caitri | Paper idea: Supernatural and Sex Work

Occurred to me last night, and not sure when I'd get around to it, but rewatching has reminded me of the numerous references and depictions of porn and the sex trade on the show. In S3, Dean says that getting a premium subscription to a site is worth every penny. In S4, immediately after his resurrection, he steals a porn mag along with food, water, cash, and a car. In late S4 when the Apocalypse is nigh, Chuck is on the phone with a woman who is giving prices for women/time and he starts to order twenty girls for the whole night; "I don't think you can afford that," she says, and he replies, "In a few hours it won't matter."

In S5 when Castiel is convinced he is going to die again, Dean takes him to a bordello because he's not going to let anyone die a virgin (a possible reminder of Nancy in S3's "Jus in Bello", who did). "The whole industry relies on absent fathers" he says after Cas freaks out one of the workers by telling her that it's not her fault her dad left when she was a kid; by the end of the episode, Dean also concedes that he "knows something about absent fathers"--a parallel to Cas's relationship with the missing God, but also interesting in the sexual context.

And I had never thought about all the prostitute!aus in the fandom--it's not that uncommon a trope--but given that it does have some basis in canon is interesting.

ETA: Title idea: "You may in fact get wet on this ride" - Marie, "Fan Fiction"