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Internet community angered over Spitzer coverage

By Matthew Sweeney | Special to amNewYork

March 14, 2008

The Internet is abuzz with the postings of call girls and their customers who are riveted, scared, or fed up with coverage of Eliot Spitzer's political downfall.

"Oh my God, the industry is obsessed with this, of course," said "Emily," an independent escort and college student based outside of Washington, D.C.

She was one of many reading the posts at the sex workers blog titled "Bound, Not Gagged." Most of the posts are angry --angry at the media for destroying the privacy of call-girl Ashley Alexandra Dupré and Governor Spitzer. Any sympathy for Spitzer -- violating a customer's privacy is bad for business -- is tempered with bitterness over the governor's willingness to enforce laws against prostitution while indulging in their services. They're also discussing the flurry of media interest in their lives.

"What these media people don't seem to understand, however, is that none of us wishes to be 'Kristen,' " someone under the name existentialhedonist posted. "None of us wants a spotlight shown on our lives, exposing for all of mal-intent our vulnerabilities in this legally ambiguous profession in which we have chosen to engage."

The men who pay for prostitutes -- they call themselves "hobbyists" -- were also posting comments as the Spitzer scandal unfolded at Web sites like theerroticreview.com, which is dedicated to reviewing the services and talents of different call-girls and Web-based agencies. Some were irritated by what they see as exorbitant the $4,300 that Spitzer allegedly paid to Dupre during a February trip to Washington, D.C. Some wondered if the governor got ripped off. Others thought the media didn't understand prostitution math. "He paid a total of $2,600 for the actual encounter, and an additional $1,500 in cash that was to be a 'credit' on his account for future trysts," wrote one poster, SinsOfTheFlesh. "$2,600 for a 4 hour date, plus her travel expenses and a total of 4 hours travel time is about par for the course. That puts her rate at around $400 or maybe a little higher."

Scottyb825 was looking for advice on how to protect himself against Spitzer's fate. "Ever since this story broke I feel more paranoid than ever," he wrote.

StillMarried posted that "I'm also tired of my wife talking about it. It makes me uncomfortable."

And zinaval wrote: "I bet clients 1-8 are really sweating right now."