@ehBeth,
ehBeth wrote:Germlat wrote: They're there to sell a product...that product is whatever the guy/gal needs.
the product does not include emotional intimacy
It can, however, include the
impression of emotional intimacy, in the same sense that a ticket to
Gone with the Wind buys you the
impression of witnessing the Civil War. (I assume that's what Germlat means by her comparison with actors.) In both cases, the impression can be good enough for the customer.