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Co-Ed Auctioning Off Virginity for $3.7 Million

7K views 178 replies 57 participants last post by  BeeandOwlsMum 
#1 ·
http://www.postchronicle.com/news/or...12199895.shtml

Quote:
Coed Natalie Dylan is actually on the verge of collecting
$3.7 million for her virginity, something the 22-year-old woman put on 'the market' last year.
I really can't believe that anybody would pay almost $4 million for this.

I also can't help but think, what do her parents think???!
 
#103 ·
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Originally Posted by choli View Post
I guess that depends on if you think that your "virginity" equals your "self".

As for me, my self consists of a great deal more than whether or with whom I have copulated.
I agree "my self" is also a great deal more then my sexual history, but that is a part of me. I am a compilation of my experiences, good and bad, I don't regret them, and they could never have a monetary value put on them.

I don't applaud her, or that this what our society has come to.
Will this be the new trend? I sure hope not.
 
#104 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by peacenlove View Post
I agree "my self" is also a great deal more then my sexual history, but that is a part of me. I am a compilation of my experiences, good and bad, I don't regret them, and they could never have a monetary value put on them.

I don't applaud her, or that this what our society has come to.
Will this be the new trend? I sure hope not.
It's not a new trend, it's as old as history. Japanese trainee geishas traditionally auctioned their virginity. Men have always been willing to pay a premium for a supposed virgin, and women have been adept for centuries at convincingly playing the part. It's a story as old as prostitution itself.

The only difference here is that it is being advertised publicly.
 
#107 ·
But this isn't her first sexual experience. Her first traditional male/female intercourse, but not her first sexual experience.

I don't think it is wrong, and I don't think she is making some big feminist statement.

I do think it is her body, and if she can actually find some dude to pay her that much money for something she is willing to do, then bonus for her. Just like I feel if a woman can find a guy to pay her several hundred dollars an hour for dancing around topless, and enjoys it, excellent!

Doing this is no more or less feminist than cleaning houses or fixing cars. You are still selling something your body is doing, one just has a social stigma on it, the other doesn't.
 
#109 ·
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Originally Posted by Storm Bride View Post
Couldn't be expressed in dollars? What gives you that idea? Historically, would Man A form a valuable alliance with Man B if it turned out that the daughter Man B offered in marriage was "soiled" by not being a virgin? How often, in western cultures, at least, have dowries applied to non-virgin brides?

A woman's virginity has always been a commodity. The difference between the historical perspective and the perspective of the woman featured in the OP is that historically, she wouldn't be the one to gain financially from keeping herself "pure".

This might depend on whether one thinks that patriarchy means that men = human and women = object or whether one thinks that patriarchy objectifies both men and women. If the former, then women are unwilling and kept in subjugation. If the latter, then the situation is more complicated, because you would be talking about virginity and its value as part of a larger constellation of personal and family honor (from the woman's point of view). It is, after all, women who are enforcing chastity as much as the men; women themselves and women as mothers. Their reasons for doing so might in part be as you put it, but their family structures are different and their senses of self are also different. Unless absolute personal liberty is the absolute definition of freedom and complete identity these people would have a different sense of exploitation from yours.
 
#111 ·
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Originally Posted by AdinaL View Post
All I can think is....geez, I coulda been set up for *life.* Her body, her choice.

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Originally Posted by choli View Post
Do you think he is going to take her to a cheap motel and leave $4M on the night stand? I'd imagine if he's paying that kind of money he will want to make it more of an occasion.

At any rate, I admire her for not buying into the "purity" bull.
I agree. Good for her.
 
#114 ·
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Originally Posted by Unagidon View Post
This might depend on whether one thinks that patriarchy means that men = human and women = object or whether one thinks that patriarchy objectifies both men and women. If the former, then women are unwilling and kept in subjugation. If the latter, then the situation is more complicated, because you would be talking about virginity and its value as part of a larger constellation of personal and family honor (from the woman's point of view). It is, after all, women who are enforcing chastity as much as the men; women themselves and women as mothers. Their reasons for doing so might in part be as you put it, but their family structures are different and their senses of self are also different. Unless absolute personal liberty is the absolute definition of freedom and complete identity these people would have a different sense of exploitation from yours.
I wasn't talking about a sense of exploitation. I was talking about the idea that this is the first time that the value of virginity had a dollar value. It's always had a dollar value, as well as the other intangible value placed on being "chaste". (I love that one. My mom talks about the fact that there were girls in her high school - the oh-so-innocent *gag* 50s - who were doing everything but regular intercourse, so that they were still virgins. I don't think that's quite what pro-chastity people have in mind, but whatever.)

A hymen (and the hymen was the key, as a woman who lost hers some other way was in definite danger of being branded non-virgin) has had a dollar value placed on it in many cultures. Yes - it was part of a larger system of "honour" (when a person's honour can be destroyed by a violent rape, something is really screwy about the concept of honour in question, and I don't even care how culturally insensitive that may be), but that doesn't mean the money wasn't part of it.
 
#115 ·
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Originally Posted by Storm Bride View Post
Yes - it was part of a larger system of "honour" (when a person's honour can be destroyed by a violent rape, something is really screwy about the concept of honour in question, and I don't even care how culturally insensitive that may be), but that doesn't mean the money wasn't part of it.
I know there is a section in the Bible, Deuteronomy I think, where if a woman is raped and she is a virgin there is a price that is paid to her father, and the rapist has to marry her and never divorce her.
 
