A 19-year-old girl in New Zealand felt the need to auction off her virginity to the highest bidder to pay for her school tuition. Now that she's settled for $32,000, local police are warning the young woman she is facing a 'risky' situation. But what does such a story say to the rest of the world? Welcome to a special International edition of 'American Personalities.'
The Huffington Post filed this scary report on a 19-year-old New Zealand student who auctioned off her virginity on-line for $32,000 in effort to raise tuition money. While she did not break any laws, local police are warning her of the risks.
What?
Apparently the young woman, who used the web moniker "Unigirl," placed her virginity on the auction block via a site called ineed.co.nz. According to Unigirl, more than 30,000 ventured to the site with 1,200 actually offering bids. She settled for an offer of more than New Zealand dollars 45,000 ($32,000).
Since the site is a private enterprise, it is not immediately known what bids Unigirl indeed received. The website's owner, identified as Ross McKenzie, said as long as the ad was legan and not offensive, "it was OK." McKenzie went on to confirm Unigirl was a site member.
Prostitution remains legal in New Zealand, as well as the offering of sexual services online and print media. National police spokesman Jon Neilson said in an interview to the Associated Press regarding Unigirl while "no law appeared to have been breached...there are definitely issues of personal safety."
Unigirl's initial post gave visitors a description of herself being attractive and healthy. No photos were posted and bidders were not given the means of confirming any of the post's details.
Are economic times so hard that people are being forced to treat their virtue as an eBay item? As this report circulates the blogosphere, expect a massive search for Unigirl to begin for the irresistible media "get." Still, this is a disturbing story to encounter. The mere fact that this young woman resorted to such an extreme plants an uneasy idea in the public's mind.
Forget about the salacious tabloid appeal. It is a horrible fact that sexual crimes against the young and women are being reported by the mainstream with alarming frequency. So, what does Unigirl's auction say about a society that actually allows the further devaluation of our individual humanity for financial gain? And, here's a sobering ending note. Unigirl is not the first woman to auction her virginity on the Internet. Tragic.
Examiner readers, offer your thoughts below.
Keep reading the Personalities page on Examiner.com for feature reports, plus the latest on celebrity and entertainment industry news.
Comments
I've never dated anyone. I'm still a virgin. And I want to wait until marriage to have sex.
However, I've actually considered this, along with dancing/stripping. Not because I want a new car or to shock people, but because I have a dream of going to college. One that is extremely difficult to realize because of my financial situation: my parents make enough for me to not be qualified for financial aid but not enough to pay for college. I've applied for over two-hundred scholarships, and have not heard back from anyone.
I do not judge her because I know how hard it is. If people don't want to hear stories like this, then something must be done about the ridiculous prices of education.
Sophie, If you really want to go to college, do what ever it takes... within reason. Safety is top priority obviously, but if you have to dance to go to college, then dance. you wouldnt be the first one. College is a truely humbling experience and in my opinion, everyone should at least try it.
Hmmm, sounds suspiciously like a massive PR scam by the auction site to increase their profile. It would be so easy to set up an ad on the site with no photos or details, then say I've found a bidder.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!