So Gigi is a prostitute, right?

Don’t be ridiculous, OP. Gigi is a girl whose aunts train her for th3 very socially acceptable role of courtesan. But Gigi doesn’t want that. She wants to be Gaston’s wife or nothing, and he proposes marriage,

She's a virgin in the film, but is being trained to sell her virginity to the highest bidder.

The OP is correct, it's really perverse!

OP, I would recommend you do a little bit of research regarding Cora Pearl, Liane de Pougy, Lillie Langtry, Marie Duplessis and Alice Keppel {Camilla's great-grandmother). The 19th century courtesan was not a common whore. The only comparison that seems appropriate is with Japanese geishas: women trained to please men, not just sexually, but with their conversation and wit. It was really a whole other world.

Ok, R3, you just described high class whores.

Weird, I just saw this again the other night. It seems a bit incestuous to me. She was raised to think of Gaston like a big brother or uncle. What was the their relation to Gaston's family? I know the grandmother screwed Gaston's uncle but how did they all know each other? Where was GiGi's father? Does the book get into more detail?

No, not whores. In the 19th century, a married woman could own nothing. Her father or husband controlled everything. Gigi was raised to confront that reality, grow wealthy, and retain agency over her own life and finances.

R4, I will refer you to R6. I actually have read the biographies of several of these ladies, and if I didn't have a full-time job, might be willing to discuss further. If you do have the time, and search out some of my suggestions, you may find your experience greatly expanded. Seriously, just go to Wikipedia and learn more about a few of them, to try to take in the atmosphere in which they lived.

It won Best Picture and Leslie Caron wasn't even nominated. How horrible for her.

r8 How many of your pictures were nominated for nine Oscars and won all of them, chérie?

R7, I might suggest you read about how ultra high-end prostitutes live in NYC in 2018, you might learn something and find your experience greatly expanded when you see the similarities.

A courtesan wasn't exactly a prostitute, she was more of a professional mistress, having romantic and sexual affairs and expecting her liver or lovers to support her. Some only had one long-term lover, others had serial lovers or juggled men, but she always received gifts rather than charging by the hour. When Gigi was officially paired up with Gaston, he was expected to support her and she was expected to either live him or act like she did.

Sometimes romantic love was part of the arrangement, although a good professional courtesan would never dream of falling in love with a poor man. Same as the respectable women.

[quote]What was their relation to Gaston's family? I know the grandmother screwed Gaston's uncle but how did they all know each other?

It was fashionable for wealthy young men to hang around women of that world, the demimonde.

[quote]Where was GiGi's father? Does the book get into more detail?

Her mother was a music-hall entertainer IIRC, don’t recall the father being mentioned, probably some random ex-lover. The book does go into more detail but I haven’t read it recently. Colette is a lot of fun, you should check her out.

Actually, it was difficult to get the film made and several changes were required to get it past the censors. I think the producers got it though by arguing that it was pro-marriage, citing Gigi's speech at the end.

I think she's marvelous!

It's Gigli

[quote]I think she's marvelous! —Pamela Harriman's Ghost

So do I!

~ Jackie Kennedy Onassis

[quote]Japanese geishas: women trained to please men, not just sexually, but with their conversation and wit.

Yeah OP. It had absolutely fuckall nothing to do with their delicate, unfolding lotus flowers.

[quote]A courtesan wasn't exactly a prostitute, she was more of a professional mistress

po-TAY-to, po-TAH-to.