You know me, up to no good early in the morning or late at night, however you want to look at it, having a couple Tecates and trying to read mail and I stumbled across this link on the ISO board and it mentions that this lady is more courtesean than GFE, and it got me thinking about these two words. You know I love words. Coutesean/GFE: What do they mean for you? Can a lady be more one than the other or do they go hand in hand? It seems to me that historical courteseans have been politically motivated or have other agendas outside their personal realm: Cleopatra (70-69 B.C.-30 B.C.), Louise de Vilmorin (1902-1969) French literary star wrote 14 novels, poetry, Monaco Prize an Legion d'Honneur, Gloria Steinham (1934-), Hetaerae of Ancient Greece, etc.

I can't picture them DFK'ing....
but DATY and RCG...its a shoe in!


Boinnggg!

A courtesan would have a courtly, wealthy, or upper-class clientele. With Elle's pricing and location, that seems to fit.

IMHO, in contemporary terms, a GFE is just that -- an experience.  Lasts an hour, then it's over.  Courtesan implies an on-going "relationship."  Historically, courtesans were "taken care of" by their patrons; their relationships were not unlike the relationships between artists and their patrons.  Think Michelangelo and the Medicis.

We may be splitting hairs here. Where as GFE may sound  more temporary or fleeting(emphasis on the "Experience" given). Courtesean tends to imply an on going "affair". However; For a courtesean to establish an on going paid "affair" I would imagine they gave a stellar GFE on the first appointment.

  YKSY.

Courtesan, a woman who cohabits with an important man. A concubine, doxy, odalisque, paramour.

GFE only spend a short time and fulfill the fantasy of a girlfriend, steady or fiancee.

You see courtesans in the old world mostly where the social mores are less strict with respect to women openly living with a married man who is important.In the USA you really don't have courtesans doing so openly. French President Mitterand had one.  

And of course in the USA we always turn such things into acronyms to somehow disguise it from the rest of scoiety because of the shame attached to sex in this country.

I don't think Steinham would consider herself a courtesan.

Also the difference is about 10,000 USD per month!  

TET

"For a courtesan to establish an on going paid "affair" I would imagine they gave a stellar GFE on the first appointment."

Now what do I do that I'm in a pickle.  Henry is after my head.  Help! I think I did my job too well, lol.

Oh, I forgot to mention, that guy is kinkeeeeeeeeeeeee  You should see his shrunken head collection, he makes me give him a bbbj while he looks at it and laughs....

-- Modified on 3/28/2004 8:42:15 AM

and her contemporaries in Venice are among those women most associated with the word "courtesan", and often had short-term liaisons.

To me a courtesan is a GFE who engages me intellectually as well as physically.  This is something I often enjoy.

TET,

Francois Mitterand had a mistress.  

"Courtesan" implies a high degree of intelligence and enlightenment.  As those are qualities that are not always sought after in a girlfriend, they're hardly requirements for a "GFE."  

A GFE is a comfy bundle of fun.  She's usually cheerful and energetic, and always a handful.  She enjoys your touch, and your time together is delightful and sweet.

Courtesans move men to war and peace, they inspire great literature and art; the time spent with a courtesan is transcendant and sublime.  When you are with a courtesan, you change, and the world changes with you.

I'll put it another way: For a GFE, you'll put down the toilet seat.  For a courtesan, you'll put down a rebellion.

Yoda

"For a GFE, you'll put down the toilet seat.  For a courtesan, you'll put down a rebellion."

Classic!

for such an ugly alien...but alas', beauty is only skin deep.


May the force be with you and ... shave your ear lobes.

Cheers!

in my mind, LJ has transitioned from GFE to Courtesan with skipping a beat!

Just a quick history lesson... a courtesan of older times used her brains and her body to enjoy the benefits of marriage -- companionship, property and financial stability -- without the stifling social constraints. She often replaced a man's wife in social scenes, since "proper" married women were to be locked away to keep from being tainted. Courtesans were companions for high society men. Known for their wit, charm and elegance, they palled around with the most important and powerful men of their day. They wrote novels, published poems and influenced politics by delivering political messages during pillow talk with different thier clients. Some did take it upon themselves to change the messages slightly, and turn things towards thier own personal views.  They also used sex, and they flaunted it in ways that married women could not for fear of being outcast. The courtesans were not mere women and were allowed almost all the freedoms of men in the day. They could drink, smoke, cuss, read, write, fight, walk around the city naked or whatever they wished providing of course that their sponsors were kind enough or rich enough and to ensure thier safety from the law and the church if they were not the law or the church themselves... LOL