-light district bailout? [Yahoo]

If you haven’t heard, HBO has a new dramedy, “Hung,” that’s about—well, the title should tell you something. The series focuses on a divorced father in Detroit who loses his wife, his kids (custody, that is), and his manhood. Also? He has a big penis. In order to get by, he decides to become a male prostitute. I know, I know. That happens all the time. But the show begs the question: What are the real lives of male prostitutes like?

Okay, so I know pimps usually aren’t the nicest of guys. But in China, where there are now more than four million young female sex workers, some are resorting to a nasty trick—they’re telling their prostitutes that they’re giving them a shot to protect them from HIV and other STDs. Obviously, no such shot exists—they want their women to be more open to sex sans condoms. As a result, sex has overtaken intravenous drug use as the number cause of HIV dissemination in China. Although the Chinese government is trying its best to educate sex workers, in such a large country with so many women, this is nearly an impossible task. All I can say is: evil.

Sex may sell, but how does one sell sex? Since the ‘80s, prostitutes in London have been using “tart cards” to advertise their services. Tart Cards, a new graphic (in both meanings of the word) book, takes a look at how the art form has evolved from discreet illustrated pocket papers with text like “Charming Italian Model”, to the explicit pornographic photos posted in red telephone booths. Showcasing over 350 cards, the tome may shed some serious academic light on the history of a subculture, but it’s better as an amusing coffee table book, especially for the additional glossary of coded prostitute language. [$24.95 at Amazon.com]

When I was 14, I got nail polish and shower gel for my birthday. Most teenage guys probably wouldn’t jump for joy at toiletries, but one dad in London took the gift thing way too far. He took his son for a joy ride, so he could pick out his own special gift. Alas, they weren’t driving to some electronics store—they went cruising for prostitutes so the boy could lose his v-card. One particularly sexy lady on the side of the road caught the boy’s attention. Too bad she turned out to be an undercover cop. The only thing these dirty dudes got from her was handcuffs, and not in a sexy way. Yesterday, the dad was slapped with a 10-month prison sentence, though it looks like the judge might spare him because of his “excellent character.” I don’t know if his character is so excellent, but I also don’t think he should go to jail. Maybe he should just be sentenced to watch reruns of “Father Knows Best.” [Yahoo]

Amsterdam, known by many for its drugs and its brothels, is trying to clean up its image. The city council’s finance chief has a vision of people walking through Amsterdam’s China Town and the city’s old ramparts, followed by a cappuccino next to the city’s oldest church. The problem is, there isn’t a place to get a cup of coffee in the city center, because that’s the heart of Amsterdam’s red light district. Over the next 10 years, the number of prostitutes windows will be reduced by half, to about 250, and they will be concentrated on just two streets. The number of coffee shops that sell cannabis will also be halved, to 38. In their place, up-market retail chains and food purveyors. So, if you want to experience a dirtier version of Amsterdam, go now; but if you want to have a cleaner, less gritty trip, wait a few years and the prostitutes will mostly be gone. [Der Spiegel]

Six months after a sex scandal ousted Eliot Spitzer from office, the New York governor turned “lov gov” is working in real estate, still with his wife Silda, and wondering how it all went so wrong. Meanwhile, call girls are back in the spotlight—and working harder than ever as Wall Street takes another tumble.

While every girl wants to stop traffic, Italian women are being accused of causing car accidents because they’re so damn sexy.  Due to these ridiculous claims, the governments in Rome, Milan, and Florence have just passed laws decreeing that women dress and act more modestly. The legislation states that women must refrain from “adopting poses or behavior or wearing clothing that unequivocally manifest the intention to solicit or practice the activity of prostitution.” Say what?! That sounds like the pervs are blaming the wrong people—i.e. anyone but themselves.  But the government maintains that they’re cracking down on clothing to curb streetwalkers. So what are working girls doing in these difficult times for advertising their goods?  The world’s oldest profession is pulling one over on “the man” by taking up a new habit—literally. All the hookers have banded together and begun to wear nuns’ uniforms. Ha! Pia Covre, of the Committee for the Rights of Prostitutes, explained, “The idea of wearing gowns or habits down to the feet is to confront the decrees which limit even the freedom of what you can wear.” Ironically, now these whores are sticking it to the foolish Madonna complex.  We like their sense of style!
[Telegraph]

