The Oldest Profession: "Why I Am Selling My Virginity"

Bidding Now UpTo $3.4 M

The Daily Beast has got what hasta be the Valentine's story of the year, if not all time. And answering a vital question in the bargain. That's Natalie Dylan in the foto to the right. How much would you give? It used to be said that prostitutes were the first capitalists, but I disagree. I do think they were the first entrepreneurs, though (the first capitalists--the first to extort profit from the labors of others--likely were the pimps).

In part to grab a substantial grub-stake, in part as a (self-rationalizing) research project, in (large) part out of an eye for sheer self-promotion worthy of an assistant professor of poetry in a tenure-track job at big school, a quite pretty, semi-exotic-looking, dark-haired young lady named Natalie Dylan put up an ad offering her virginity to the highest bidder on a web-site operated by a prominent Nevada brothel.

Blame it all on higher education.

This all started long before September. In fact, it started in college, where my eyes were opened by my Women’s Studies professors and fellow classmates. I came to understand the role of "woman" spanning culture and time. At the university level, I was given permission to think differently and form a moral code of my own design. College opened my eyes.

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.

So, even though I'm already priced out of the bidding (when it went over $5 grand), I have some questions: Like is this a 'bff' experience? Kissee-huggie-touchie-feelie kinda deal. Ya know 'love-making?' Or is it just a quickie, some kind of anonymous 'glory-hole' deal? As I say, it's academic to me...Whatever the case, I applaud Ms. Dylan, and agree with the person she describes as approving her entrepreneurial spirit.

And perhaps when her price has been met, and the deflowering done, she'll consider benefacting an old lothario with a (so to speak) "pro bono" visit?