Because of the hairstyle, Ken? It was named after her, she's the one who set the trend in the first place. And being the favoured of the King, made it a much emulated fashion throughout the ages.

While it is true that courtisans in France (and elsewhere), like the Greek hetaira, had no direct power, it is easy to see that they could sway entire nations and even history itself. Add this to the strong Sino-Japanese culture in the Core and the background of Geisha as an independant class unto themselves and the concept of Companions as persented becomes quite possible indeed.

Then we get into the background knowledge that the Guild is divided into Houses which are governed by a 'Priestess' and we can speculate throwing in the independant political power of the temple priestesses throughout the ancient world. Indeed, if the Guild has the power to revoke a ruling man's cultured companions and leave him with only his wife than they would have considerable power in far ranging political circles. And implied power is politics can be much stronger than actual power, expecially when it is so wide-ranging.

Now the outer folks wouldn't understand this power. Those who could afford a companion on the outer planets (like Persephone) would not understand the political ramifications of the Companion Guild while those unable to even consider such a thing (the sheriff in Train Job) would know them by their mystique and the rumors that they're the ones who actually run the Alliance behind the scenes.

Perhaps it's from too much time spent reading historical and political thesis, but I really havn't ever had a problem with Companions and the Guild as presented. I wouldn't even be the least bit surprised if Inara supplimented her income by being an actual political courier and 'ambassador' between two planetary magistrates as she makes her way around the 'verse. Sure it would be better if they showed Inara being hired for a game of Go or Shogi, or to give flute lessons and do some calligraphy, but the fact of the matter is that we don't see most of Inara's work and I personally assumed that those were not shown because it would confuse the executives.

As for Mal's reaction to Inara's job, he's from a frontier world, a rancher's son. He's probably only ever known whores from houses run by men like Rance Burgess or military doxies brought in to ease the troops on leave. He's more cultured (or more embittered) than the 'stare in awe' people and thus past that stage of things, but still stuck in the same thought concerning the profession as Atherton due to not seeing (or not understanding) the depth and implications of the Guild.

Perhaps with another couple of seasons we could have seen some of these things on the screen, but I choose to see them implied by all that /was/ shown and said.

Another thought on the matter if Inara, I saw the episodes in order as did most of those who like the character rather than dispise her. Watching the season in the broadcast order recently, I saw why people didn't like her. She acted her character too well and thus the subtlties came off as inconsistancies when bumbled about by the network.

ETA: I can type, rwally I cam.

Mme du Pompadour

Heinlein had a character that had a doll named Mme du Pompadour. Cracked me up.

Bloody good point about the Greek prostitutes -- I remember Sophocles left all his goods to his own Companion, and she was supposed to be hella intelligent, airc.

It's the ambassador part that loses me, the political influence

But that's a joke, isn't it? Mal's joke -- I've never heard Inara refer to herself as an ambassador.

In truth, based on Firefly canon, the ME folks haven't given us a very developed idea of what the Companion role is within the society -- or indeed a fully developed picture of the 'verse society. Which is entirely understandable and inevitable, given 13 episodes, and given that they're not making a documentary-style thing. I have no problem with the basic concept -- there are lots of precedents for sex workers having different kinds of status to those extant in 21st Century America.

Plus, society is a very fluid thing. We have been views into three seperate societies, the frontier worlds, Persephene and the Core. Seperating out which role fits into which society is also part of that.

While it is true that courtisans in France (and elsewhere), like the Greek hetaira, had no direct power, it is easy to see that they could sway entire nations and even history itself. Add this to the strong Sino-Japanese culture in the Core and the background of Geisha as an independant class unto themselves and the concept of Companions as persented becomes quite possible indeed.

But all of these classes--hetaira, high-class European courtesans, and geisha--existed only in conditions of extreme gender inequality. They contained ambitious women exercised power indirectly because their cultures allowed them no opportunity to exercise it directly.

What many of us question is how and why such a class should exist in a society which otherwise shows markers of gender equality: women exercise power (Patience and the Counsellor who was Inara's client), serve in the armed forces, and perform roles traditionally restricted to men in societies with well-defined gender roles. Sometimes the societies are as casually sexist and misogynist as they are in traditional Westerns (eg, "Heart of Gold"), but even if you assume that the border is more sexist than the core (in itself a stereotype of Westerns that is not supported by American history), the Companion role depends that gender inequality existing in the core.

Because of the hairstyle, Ken?

Yup. I figured it was named for her, but it still looks absurd, like Col. Condom.

the Companion role depends that gender inequality existing in the core.

I'm not sure that because these things existed in inequal cultures they can only exist in them.

However, even a gender equitable society does not eliminate the wants needs, and desires of humans. It apparently has not gotten rid of jealousy, low self worth, the need for companionship, and other reasons to seek out a sex partner without the social dealings.

However, a free marketplace could produce a glut and poor policing of disease, and various other ills. So what to do? Start a brand name, shroud it in mysticism, sanctify the process.

By elevating the Companion™ Brand, they created an organized self-contained policing system, and provided the customers with a sense of trust in that brand.

How do we feel about it all if Companions are both male and female, and service both male and female clients? With the male Companions having the same level of opportunity for promotion as the female ones?

And why do we even assume that all Companions are female? Because the two (1 and a half?) we've seen are female? Who says there's not a number of Houses within the Guild made up entirely of men?

ETA: X-postly goodness with Fay.

We assume Companions are female and their clientele are largely male because all the Companions we've seen have been female, the only references we've heard to training Companions were to sisters or daughters, and the only one we've had much exposure to had a largely but not exclusively male clientele.

The whorehouse had a few male whores, but Nandi and Inara explicitly stated the whores were not Companions, repeatedly.