#116 ·
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Originally Posted by Arduinna View Post
I don't think she is making a feminist statement, but she is being lauded here as if she is.
you don't think she's making a feminist statement, but actually there are a lot of feminists who think she is definitely making a feminist statement. If anything, I see this woman making other young women realize how precious of a thing it is to lose your virginity, so they might take more thought on it before just 'giving it up' to whomever. She is making a great deal of money from it, and it's her choice to do what she wants with her body. I think prostitution should be legal, and this is a more profitable prostitution, but still, she has every right to do this, and to make money off of it, good for her. she can pay off her university debts! smart!
 
#117 ·
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Originally Posted by majazama View Post
you don't think she's making a feminist statement, but actually there are a lot of feminists who think she is definitely making a feminist statement. If anything, I see this woman making other young women realize how precious of a thing it is to lose your virginity, so they might take more thought on it before just 'giving it up' to whomever. She is making a great deal of money from it, and it's her choice to do what she wants with her body. I think prostitution should be legal, and this is a more profitable prostitution, but still, she has every right to do this, and to make money off of it, good for her. she can pay off her university debts! smart!
I agree that it's her choice. I think prostitution should be legal (and I think pimps should be hammered by the law).

However, I think the idea that this is making other young women "realize" how "precious of a thing it is" to lose their virginity is somewhat inaccurate. First of all, if it's that precious, I think exchanging it with some random guy for money is a strange way to demonstrate that. Second - how "precious" one's virginity is depends on the person. I don't think it's that big a deal, personally. Nobody else's actions will ever make me "realize" that my virginity was somehow precious, or that losing it was a big deal, because...it wasn't.
 
#118 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Storm Bride View Post
A woman's virginity has always been a commodity. The difference between the historical perspective and the perspective of the woman featured in the OP is that historically, she wouldn't be the one to gain financially from keeping herself "pure".
Actually in Islam, the dowry (mahr) goes to the bride herself. Not her father. Not her mother. But to her. It's viewed as a form of economic security for her.

And mahr is paid whether or not the bride is a virgin or not.... such as a widow or divorcee.
 
#119 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Storm Bride View Post
I agree that it's her choice. I think prostitution should be legal (and I think pimps should be hammered by the law).

However, I think the idea that this is making other young women "realize" how "precious of a thing it is" to lose their virginity is somewhat inaccurate. First of all, if it's that precious, I think exchanging it with some random guy for money is a strange way to demonstrate that. Second - how "precious" one's virginity is depends on the person. I don't think it's that big a deal, personally. Nobody else's actions will ever make me "realize" that my virginity was somehow precious, or that losing it was a big deal, because...it wasn't.

I'm saying it could be a byproduct of this 'social experiment'.. precious as in, it's something that is 'valuable' whether by money, or feelings or whatever one might put into it. For some it might not matter to them at all how they break their hymen.
 
#120 ·
Some random thoughts reading this thread:

In most places, you can get paid to have sex on camera but you can't get paid to have sex. Anyone else see a logical flaw with that?

Most of the guys I talked to about being with a virgin, it was more about be the first guy to plant his flag there. Ok, not a charming way of putting it, but I can't think of any other way to say it right now.

Why do we care if a woman chooses to sell her virginity rather then give it away?

I doubt I'd be happy if either child did this (not that any one cares to pay for a man's virginity), but her body, her choice.

Sociology teacher told the class once that the base commodity humans have to offer in exchange for money is their ability to work. Whether it be in an office, buying and selling items or intangible assets, or physical labour. That's all she's doing. She is taking something that she has, that others want and putting a price on it. It's how commerce works.

At least she's not getting drunk at a party and doing it with some random guy in the bushes after.

And finally

Maturity doesn't equal a good first experience. Dh was the first guy I was with and I wouldn't trade that night for anything. I was 15.
 
#121 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by MusicianDad View Post
Some random thoughts reading this thread:

In most places, you can get paid to have sex on camera but you can't get paid to have sex. Anyone else see a logical flaw with that?

Most of the guys I talked to about being with a virgin, it was more about be the first guy to plant his flag there. Ok, not a charming way of putting it, but I can't think of any other way to say it right now.

Why do we care if a woman chooses to sell her virginity rather then give it away?

I doubt I'd be happy if either child did this (not that any one cares to pay for a man's virginity), but her body, her choice.

Sociology teacher told the class once that the base commodity humans have to offer in exchange for money is their ability to work. Whether it be in an office, buying and selling items or intangible assets, or physical labour. That's all she's doing. She is taking something that she has, that others want and putting a price on it. It's how commerce works.

At least she's not getting drunk at a party and doing it with some random guy in the bushes after.

And finally

Maturity doesn't equal a good first experience. Dh was the first guy I was with and I wouldn't trade that night for anything. I was 15.
Your post rocks.
 
#123 ·
WTG prostitute woman. I hope she manages her money well cause she only gets one shot at this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viola View Post
I know there is a section in the Bible, Deuteronomy I think, where if a woman is raped and she is a virgin there is a price that is paid to her father, and the rapist has to marry her and never divorce her.
Way to punish the victim.
 
#126 ·
i think i mentioned this earlier...i agree completely with musician dad. it is only legal to get paid for having sex if you video tape it and then sell it. wtf kind of sense does that make? how is paying someone to have sex worse or more 'immoral' if you don't video tape it?

now i realize that pornography is not one person paying another to have sex with them. it is one person paying other people to have sex on camera so that people can watch. are you flipping kidding me? why is that legal and prostitution isn't?
 
#127 ·
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Originally Posted by claddaghmom View Post
I hope she's pre-approving bidders.
A couple of articles have mentioned that the highest bidder won't nessecarily be the winner. She's going to pick the man she feels most comfortable with.
 
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