As much as I’d hate to admit it, Donald Trump has a point.
Stick with me on this one.
In an episode of The Apprentice (I have no idea when the episode aired; I read about it), when asked about his lackluster performance in a challenge, the candidate said he wasn’t an experienced salesman. The Donald replied that everyone should be an experienced sales[person], because we are constantly selling ourselves.
I’m not going to dye my hair orange and comb it over my forehead, but I agree with the Donald. We are constantly selling ourselves- as a potential employee, friend, mate, or friend-with-benefits. When I was a professor, I considered my lectures to be my product. It was my job to sell my students on it- i.e., get them to pay attention and give a shit. The responsibility was mine. I had to figure out my target demographic and how to get them to buy.
Dating is the same way. You don’t lead with your weakness. You do your hair, you dress up nice, you try to keep the stink to a minimum. You mention all of the things about you that are awesome and not your lack of employment, criminal record, or irritable bowel.
I hate to think of myself as a product (I’m complicated, damn it!), but when we get down to it, we’re all just turds that need to be shined enough to sell.
For all potential suitors, I am employed and have no criminal record. And, um… yeah. That’s it.
The Snarkler 
What’s underlying here is a much-needed reaction, imho. I don’t want to be a product. I don’t want to feel like I have to “sell” myself. There’s something distinctly prostitution-related to that, isn’t there? Self-sales is something of a feature of the culture in which we live, and to me, it’s a pretty troubling one.
At its core, though, is it really about sales, or is it about not being fucking disgusting? Because if that’s the case (and I want very badly to say that it is), then it’s important to note that Donald Trump has been grossing me out for decades–on all possible fronts.
Unless you’ve won the gene lottery and you’re incredibly good looking and intelligent you gotta step up and sell yourself.
People like me have work twice as hard for half the attention.
But I’m not bitter.
I’m just happy there was one person out there that voluntarily consented to have sex with me.