Sex Work and the New Morality in the “Eat the Rich” Era.

Why Mia & Lucia Were a Missed Opportunity in HBO’s “The White Lotus.”

Vivien Grace
4 min readFeb 6, 2023
Photo by Volkan Olmez on Unsplash

Prostitution is “the world’s oldest profession,” yet exchanging sex for money is currently illegal in all but 15 countries.

HBO’s “The White Lotus,” written, directed, and produced by the uber-talented Mike White, has captured the zeitgeist during Seasons 1 & 2 with its overarching theme:

Rich people are evil and should be punished at all costs.

2023 is a stressful time to be alive. The wealth gap grows vaster by the day, and the world is burning around us.

The Wealthy make ripe targets for the palpable rage of the other 99 %, and “The White Lotus” delights in showing us how thoughtless, narcissistic, greedy, and downright awful they are.

During Season One, viewers are encouraged to cheer for Workers at the fictional 5-Star Hotel (shot at the Four Seasons in Malibu) who fuck with the Guests.

However, it’s ultimately the Workers who take the fall while the rich literally sail away, oblivious and unscathed.

Season Two doubles down, tossing all moral codes out the window.

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Vivien Grace

Solo Female Traveler & Writer Wellness Junkie | Allergy Queen 🌎🛍️✈️ 5-Star taste on a 2-Star Budget.