Wasn’t it even more transactional and even more prostitution-like back in the day? Women were supposed to find men to take care of them financially while they stay home, clean the house, cook food and raise children. People didn’t date much but would get married right away without getting to know the other person. Women would get free money (=financial support), and men would get sex, cleaning services, food services and babysitting services exchange. Love wasn’t on the table much of the time. IMHO, the modern casual encounters are much less transactional. I don’t see how - man buying woman a meal is a payment enough for sex as women come to those dates for sex too. Paying for free is a small price and more of a polite gesture compared to men having to pay for 40+ years of women’s lives back in the day.