I’m covering this story because I watch “Cat House” on HBO. I don’t tape it or anything, I’ve just watched a few episodes on HBOgo when they’ve been available. It’s kind of fascinating to see inside a legal Nevada brothel and to learn how prostitutes are selected and trained, and how they do business. A while ago I saw Cami’s audition. She’s a ridiculous cartoon character of a person, a skinny little thing with a baby voice and giant bolt-on boobs. Cami was hired and soon became brothel owner Denis Hof’s girlfriend. She sits on his lap regularly and calls him “daddy.”
When I first read this e-mail from the Dr. Drew show that Cami and Denis came on for an intervention I thought for sure that this was a stunt for publicity. I was soon convinced that it was genuine. The title of this episode was “I Quit College To Be A Prostitute At The Bunny Ranch.” That angle sounds totally fake to me. Cami is a dimwit who seems like she would have trouble functioning in the real world. Head pimp Hof’s former girlfriend as shown on Cat House, Brooke Taylor, was much smarter and normal-seeming. Brooke’s relationship with Hof ran its course after about two years, with Hof telling her on the show that’s as long as he can usually deal with a commitment. (He still “cheated” on her of course, and her job was to have sex for money so that goes without saying.)
Anyway, Cami’s mom and brother went on Dr. Drew to try and convince her to no longer be a ‘ho. They seemed very genuine about it, and pleaded with her to give up the lifestyle and come home, presumably to Canada given their accents. I’m not buying this whole angle that Cami was a journalism student and dropped out to be a prostitute. She really seems incapable of doing basic tasks, and it’s more than just a persona she has. Cami sat next to her mom and cuddled while saying “I’m just a little baby. I will always be a baby.” (That’s in the third video below.) Yes, a baby that has sex for a living. It was hard to see that coming from a grown woman in a tight little dress with her tits hanging out. Cami’s mom seemed to encourage it too. Dr. Drew of course told Cami’s mom to stop infantilizing her daughter. He’s a hack but this was interesting in an uncomfortable way:
Cami’s mother – “You’ve always been my baby. You’re throwing your whole life away. When you call me and you’re upset and you’re crying. I know you’re suffering. I know it hurts you.”
Dr. Drew – “What is she crying about?”
Cami’s mother – “Sometimes the other girls are mean to her. She’s lonely. She’s sad….I just don’t think that giving yourself to strange men all the time is going to make you happy.”
Dr. Drew addresses Cami’s mother and helps her realize she is holding her back from being an adult. The “Peter Pan syndrome”:
Cami – “I will always be a baby. It’s just in my nature. I’m just a little baby. I can’t help it. I want to make everybody happy. I want everybody to feel good.”
Cami’s mother – “She’s a very young soul. A very young spirit…I know it sounds paradox compared to what she does. She is a very innocent, sensitive, young girl.”
Dr. Drew – “I’m not sure home is the best place for her. If you’re going to keep her infantalized like this. She is going to be chronicaly disabled and have nothing else other than these sorts of opportunites to make a life for herself, or daddy to take care of her or mommy to take care of her. Use her body as opposed to this intellect that she has. That’s all she’s got. She’s not going to develop the adult skills. You’re not going allow it mom…this is getting ridiculous. This is getting absurd. If you want your child to make her own choices on her own, you need to give her the opportunity to do that…if you let her stop being an infant. You must stop!”
[From The Dr. Drew show, received via e-mail]
This chick’s problems aren’t going to be solved in an hour talk show or however long this was. It was stunt to get ratings and it worked since we’re talking about it. I came away from this feeling bad for Cami. I know there are all sorts of stories of women who become prostitutes because they need the money to pay for an education. A lot of them are really messed up women, though, with some serious issues. Also, Hof comes across like a sex addict and somewhat of a creep on the show but he doesn’t seem nefarious or downright evil. He’s a pimp and is now an old dude at 65 who likes having sex and having a young girlfriend.
Clip one: Cami’s mom and brother try and convince her to leave the business
Clip two, Cami’s mom says “I know you’re suffering, I know it hurts you.”
Clip three, Cami gets cuddled by her mom, says “I’m just a little baby.”
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