18-Year-Old Virgin for Sale
An 18-year-old Romanian woman named Alina Percea has decided to auction off her virginity to the highest bidder to pay for college. She follows in the footsteps of other young women who have also put themselves up for sale, including England’s Rosie Reid in 2004 and Carys Copesake in 2007. Meanwhile, here in America, Natalie Dylan, 22, is offering her virginity through Dennis Hof’s Las Vegas Bunny Ranch.
Percea is looking for $73,000, enough to finance her education. Dylan hopes she can net $1 million.
I think we’re going to see more and more of this.
What’s going on, psychologically? I believe that young women (and young men) increasingly see themselves — even what most of us would consider their most intimate selves — as commodities, for sale to the highest bidder. Their lives are no longer their own, you see. They are spliced and diced into Facebook profiles, YouTube postings and a bleeding of their individual identities into an onslaught of celebrity culture. They have been coaxed to turn complex questions about who they really are and what they really feel into simpler ones about which entertainer they most want to emulate. Their thoughts turn into text messages that float away into cyberspace, along with an unhealthy dose of nude photos of themselves called “sexting.” Seen this way, Alina Percea and Natalie Dylan aren’t really selling any part of themselves, because they may be so detached from their inner selves — their souls — that they aren’t really showing up to hand anything over to the highest bidder. They are actresses playing themselves, in this case the role of prostitute.
It isn’t just the media and the Internet that fuels this loss of genuine self. We haven’t looked at the psychosocial implications of sperm and egg donation, for example — the abandoning of any emotional connection to many millions of our offspring. Is it so surprising to see young women selling their virginity when the majority of Americans would think little of them selling their ova? Do we worry over men selling their sperm?
Might there be a connection between Natalie Dylan auctioning off her virginity and Nadia Suleman (Octomom) turning herself and eight innocent newborns into media celebrities via in vitro fertilization?
The trouble is that Percea and Dylan are the outlandish, media-worthy examples of the phenomenon. Much more commonly, we will see young people turning up to “play” employee and “play” student and then “play” mother and “play” father. They’ll be acting, too — looking the part, but untouchable. Try to reach them, for real, and you could find yourself getting one-liners back that sound like they were harvested from the latest sitcom or feature film. And they will have been.
The separation of real self from the face one presents to the world is the growing place for depression, anxiety, drug abuse and violence. As the distance between fantasy and reality shrinks, the pain of being cut off from ourselves and from others will be increasingly felt. It always is. We can expect an epidemic of psychological disorders. Why? Because, like it or not, we remain vulnerable, fragile, truthful souls at core. We remain human.
Dr. Keith Ablow is a psychiatry correspondent for FOX News Channel and a New York Times bestselling author. His newest book, “Living the Truth: Transform Your Life through the Power of Insight and Honesty” has launched a new self-help movement. Check out Dr. Ablow’s website at livingthetruth.com or e-mail him at info@keithablow.com.
I think “Dr.” Keith Ablow needs to quit worrying about what other people do with their lives, as they are THEIR lives to live. We shouldn’t have to worry about what other people think. “Dr.” Keith should just keep his insanely judgemental opinions to himself. For example: he says “Alina Percea and Natalie Dylan aren’t really selling any part of themselves, because they may be so detached from their inner selves — their souls — that they aren’t really showing up to hand anything over to the highest bidder. They are actresses playing themselves, in this case the role of prostitute.” How the hell would he know that they are “detached from their inner selves – THEIR SOULS…” ??? it MAY be that they know themselves SO WELL, that they know what they can handle, and feel their choices are acceptable for them. Hell, if that is what you want to do, then do it. I think anybody that listens to this “Dr.” Keith Ablow seriously needs to learn how to form their own educated opinions on their own, and good luck with that!
If we continue to ignore the detachment of souls
from the person..
.We could be looking at a very CALOUSED society
A society that looks the other way when women are abused.
…With that said….Who they really Are……Does Matter
and what they really really feel……
determines the direction fo their future…
Can A Woman GIVE TRUE LOVE and compassion and Empathy
if she is used like a machine??????
Now Please Can we just Snuggle up together
and enjoy ….warmth…giggles…squeezes…..kisses….and cologne
Ah Thanks….I feel better already.
It is important to
find out why …..they disconnect from
Who they really Are…..and How they really Feel.
We are looking at a very Caloused future Society
if people continue to be allowed
to hurt themselves in front of a large audience.
or just ..DE Valuing …humanity as we know it.
