Paying for a Cuddle.

[Indexer]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/professional-cuddlers-embrace-more-clients-1420759074?mod=trending_now_3

$80 an hour for someone to just lay there and hold you.  Clothes stay on.  $400 for the whole night.

I'm not sure what is more surprising, the fact that it exists, the number of people doing it, or that it costs $.

[tracylayton]

I've been paying a man to touch me once a month for the past 5 months (my massage therapist, Bart). At $35/hr plus tip, I think I'm saving myself a lot of headache.

[kudy]

I had heard of cuddle parties where unacquainted people would get together and hold each other, but this is the first I've hard of the paid service!

[Russ]

Why pay for cuddling when you can get it free from the internet

http://cuddlrapp.com

[innerscorecard]

Ha, I thought of posting that here, too. I guess it's the endpoint of our services-based economy. At the very least, it seems like a decent side gig.

It's also interesting to me from a business perspective that this is unregulated. It actually seems like a case of disruption of prostitution by a substitute good that is superior from a regulatory perspective!

[Adventine]

It actually seems like a case of disruption of prostitution by a substitute good that is superior from a regulatory perspective!

Making the world a better place, one cuddle at a time!

[fantabulous]

I once paid $5 for a hug. But the money ended up getting pooled together and going to a friend with mobility issues.

[MakingSenseofCents]

I've been hearing about this a lot. Sounds interesting. Not something I would do.

[MgoSam]

Are they hiring?

[KMMK]

Are they hiring?

This. Sounds like an excellent side gig.

[lakemom]

This makes me so sad for our society.  That enough people are so disconnected and isolated that they have to PAY FOR human closeness.  You'd be so far ahead spending the money on enjoyable activities in group settings where you could develop some free human relationships.

[LalsConstant]

This makes me so sad for our society.  That enough people are so disconnected and isolated that they have to PAY FOR human closeness.  You'd be so far ahead spending the money on enjoyable activities in group settings where you could develop some free human relationships.

But you're still paying for it that way...   Granted this method is probably much better overall, you don't learn anything paying for it so directly.

[Indexer]

Are they hiring?

I thought the same thing.  I'll just hug someone and fall asleep for $400.  : )

[sheepstache]

This makes me so sad for our society.  That enough people are so disconnected and isolated that they have to PAY FOR human closeness.  You'd be so far ahead spending the money on enjoyable activities in group settings where you could develop some free human relationships.

Or a good thing that our society has recognized that it's a need? Rather than people just suffering, possibly incurring serious psychological damage over something that could be solved by this service.

Or it's a bad thing that our society insists that it's a need, that people ought to feel bad about themselves if they don't have a relationship that includes this. Plenty of people in history have survived without cuddling, this just seems like exploiting a need created by a touchy-feely message in our civilization.

[Shann106]

This makes me so sad for our society.  That enough people are so disconnected and isolated that they have to PAY FOR human closeness.

True. I would pay for it, I am so lonely and starved for human touch. And I am a newlywed, married 10 months. Sad but true

[tracylayton]

This makes me so sad for our society.  That enough people are so disconnected and isolated that they have to PAY FOR human closeness.

True. I would pay for it, I am so lonely and starved for human touch. And I am a newlywed, married 10 months. Sad but true

Already that bad? My first marriage was like that. Now, it's been 5 month since my ex-husband moved out. The only man that's touched me in the past five months is my massage therapist...but it does fill a void.

[AJ]

Isn't it better to pay for a cuddle rater than enter a relationship flippantly just because you wanted one? Isn't our mantra to pay for what you value, and DIY the rest? How is this any different from enjoying a nice micro-brew, or any other luxury purchase?

It sounds to me like people have a visceral, emotional reaction to something based on a social taboo and are trying to rationalize it.

[dragoncar]

Sweet, now I know what rate to charge my wife.