I have an admission to make … I watched The Tyra Banks Show last week. If Tempest Bledsoe, Tony Danza and John McEnroe can have their shots at a talk show, why not Tyra? She is incredibly self-centered and I can’t help but watch the ego explosion that happens when the cameras start rolling!

On the episode that I watched (OK, I’m lying if I imply I’ve only seen one episode), Tyra interviewed several women who work at The Bunny Ranch, as well as the owner of the establishment and some customers who were not embarrassed by their purchase. For those not aware of this Nevada institution of debauchery, The Bunny Ranch is a legal house of prostitution.

The show left me pondering a question of ethics and public policy (thanks, Tyra!). Why is prostitution illegal? If these women are licensed and all transactions take place between consenting adults, why is it the place of government to interfere? I think the idea of paying a stranger for sex is disgusting and unthinkable, and it’s unfortunate that many married men find their way to The Bunny Ranch. But, I also disapprove of drunken one-night stands. Should the government hire people to stand outside every bar at last call to prevent such casual sexual encounters?

If a prostitute (or “party hostess”, as they are called at The Bunny Ranch) has a communicable disease, then certainly she should be prosecuted for endangerment or murder or whatever charge works in such situations (just married to a lawyer … choose not to know much about such things myself). But, other than that, it seems that two 25-year-old people should be able to make the decision to have sex with or without the transaction of money. What am I missing?