Recession Special: Virgin For Sale

Posted by: Simcha Whitehill Filed in: news, sex
10:30AM, Monday January 26th 2009

Comments (27)

Last September, Howard Stern finally met a virgin—well, the first one that would get near him since high school probably, and even then I’m sure they were dubious. But Natalie Dylan, 22, isn’t a blushing, chaste, wallflower who is just too shy to let someone stick it in. She’s an outspoken self-proclaimed feminist with a degree in Women’s Studies who is selling her hymen to the highest bidder and even explain herself to Howard Stern. She was introduced to the sex obsessed shock jock by Denis Hof, the owner of the infamous Nevada house of hos, The Moonlite Bunny Ranch, where her sister is already a working girl. But Dylan is the apple of Hof’s eye because she’s decided to put her hoo-ha up for sale on the brothel’s website. While her starting price was a cool million dollars, the ante has been upped to 3.8 million over the past few months. Hot damn, this girl’s got a bidding war and to think I just laid down and did it for free! While Dylan’s clearly going to cash in, it seems she’s got her mind on more than money. In a letter to the Daily Beast, Dylan answered her critics and offered up some explanation for her fascinating decision to sell her most private possession.

After spending four years in college studying the way things were for women in ye olden days, how economical virgin marriages were with fathers profiting from dowries, she decided not to let any man earn the money her chastity was worth. Or in Dylan’s words, in early European matrimony, “Dads were basically their daughters’ pimps.” But 2009 is hardly Medieval Times. Still, Dylan is trying to prove that one thing remains the same over all these centuries: the value of virginity.

Sure, Dylan’s idea may seem weird, but I don’t think the auctioning of her hymen is the strangest part. Isn’t it odd how much our modern society, post the sexual revolution, appreciates virginity? It’s like a shiny new car—the minute you take it for a spin and drive it off the lot, it depreciates. Dylan, outraged by that notion that had defined women of the past, decided to take action to reclaim her own sexual rights. She wrote:  “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.”  And for the record, she adds, “…the winning bid won’t necessarily be the highest—I get to choose.”

While Dylan sees herself as breaking through a glass ceiling, perhaps we should be asking ourselves why there’s one there in the first place. Is the wear and tear on a woman’s private collection really worth the price—especially at the cost of degrading the vast majority of women who have sex freely? The so-called distinct pleasure of screwing a virgin vag can be bought, now directly, as opposed to indirectly, like the class and position it brought back in the day. Yet, the fascination with being the first in our society is so out of wack it’s worth nearly four million dollars during the worst recession the world has seen in decades. At most, this deal will be a one-night experience. You’re not “buying the prize cow,” you’re just getting the first glass of milk.

Dylan is clearly a clever woman whose message should be taken seriously, as she is about to earn more than her weight in gold all for a splash of blood. Her shrewd business sense and ability to wield her sex appeal into an international frenzy is admirable. “I’ve been congratulated for my ‘entrepreneurial gumption,’ as one CEO of a Fortune 500 company put it,” Dylan brags. She considers herself to be an inspired trailblazer, “I might even be an early adopter of a future trend, if the ads that clutter Craigslist are any indication of the direction we’re headed in.” Although, Dylan, I pose to you this question—isn’t making virginity this blatantly a commodity also forcing sex to become a class issue and therefore even less within the woman’s control? When you can literally put prices on womanhood, doesn’t that devalue all women? The only difference from Europe’s darkest days is the marriage contract, but the means to an end are just as tied to economics.

However, Dylan is used to criticism by now. She argues she’s just ahead of her time. “I knew this experiment would bring me condemnation… One conclusion my experiment has already borne out is that society isn’t ready for public auctions like mine—yet.” Well, while the rest of the country clips coupons and tries to enjoy the simple things in life, one can only hope love won’t come with a more overt price tag. Although, it remains to be seen if this kind of “product” will inspire a trend in personal economic stimulus packages.

