TV Review: HBO's Cathouse Season Finale

HBO’s Cathouse Season Finale

Please note: Some links NSFW and require viewer to be 18 years of age

By the conclusion of this season on Cathouse, we’ve been taken on quite a ride. From the flirty fun in the lounge, to the wild romps in the bedrooms, from the women repeatedly maintaining that working and living at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch is more like a sorority than a job, to the blowup between Air Force Amy and Danielle – it’s been a roller coaster ride of sex, friendship, and life. Yes, life.

Last week's finale left me feeling a little sad. I wanted more episodes! Like many of the men who find themselves surrounded by the beautiful women at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, I was reluctant to be kicked out the front door, figuratively speaking. Perhaps you're shocked to hear that a woman could be so caught up in a show set in a brothel. Don't be. There are many reasons I'm hooked on the series.

I’m fascinated by the people. To call them characters like one would find on a sitcom doesn’t do the men and women you see on the show justice. Make no mistake about this, the people are real. The on screen action is real. These aren't actors and actresses playing the roles of hookers, johns, madams, and pimps. Real people, actual events, and compelling stories are all part of the Cathouse package.

While a small percentage of viewers watch the show for the occasional, and brief, sex scenes, I truly believe that the appeal of the show isn’t about the acts themselves, but rather the people who choose to work in the sex industry. Let’s face it; much more graphic depictions of sex are only a mouse click away on the internet. What you find on a porn website is more about titillation and less about the people involved. Cathouse brings the human side to the fore. If the show was only about sex, it would hardly be as popular as it is. Nor would it be as interesting. Everyone involved has a story to tell and you’re never sure what they’ll reveal for the cameras.

There’s Dennis Hof, the man who took the Bunny Ranch mainstream. Of course, he couldn’t have done it without the women who put themselves out there for the men, and women, with whom they party, which is what time in the bedrooms is called. In some episodes he's happily dating and living with someone, in others, he's looking for the right lady (or ladies) to fill that void in his life. Man cannot live on bread alone.

The women, each with her own beauty and appeal, range from porn stars to those simply looking for a way to make ends meet, no pun intended. Whatever their reasons for working in a brothel, they’re all there of their own volition. No one is forced into the job or kept there against their will. They’re independent contractors, free to come and go as they like. They also must meet strict licensing and health regulations (see end of post.)

Article Author: Joan Hunt

Former Baywatch babe, Playboy centerfold, and stunt double for Abe Vigoda, Managing Editor of Blogcritics and member of the board of directors for BLUSD, Joanie juggles her love of words, music, photography, wildlife, and television with her greatest love -- her kids. …

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