Today's Fortune: Society will continue to get more shocking.
Virginity for sale! That's what one winning film from the Cannes Film Festival explored. Buy It Now, winner of the Cinéfondation Award, revolves around a 16-year-old girl who decides to bypass the anxiety that can be associated with having sex for the first time by auctioning off her virginity to the highest bidder. Somehow, having sex for the first time with a complete stranger doesn't seem like it would be anxiety-free. But maybe I'm too uptight.
Directed by Antonio Campos, the film features young actress Chelsea Logan, who told CNN that the characters were asked to keep their real names in the film to blur the lines of reality and fiction.
When I first heard about the film, it was through this interview; however, I was getting ready to leave and missed the introduction. From another room, I merely heard the young woman casually discussing the selling of her virginity on eBay.
I rushed back in the room, completely shocked that someone would be so cavalier about being a high-profile hooker when I realized it was only a movie. I was very intrigued - not only did it seem like a good social commentary, but it got me to thinking about the plausibility of this happening.
In fact, it spurred me to do a little eBay search for "virginity," as well as a Google search for "virginity for sale." On eBay, there were some books related to losing virginity, and oddly enough, shirts and bumper stickers saying, "I sold my virginity on eBay."
I'm not sure if these products are in lieu of Buy It Now or if they are mocking what I found from the Google search. According to a number of sites, a woman really did sell her virginity on eBay.
At first I figured, "This must be a joke." The only "credible" site discussing this British woman's plight for money, from college debt, was the News of the World, a British tabloid - albeit the highest selling Sunday paper in Britain.
However, the BBC reported the news as well. According to a story posted in March 2004, the then 18-year-old reportedly had sex with a 44-year-old divorced engineer and father of two for £8,400 ($15,000) in a hotel room.
The twist here, though, is that Rosey Reid, the woman in the story, is a lesbian. Reid said after the uncomfortable incident, she felt desperate to get back to her partner and that the two "cried and cried."
The film, as well as Reid's personal account, is an interesting reflection of our society as a whole - we as humans can put a price on anything. Money is the bottom line.
Sure, in the film Chelsea's motives aren't purely money. The way Logan spoke in the interview was that the money was more of a perk - the real reason was just to get losing her virginity over with.
But the thing that makes it interesting is the fact that she didn't just go out and find some horny young man to lose it to, but rather sold it. Why not make a little money off it? Capitalism at its best.
Regardless of whether or not Reid's story is true or if the film's plot isn't entirely original, I would love to watch Buy It Now to see exactly how Campo tackled the controversial subject matter. Sadly, this probably won't happen since many independent films never reach Cincinnati or the video store.
But as for society as a whole, since it is the nature of humans, things must continue to become increasingly shocking - so what's next? Auctioning off newborns on eBay?
Send questions or comments to KaitlinMcClellan@gmail.com.
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