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| Natalie Dylan was invited to speak to Prof. Marina Adshade's Economics of Sex and Love class. |
On YouTube, Wikipedia and every other website-of-the-week, they鈥檙e talking about Natalie Dylan. But while she may be ambitious, academic and bright, no one鈥檚 interested in her brains, it鈥檚 her virginity and the fact that she鈥檚 auctioning it off that has tongues wagging.
On Friday, Ms. Dylan shared her story with the students in Professor Marina Adshade鈥檚 The Economics of Sex and Love (ECON 2214), a class which covers everything from polygamy to prostitution.
Beamed into the classroom from San Diego, California via Skype, Ms. Dylan told her version of a story usually rife with misinformation. As a way of raising money to further her education in psychology, the student who already has a degree in Women's Studies is collaborating with the Bunny Ranch, Dennis Hof鈥檚 Nevada brothel, to oversee the transaction. She鈥檚 not compelled to accept the highest bidder鈥攐ffers have reached $3.8 million鈥攁nd she isn鈥檛 interested in pursuing a relationship.
鈥淚t鈥檚 business to me,鈥� she said matter of factly.
Once Ms. Dylan shared her side of the story, Prof. Adshade opened the floor to questions. Students descended to the front of the lecture hall and stood in front of her laptop, so that they could speak with her face-to-face. Generally, questions focused on Ms. Dylan鈥檚 personal experiences during the auction鈥攆or instance, what the experiment meant she 鈥渉ad to give up?鈥�
鈥淣othing, really,鈥澛燼nswered Ms. Dylan, thoughtfully. 鈥淢y anonymity.鈥�
Has she considered the effect the sale might have on her future relationships, even her marriage prospects?
鈥淗onestly, that has been brought to my attention quite a few times,鈥� she said with a laugh, 鈥渆specially by my mother!鈥�
She believes the bids skyrocketed, not because of her beauty or because virginity is valued so much anymore, but rather because the auction聽turned into a聽game of one-upmanship聽for the bidders.
鈥淚 know it鈥檚 not because of me鈥� every time I do an interview, the bids go up,鈥� she explained to the class. "It's like a contest they all want to win."
Ms. Dylan knows she is engaging in prostitution鈥攁nd no qualms about it. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much covert prostitution going on all around,鈥� she said, pointing out that sex in exchange for dinner and a movie is no less a trade of goods and services. 鈥淭he message I鈥檓 sending is you need to take control of your own finances. Nothing is handed to you in life鈥� I鈥檓 22 years old, making my own decision. I鈥檓 a college graduate.鈥�
More conventionally conservative reasons for retaining her virginity鈥攆or instance, the old 鈥渕ost-valuable-possession鈥� refrain鈥攅xasperate Ms. Dylan. 鈥淭he most valuable thing a girl has to give to her husband is a one-time sexual experience?鈥�
She鈥檚 also got a book in the works and a couple million on the way, and mostly, she seemed bemused that her social experiment has become a hot topic worldwide. 鈥淚 did not do this to get famous at all. I think it鈥檚 a very odd world.鈥�
Certainly she鈥檚 had some very odd experiences. 鈥淭his one guy, he works at a zoo, and he offered to break me out an animal in exchange for my virginity鈥� Old women come up to me on the street, and they tell me how they lost their virginity.鈥�
While she may never again have a guest lecturer so highly googled to speak to her class, Dr. Adshade says Ms. Dylan鈥檚 case elaborates on a topic explored in class, namely what is the value of virginity?
鈥淚 think that classes like this, where we have an opportunity to speak directly to individuals, help to remind us as students of economics that behind the theoretical models and behind the data lies the lives of real people,鈥� said Dr. Adshade. 鈥淚t sounds simple, but it is important.鈥