@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.