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Tags: virginity, feminism, natalie dylan, auction

Comments (27)

comments

Lynn
wrote on January 26 2009 @ 01:05 pm: [report]

I say more power to her. If I had known I could get 3.8 million for a little bit of time with my crotch, I might have held out, too.

Humble Bee
wrote on January 26 2009 @ 01:32 pm: [report]

I’m not trying to be judgemental or anything…. but is it me or does she look like a man with a good boob job?
.....juss sayin.
Yeah Lynn, we could have held out, but imagine what kind of man actually has 3.8 million, he must look… umm gorgeous. hehe… I hope its worth it for her. well I guess with all that money, it sure will be!
I wouldn’t give up my stumbling first time with my high school sweetie, its a good memory. I’ll be even MORE feminist and actually work for my 3.8 million. Take that Natalie Dylan!

Alison Wonderland
wrote on January 26 2009 @ 01:54 pm: [report]

It just really wonder why/how Natalie hung on to it for 22 years. Prior to the revelation that she could swipe her V-card for $4m, what was her stand on virginity? To hold out for that long, you’re either just serious about waiting for the right guy or waiting for marriage. But one day she just said, forget all that, I’m cashing in? I find that odd. But I do support her decision.

Simcha
wrote on January 26 2009 @ 02:03 pm: [report]

@ Humble Bee
I think she’s cute, but she sure does wear A LOT of make up

rowdygirl
wrote on January 26 2009 @ 02:25 pm: [report]

In this photo, her skin color is WAY off. Her face/head don’t match the rest of her. Photoshopping must be off. Other than that.. where is her father? Or her mother? If they’re in the picture at all, they obviously did a very poor job raising her.. in my opinion.

ChoJinn
wrote on January 26 2009 @ 06:14 pm: [report]

Despite the amount of attention this female human has received, I highly doubt she will be getting anything close to $3.8M for her virginity, if that even exists in the first place. The reason why more than one of the 3.5 billion women on this planet currently do not hold out for millions is because it wouldn’t - and won’t - happen.

On the one hand, you have the feminist empowering angle; the other, she is simply objectifying women even more than they already are. He sister is already a prostitute (albeit legally), and she herself is simply taking advantage of an arm’s length relationship with a particularly sleazy brothel owner to create a media ruckus. And who is appreciating virginity this much? Do we have the identities of these paragons of the modern male, offering such sums for what probably doesn’t even exist?

The whole situation is woeful: you have a disillusioned girl painting the modern early-twenty something as, well, a slut, and a group of loser guys making the male gender seem helpless before our sexual appetites.

And she’s not cute! Or thin! Or anything! Come on!

Kati-Anne
wrote on January 26 2009 @ 08:17 pm: [report]

Are people really taking digs at this girl because of her looks? Come on now, there are plenty of interesting things to say about this story that have nothing to do with whether or not you think she’s pretty…
I wouldn’t do what she’s doing, but I have no problem with it. She’s in control of her own sexuality. I also resent the idea that something a single woman does with her sexuality in a public forum impacts the perception of female sexuality in its entirety. I think, if anything, this is another example of how women are now able to define their sexuality as an individual, instead of female sexuality having a universal definition.

writergirl
wrote on January 26 2009 @ 08:42 pm: [report]

More power to her. If she wants to sell herself, great. But the reason the bid is close to a cool, four mil is because of bragging rights and media attention.

What happens when this bid ends? She loses her virginity. HBO coveres it in their documentary. Stern has them both on to provide a blow-by-blow (take that however your want) recount of the event. There are numerous magazine articles and blogs written about the event. Dozens of people resppond to those articles.

For years to come, he’ll get to say, “I was the guy who busted that chick’s cherry.”

She’s financially stable for the rest of her life.

