Hollywood's Hottest Hookers

Paid sex 'unfulfilling, empty, terrible,' and irresistible, they say

(NEWSER) - If the results of an international research project are to be believed, men who pay for sex are awfully confused people. "I don't get anything out of sex with prostitutes except for a bad feeling" was typical of the responses researchers heard from johns, many of whom were eager to talk about their experiences, the Guardian reports. While some said they were unsuccessful getting close to women "through the usual routes," half the men were married or in relationships. More»

Ananysis of DC Madam's phone records generates a mini-travel guide

(NEWSER) - Direct from the phone records of the so-called DC Madam, Deborah Palfrey, here are the most-dialed local lodgings—or what the Consumerist calls the "Top 10 Most 'Ho-Friendly' DC Hotels."

1. Marriott: 489 (18 numbers)
2. Hyatt: 168 (6 numbers)
3. Hilton: 151 (5 numbers)
4. Holiday Inn: 132 (5 numbers)
5. Ritz-Carlton: 118 (4 numbers)

Sorry, Transformers fans

(NEWSER) - The summer blockbuster: proof that, when it comes to movies, budget is often inversely proportional to quality. In Time , Everett Rosenfeld and Gilbert Cruz reflect on the worst of the worst:

1. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Director Michael Bay’s only priority: explosions.
2. Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace: “This is the story of a man with too much power and the terrible things he did”—that is, George Lucas.
3. Sex and the City 2: Our heroes go to the Middle East and “proceed to act closed-minded and condescending.”

Surprisingly, it's not always about sex...

(NEWSER) - In the wake of Craigslist’s “adult services” shutdown , Sudhir Venkatesh refutes five myths about the world’s oldest profession, in the Washington Post :

• Men aren’t always looking for sex: In fact, while studying high-end sex workers, Venkatesh found that many men who hire prostitutes simply end up talking or having dinner together. Approximately 40% of such transactions are actually sex-free. (For lower-end sex workers, that number is around 20%.)

'Jaws' takes top honors, but some surprises make the list

(NEWSER) - Summer is all about the beach and blockbusters, and Time Out New York set out on a big mission: To rank the 30 best. It set a few restrictions—films had to hit theaters between May and August, had to gross more than $100 million globally, and couldn't be surprise hits, a la The Blair Witch Project. Highlights:

1. Jaws, 1975: This wasn't just a nail-biter, it was a trailblazer, the first flick to use a "wide-release" strategy, which no doubt helped make it the first film to rake in more than $100 million.

4. Ghostbusters, 1984: An action-sci-fi hybrid dosed with SNL-style humor, it proved that something-for-everyone mash-ups can make a smash at the box office.