Often, pimps will initially present themselves as lovers or father-figures to women before introducing them to prostitution and Drug addiction. Most pimp-prostitute relationships are abusive, using psychological intimidation, manipulation and physical force to control the women in their "stable". Some pimps may not beat their prostitutes, as marks and bruises bring down both the price of a prostitute and the social status of her pimp.
Pimping (synonymous with prostitution) is a Sex crime in many jurisdictions. In 1949, the United Nations adopted a convention stating that prostitution is incompatible with Human dignity, requiring all signing parties to punish pimps and brothel owners and operators, and to abolish all special treatment or registration of prostitutes. The convention was ratified by 89 countries, with the exception of Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and the United States.
In the Netherlands and Germany, prostitution is legal. (See Prostitution in the Netherlands and Prostitution in Germany for more information.) In Australia, pimping is legal although "Street prostitution" is explicitly banned.
In the United States, pimping is illegal in most areas, with the notable exception of Nevada. In the state, prostitution is legal in most counties, with the notable exceptions of Clark County, home to the City of Las Vegas; Washoe County, home to the City of Reno; and the state capital, the Independent city of Carson City. However, individual county governments still have the option to criminalize the practice (see Prostitution in Nevada). Also, other municipalities, such as the city of Chicago, have made it legal for female prostitutes to take legal action against their pimps without fear of being prosecuted themselves.
The number of pimps and the level of dependency to them subjected by prostitutes is usually higher in areas where prostitution is Illegal or heavily restricted. In places where prostitution is largely unrestricted, the power of pimps over prostitutes often decreases on the interpersonal level while increasing on the business level, since the prostitutes are less in need of protection and the pimps are seen more as accountable business men by the local community.
American pimps, as depicted in blaxploitation films, would be seen driving customized Cadillacs or Lincolns-Cadillac Eldorados in particular are seen as pimpmobiles. The films Superfly and Willie Dynamite are good examples.
Most of these blaxploitation films portray pimps as people from a lower-class urban setting without a Higher education, although this is not always the case.
There have also been depictions of pimps in American films that have depicted pimps as coming from within the elite of society, such as the character portrayed by Eddie Albert in Robert Aldrich's film Hustle (1975).
In television, notable pimps include Antonio Fargas as "Huggy Bear" in the 1970s TV show Starsky and Hutch, who was also a police informant and was played primarily for humorous effect. This role was later recreated in the 2004 film with Snoop Dogg in the role. Eddie Murphy also portrayed a pimp called Velvet Jones in a recurring Saturday Night Live comedy sketch.
The imagery of the pimp lifestyle has been popularized by hip-hop culture in recent years. Artists such as Snoop Dogg and Too $hort have paid obvious tribute to "The Game" in their work. Many hip-hop artists however have embraced a modern version of the pimp image in their music videos by including entourages of scantily-clad women, flashy jewellery and luxury automobiles.
In the late 1990's and earlier part of this decade, Charles Wright portrayed a character entitled "The Godfather", a pimp character in the WWF/WWE. This character helped popularize the slogan "pimpin' ain't easy".
Pimping and prostitution have also been themes in the popular culture of other nations, such as China, France, and Russia.
In Shakespeare's Hamlet some contend that the word fishmonger (someone who sells "fish" [fish is a modern Euphemism for Vagina perhaps in use at the time]) was in turn a Euphemism for a pimp.
The term "pimp" is sometimes used figuratively, as in Poverty pimp.
Pimp can also be used as a verb such as "You're pimped up!" or "Pimp my ride"; as such, it is an American Slang term for being unique, "cool", or socially desirable. The latter example refers to customizing an automobile, made popular by the show Pimp My Ride on MTV. It can also be used as an adjective connoting the same, i.e. "Man, that car's pimp!"
Pimp costumes, in recent years, have been marketed during Halloween and/or used in costume-themed parties either as a throwback to the 1970s and/or entertainment purposes.