And next year, it will be some other virgin. Only then, like with all reality tv, the novelty will have worn off….and after three or four more of these copycat women, the phenominon dies and the value of virginity once again becomes indeterminable.

fiction
wrote on January 26 2009 @ 08:46 pm: [report]

Ehhhhh…. She knows she isn’t “empowering women” or “challenging historical notions of the value of a woman” or any of that BS. That defense is stretched so thin it’s about to break like…

...something. I don’t know. metaphors are failing me.

Let’s be honest - this is about money and spectacle. Mostly spectacle. Everyone involved is just taking advantage of another, almost as troubling aspect of humanity- Bored rich people who feel the need to spend absurd amounts of money on ridiculous things. And do so to reassure themselves that they are somehow less average than any of us because of their wealth.

Whether it’s buying a segway or buying a jeff koons scuplture, spending “x” million dollars to be the guy everyone knows had sex with a -marginally- attractive woman is somewhere in that spectrum.

And I’m in no way condemning her for it. I’m all for exploiting the wealthy. I’m just saying, that in a different world, should natalie dylan and I meet in a bar, odds are slim I would be that compelled to offer to buy her a drink, let alone offer her several mil to have sex with her, regardless of how historical she might try to convince me it would be.

wittybitch
wrote on January 26 2009 @ 09:06 pm: [report]

Um hate on her all you want but this girl is a genius. She will be set for the rest of her life while my ass is sitting on 50 grand in student loans. She will not only make money off the initial sale (even after taxes) but she will have residual income from the book deals and other appearances.

And just to play devils advocate, whether or not this girl actually believes her justification of selling her hymen, the argument is well crafted. Think about it, even though she put a price tag on her vagina, she is no different than a gold digger or any other woman who capitalizes on her appearance to gain a lifestyle of her choice. Its the same principle as pretty girls never paying for drinks or getting into a hot club because of how you look, its just on a grander scale. You are leveraging something totally physical and sexual/sensual in nature in exchange for something you want.

Oh and PS: all the comments about how she isnt even that cute, or how much makeup she wears, only justifies her actions even more. Its as if you are saying well its ok to sell your virginity as long as you are universally hot. Because then and only then can we imagine putting a price tag on that p*ssy.

CuteCora
wrote on January 27 2009 @ 08:09 am: [report]

She is Changing Historical Notions..people will always remember this and beleive that soon this sort of thing will become a trend…tooo bad for the rest of us..If I had of known that I could that amount of $$ for something as simple as SEX then I maybe would have done the same! This is no more than having casual sex with someone or that crazy one night stand you had one time..now imagine the one night stand offered you a few mill afterwards…really it is the same thing. Think already there are a large sum of places now that have legal brothels…strip joints are the exact same way and well all kow what can go on in some of them..so really I embrace the fact that she can do as she is..although never seems to amaze me the price men will pay for alittle nookie… I just think that maybe some of us for not smart enough to think of the Idea for ourselves… LOL

CuteCora
wrote on January 27 2009 @ 06:53 pm: [report]

Wittygirl..Love the comments, So TRUE, it is no worse than a girl gettin dolled up for clubbin and allowing guys to buy her drinks because her Ti*s..are hanging out, it is a much grander scale but I give her props for doing it, the only thing I hate on her for.. i that it was her Idea and not mine LOL.. and your right…I mean if she was like the almight Paris Hilton would it make it ok becasue she is alittle hotter.. Hot or Not..clearly the girl is doin fine 3.8 mill so far sounds effen good 2 me, obviously for those haters, thses men find her just fine.. dont hate the player..hate the game..so cliche…

Lyz
wrote on January 27 2009 @ 07:19 pm: [report]

If genius means you can make money does that mean matthew mcconaughey is the next Einstein? Really, I think our standards for smart should be a little higher, WittyGirl.