Sex sells, and a virgin will cost you a million bucks. While some of us waited for that sensitive teenage boy to deflower us to the Dave Matthews Band (or, rather, the first 30 seconds of “Crash”), a few more entrepreneurial ladies won’t pop their cherry for less than seven figures. 

Natalie Dylan, who recently received her bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies from Sacramento State, went on Howard Stern earlier this month to sell her virginity for a cool mil to pay off her tuition bills. Um, last time we checked, state schools weren’t that out of reach, but we can’t blame the girl for upping her ante. Since Dylan’s sister is one of the working girls at Nevada’s most infamous brothel, and subject of HBO show Cathouse, she worked out a deal with proprietor, Dennis Hof, and her hymen is up for bidding at BunnyRanch.com.  But Natalie is picking who will pluck her and all interested parties must first pass her interview process. In addition to deep pockets, the gent must have chemistry with the young businesswoman. “We’ll take bids until I find a suitor I’m happy with,” Natalie concedes. [NY Daily News]

We’ve been thinkin’ about hookers lately, after last week’s poll and our new obsession with Secret Diary Of A Call Girl. After researching ladies of the night in films and TV, we’ve noticed an interesting trend—pricey call girls are incredibly fashionable, as Secret Diary suggested, but news that Darren Star would be producing an HBO based on Diary Of A Manhattan Call Girl proves it. Play a hooker in a relatively “serious” movie, and guess what? Oscar is the only man you’ll take home! (Your chances are even better if the director is Woody Allen.) After the jump we break it down with the help of a fun timeline of sex workers on TV and in the movies.

Our economy is in such a state that women are actually having sex in exchange for gasoline. Police in Fort Work, KY, arrested a woman last week after going undercover and discovering that she would have sex for a $100 gas card and other gifts. The 34-year-old was charged with prostitution AND “doing business without an occupational license.” [WLWT.com]

Being a single gal is fun and can even allow you to get a little extra freaky! But sometimes the pendulum swings the other way—not knowing where your next piece of ass will come from can leave you in a sad dry spell, and even the professionals aren’t immune. Heidi Fleiss, the infamous Hollywood madam, had it all. And by “it” we mean every A-list actor in LA. Not only did she score the top booty, they paid her well to do it too! At the height of her career she had Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Charlie Sheen, and a Porsche.  In 1997, she was thrown into an unsexy pair of handcuffs, put in jail, and left penniless for her escort service. Now, at 42, the former working girl has opened her own shop in podunk Pahrump, NV. Strangely enough, even though prostitution is legal in Nevada, she’s not putting the rump in Pahrump. Instead of a ring of call girls, she’s in charge of the spin cycles at her little launderette cleverly called “Dirty Laundry.” She’s cleaning clothes and cleaning up her act while living in a mobile home with 20 parrots she saved from a closing pet store. “I love those birds more than I’ve ever loved any man,” Heidi said in a recent interview. “It’s been two years since I had sex and I don’t care if I ever do it again.” Sigh, we’ve all been through a sexless rough patch and it’s hard to pull yourself out—even if you’re the Madam Fleiss (and especially if you’re a crazy bird lady). But, Heidi, you just have to get back up on the man-horse and ride! Everyone in America knows you can do it. [NOTW]

Earlier we posted a poll about the hooker screwing and killing in Grand Theft Auto IV. I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about this game, so I haven’t voted yet, and instead asked the guys on my IM why I shouldn’t be horribly offended by them having virtual sex for money with the woman to the left, and then blasting her in the head with a semi-automatic. Their compelling answers, after the jump.