Dirty Little Secret

Privacy has always been something extremely important to me. I have never liked anyone going through my things, nor do I think it's okay for someone to look through someone else's. Not that I ever had anything to hide (except for my gay porn as a teenager before I came out, which my brother saw one day and I blamed it on my cousin, something I highly doubt he believed), I just always felt that your personal belongings and space were yours and someone needed to be asked to see them. I used to find my mother searching through my brother or sister's rooms and I would barge in like a defense attorney demanding to see her warrant. "Mom, what are you doing in here? This isn't your room. You can't be in here!" To which she replied, "Derek, this is my goddman house, all these rooms are mine," and stared at me like I had just told her I was consuming lead paint all day.

When I was a child I used to love Heidi Fleiss. Well to this day, I still like her for many reasons, but come on, how many seven year olds do you know that have an affinity for the Hollywood Madam? I am not quite sure what drew me to her. Maybe it was how glamorous she looked in the courtroom, with her cashmere wrap business dress. Or the way she kept her cool during her trial. I am not quite sure how I even stumbled unto her as a child, probably during the news one day I saw her and instantly became intrigued and desired to know more about this woman.

My parents found it odd my fascination with such a character. I mean, I'm sure most parents find it okay for their seven year olds to admire police officers (despite the corruption and blatant racism that exists among that profession) or athletes (despite the outlandish paychecks and the rules don't apply to me policy they all seem to follow), but certainly not t Hollywood Madam. Now before you go and think that I had some warped version of what a role model is, I will let you know that I used to want to meet President Bill Clinton also (I still do, I would die if I met him presently). I even wrote him a letter talking about how we need to work together to save the whales and rainforests. I received an autographed picture and letter from him talking about how important the environment was to his administration. My mother was a little more excited for the picture than I was.

Perhaps one of the things I admired most about Ms. Fleiss was her cool as a cucumber demeanor in court. She was being publicly being put through the ringer, and for what? Running a successful business? Pish posh. I don't think many seven year olds at the time were that in tune with the legality of prostitution and/or it's fondness among the LAPD, let alone how hard it is to run a business. And then there was the book. The little black book that kept all her client's contact information. Rumour has it that actors, singers, politicians, societal figures, everyone was in that book. She was the best at what she did. She ran a tight ship, her employees loved her and respected her, and all of her employees were the epitome of class. No trashy, clear heeled, pleather wearing tricks. I remember watching the news and hearing that the authorities were willing to lower her sentence if she gave up her list of clients. Everyone went crazy wondering, would she or wouldn't she? Hollywood was in a panic.

Everyone should have known better though. Ms. Fleiss, ever the intelligent businesswoman knew that if she ever wanted to have friends or work again, she could not publish the client list that had the entire country salivating. She stayed true to her belief that not only would she not pander to the cops as a madam but not pander to them as a criminal either. Her infamous client list went down with her.

Her story is quite American when you think about it. Heidi started her own business as a teenager (a babysitting club) and scouted the best and most well-rounded girls to assist her. Once she got into prostitution, took a liking to her madam and learned the ropes from her and eventually was able to take over when her madam fell ill. Running a high class escort service with clients crossing continents and raking in the premiere buku bucks. And the reason for her decline? Not because what she was doing was illegal, but because she told the LAPD to go fuck themselves. She wasn't going to be a snitch for them. Madam/Client privilege. If attorneys and doctors can exercise that right? Surely, an honest businesswoman should be able to. And in truly American style, she found her way back. I'm not quite sure how though, maybe she'd rather keep that private.