Plus this brand of feminism that Natalie Dylan ascribes to is no liberation at all. Her logic is, just because the bodies of womens have been used as a tool of trade by men, it is liberating for women to use our bodies as a tool of trade. The oppressed become the oppressor. Homi Bhabba would be so proud. This is the truest definition of post colonial mimickry. Maybe she should have studied some history in addition to all of her “Womens Studies.”

wittybitch
wrote on January 27 2009 @ 07:39 pm: [report]

to Lyz:

I appreciate the comments and no my definition of genius is not simply the ability to make money. And looking at this scenario objectively as any other business venture, yes, I think this girl has brains. She is not the first prostitute in the history of the world and she won’t be the last. But her ability to put herself in the public eye in such a grand scale in a way that is causing a dialogue about women and sexuality and feminism and all of that is more than I think many of us did our senior year of college. The fact that we are even having this conversation about this girl right now only proves my point more.

and ps: lighten up a little and its WittyBitch, not WittyGirl

thefamousames
wrote on January 27 2009 @ 08:30 pm: [report]

Her shrewd business sense? Oh, so that’s all that Ashley Dupre was doing when she was doing Spitzer—displaying her shrewd business sense.

wittybitch
wrote on January 27 2009 @ 08:53 pm: [report]

Nah, Ashley Dupre was just your run of the mill high class call girl. Nothing really groundbreaking with her.

Simcha
wrote on January 27 2009 @ 09:29 pm: [report]

@ Katie-Ann
You’re right, I feel cheap. This is about examining her experiment, not her looks.

fallenangel915
wrote on January 29 2009 @ 03:33 am: [report]

I smell a disturbing trend on the horizon. I’m not knocking her; she’s a grown woman and she can do what she wants. If she wants to sell her precious virginity for some mils, then hey, do the damned thing. I wish I had held out, too, but not so much for money as for someone who actually deserved to receive that gift.

One Big Voice
wrote on January 29 2009 @ 03:12 pm: [report]

I don’t care how attractive or experienced she is, that amount of $$$ is stupid. Some horndog rich guy (I assume it’s a guy—I would laugh so hard if the winning bid was a woman) is making the rest of us look bad (what else is new). The only person that should value virginity is the virgin themselves, female OR male. Which brings me to my next question: What if it had been a MAN who was trying to auction off his first time?

“Bidding starts at $0.99, this item has 0 bids, be the first to bid on this item!”

msmoon
wrote on January 29 2009 @ 10:43 pm: [report]

Good for Natalie. I don’t think she means to put a price on virginity. She’s just getting smart. Guys are willing to pay to #&@$% a virgin. If she doesn’t care who she loses her cherry to, then by all means, make that money, girl.

curiousinchicago
wrote on January 30 2009 @ 02:30 am: [report]

Hello?? Besides the gross-out factor and moral issues, hasn’t anyone explored the legal issues here? All the people involved in this bidding war including the girl and all the people bidding could be charged for being involved in prostitution. Why haven’t the police become involved in this??

Lynn
wrote on January 30 2009 @ 12:38 pm: [report]

@curiousinchicago - I believe she’s doing this through a legal brothel in Nevada

One Big Voice
wrote on January 31 2009 @ 12:47 pm: [report]

@Lynn - I applaud your restraint. It must have taken tremendous willpower to resist adding the word “idiot” at the end of that sentence :D

mikeyellenlee
wrote on January 31 2009 @ 09:50 pm: [report]

Why is her face a different color than the rest of her body?

LostInStars
wrote on February 24 2009 @ 06:54 pm: [report]

I just can’t imagine selling something like that. I’m not one of those gooey eyed “save it for marriage” women, but I’m glad I gave my virginity to who I gave it to. I love him, he loves me. Do I think we’ll be together forever and make lots of beautiful babies and buy a golden retriever, no. But I won’t look back on my choice and do a /facepalm. I really don’t care either way, the only thing that bothers me about this story is that it’s actually worthy of being news. Why should we care about this?

BaltimoreTXD
wrote on July 12 2009 @ 08:08 pm: [report]

I’m sorry, but this just sounds like excuses for a greedy whore.