"Lady Marmalade" seems like a song of four women proudly calling out to each other to praise their feminine capability of dominance and independence in society. The actual verses of this song reflect the combined attitudes of four "prostitutes" in Moulin Rouge. They are vocally expressing their proud choice of prostitution through a fictional character, Lady Marmalade, and her experience.

This mainstream song has become a sensation on the airwaves. How can prostitution be such a favorable subject to sing about? The singers rave about Lady Marmalade's experience as a prostitute and the power she has acquired by being one. But is prostitution morally ethical? I argue that it is not. By contrasting Lady Marmalade's opinion of prostitution to my personal ethic I will pinpoint the negatives of prostitution and why it is unethical.

A good starting point would be to define prostitution. "Prostitution typically refers to a wide variety of sex-for-payment arrangements. 'Prostitutes' range from the stereotypical street prostitute, with of without a pimp, to upscale 'call girl' who operates out of her home or through an escort service" (Peterso

Ah, LOVE, so where does that fit in? In my opinion love is a mutual relationship of appreciation between two individuals who respect and strive to understand each other. In the case of Lady Marmalade, I do not believe that she cares about who Jo is or what he's about, she just wants money. If she objectifies her client to a "game" which she "plays" there is no respect on her part. That is a critical aspect of love because without it there is an uneven regard for the other person which may lead to a power struggle. Love is not about power. There is no love here. Sex does not necessarily result in love.

"Imma keep playing these cats out like Atari

Lady Marmalade is "struttin her stuff on the street" when she says to a prospective client, "Hello, hey Jo, you wanna give it a go?" This verse is symbolic of her ability to choose who she wants. Prostitutes support their position by claiming that they are making a personal choice, an independent choice.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Lady Marmalade, Lady Marmalade's, Moulin Rouge, Ah LOVE, Marmalade Where's, lady marmalade, Atari Wear, Jo Jo, lady marmalade's, soul sistas, personal choice, subject sing, choice independent, bad ass, critical aspect, means support, prostitution unethical,
Approximate Word count = 994
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)