Last September, a 22-year-old Women’s Studies major going by the pseudonym “Natalie Dylan” decided to sell her virginity to the highest bidder, sparking all sorts of debate about morality, sexuality and capitalism. As of yesterday, the bidding was up to $3.8 million. You read that right.
From The Daily Beast:
They say you should value having sex for the first time. That’s why I’m auctioning my virginity online—and the bidding is up to $3.8 million.
When I put my virginity up for auction in September, it was in part a sociological experiment—I wanted to study the public’s response. Now it seems that the tables have turned, and the public is studying me.
When I first read about this, I thought it was a joke, but the story has been picked up by MSNBC, Maclean’s, the Calgary Herald and other mainstream outlets, and it appears that some lonely millionaire really is willing to part with a king’s ransom to get a San Diego sophomore to liquidate her assets.
So why would anyone spend so much cash on one night with a complete stranger, with an offer that makes Richard Gere’s indecent proposal look downright… decent? How has she not been busted for soliciting prostitution? Why is it against the law to sell your virginity but perfectly legal to give it away for free? And really, why all the fascination with virginity anyway? Anyone who’s been with a virgin will tell you that it ain’t worth $3.8 million.
Regardless, Dylan seems like an eloquent, intelligent 22-year-old who’s put a good bit of thought into this:
Like most little girls, I was raised to believe that virginity is a sacred gift a woman should reserve for just the right man. But college taught me that this concept is just a tool to keep the status quo intact. Deflowering is historically oppressive—early European marriages began with a dowry, in which a father would sell his virginal daughter to the man whose family could offer the most agricultural wealth. Dads were basically their daughters’ pimps.
When I learned this, it became apparent to me that idealized virginity is just a tool to keep women in their place. But then I realized something else: if virginity is considered that valuable, what’s to stop me from benefiting from that? It is mine, after all. And the value of my chastity is one level on which men cannot compete with me. I decided to flip the equation, and turn my virginity into something that allows me to gain power and opportunity from men. I took the ancient notion that a woman’s virginity is priceless and used it as a vehicle for capitalism.
Hard to argue with that. Unless she’s your daughter.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Jon // Jan 29, 2009 at 9:22 am
I don’t think anyone is going to end up paying her. The most important philosophical/legal question out of this (to me) is if she was raped, would she be able to sue the rapist for the 3.8million. And as a follow up, would any future raped virgins be able to extract the same compensation later on?
2 mark // Jan 29, 2009 at 11:37 am
I imagine there’d be some kind of legally binding contract to sign, and you’ve gotta think she’d demand payment in advance. But I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if there’s some sleazy guy out there who’d happily plead guilty to a minor charge of breach of contract for a night in the sack with a college student.
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