Maybe some …..HUgs…..and Empathy
are due to this person to help her figure out
the value of HUman companionship and closeness.
So why are these women selling their virginity? Because they believe someone will pay big bucks for it.
For most people, this is a better deal than losing it the old fashioned way.
Very engaging thoughts. I agree with Dr. Ablow. There is a heavy price to be paid for this disconnect in society. There are consequences for all our actions and there are absolute morals that one can make judgments by. What morals are you living by? Hollywood? Washington D.C.? You’re own created ones? We have to do better than that.
Congratulations FreedomOfChoice, your disconnected attitude of “if it feels good, do it” or “If they want to, let them” is the biggest part of the problem.
RE: your ‘ ‘ around the title Dr.: Google the author and find out that his education in this subject specifically, exceeds all of your education combined.(Psychiatrist). Then, open your mind a bit. It isn’t artistic or continental or intellectual to disconnect from the mores of society. It is just a way to feel like some sort of rebel, while our society is declining.
Over the last several thousand years, the worst thing a woman could do to herself, and live, was to prostitute herself. Now, these women are getting headlines for exactly that. And worse, if they are really virgins, they are selling quite literally the most intimate, private parts of their physical selves, for cash. Now, if you think for just a moment, you cannot possiblly rationalize that the physical portion of losing ones’ virginity has absolutely no emotional reprecussions.
And the Dr was addressing this… That when one learns, or willingly disconnects from normal emotions and mores as we know them, they will be living a different life, a disconnected life, with likely more emotional difficulties, if the emotions survive the event.
And your answer, instead of worrying about your fellow “man”, is “Hey, not my problem, they’re young, stupid, and want to do it, Why should I stop them?”
If you were about to step into the path of a speeding bus, would be terribly injured, but guaranteed to survive, in some form, should I A: grab your sleeve and stop you, or B:Tell myself that everyone has freewill and FreedomOfChoice is exercising his – which would lead to me doing nothing?
Look at the global economic crisis and try to tell me that we aren’t all in this together. Because we are, your position fails.
I hope you seek assistance soon, to help you address your feelings
One more things… Doctors? The real ones who go into it to help people? Yeah, they try to help and guide people to healthier choices. That is what the author was doing. Too bad no one ever did it for you.
Wow, I thought this article was dynamite at susinctly explaining one of the trends noticed in today’s youth. I’m a youth worker myself and have noticed this phenomenon also… couldn’t put it into words as eloquently as Dr. Albow.
–Ryan
those who argue that she has the rite to make her own choices are rite.. she can,, but that don’t change the fact that it is WRONG! No matter how you look at it an she will pay the price for foolishness which could/will be anything from regret remorse an hatin herself for it to pregnancy and disease… Virginity is priceless. no amonut of money will take its place. People can ignore God’s laws all they want an claim they have the freedom to make there own choices but that doesn’t change them an you will pay for your sins one day,, its that simple….
I am an active community member trying to make a difference to halt underage drinking. In reading your article, I began to wonder if it would make more sense to go where the kids are, on YOUTUBE or Facebook. It seems kids are more connected to that than to school, home or family. That is not true of all families or all situations. However, I think some teenager drift between stable family and interactive internet. Where should health providers go to get these young people’s attention?
To GT and your “speeding bus theory,” You’ve got to remember – it’s just sex. You can use protection, and avoid the rick of disease or pregancy. She may not believe in god, and not care about sins and all that jazz. You people need to remember – also – that she is not a teenager. She is now considered an Adult. It is her decision to sell her virginity. She could just do what most of you people probably did – had sex young, or with somebody that you aren’t even with anymore. Only you guys did it for free! To some people virginity is priceless, and that is great for them to think. but don’t force your views on other people! Keep “god” to yourself. And start worrying about your own lives instead of wasting your time on here complaining about how other people live their lives!
Dr. Ablow makes a good analogy between Alina and Octomom. They’re both media sluts in that they want attention (and money) and are advertising for it. There is a big difference though… Alena wants to pay for her education rather than have the taxpayers do it for her, and that is a sign of responsibility. I applaud that! Octomom, on the other hand, is just a plain lazy dog and wants everyone to pay her way. Right on, JimBeam!! Good point. I can’t condemn Alina for this; hell, if I were in the same boat, I might even try it. Alina, if you are reading this, just make sure you use SAFE SEX PRACTICES EVERYTIME…CONDOMS AND BIRTH CONTROL. Cheers!