Bizarre, Criminal law, International

Haggling Over Price: Brazilian Woman Sells Virginity on Internet But Insists That She Is Not A Prostitute

On this blog, we have often discussed the basis for prostitution from rivaling feminist and libertarian perspectives. Critics have long argued that the definition and prohibition of prostitution is inherently flawed and conflicted. Others argue that it is a denial of the rights of consenting adults under a state enforced morality standard. Brazilian student, Catarina Migliorini, 20, has rekindled this debate after selling her virginity online to a Japanese man named Natsu for $772,000.

Migliorini’s virginity was the subject of bids by 15 people– an auction organized by Jason Sisely, an Australian filmmaker.

Alex Stepanov, 21, from Sydney, also put his virginity up for sale, but was able to collect only £1,860 from a Nene B from Brazil.

Migliorini will be flown to Australia where she and Stepanov will meet the winning bidders and lose their virginity. Under the contract, the minimum time the virgin must spend with the bidder is one hour and in that time “the virgin must engage in sexual intercourse with the highest bidder”.

Notably, Migliorini denied being a prostitute. “I saw this as a business. I have the opportunity to travel, to be part of a movie and get a bonus with it.” Of course, most prostitute view their work also as a business, but Migliorini insisted “[i]f you only do it once in your life then you are not a prostitute, just like if you take one amazing photograph it does not automatically make you a photographer.”

That does not seem a particularly convincing line of argument. It is reminiscent of the famous Churchillian story about “price.” According to legend, Winston Churchill once asked a socialite if she would sleep with him for 1 million pounds. When she admitted that she would, he offered one pound. “Winston! What sort of woman do you think I am?,” the woman objected. He responded, “We have already established what you are, now we are just haggling over price.”

Nevertheless, she might be on better ground arguing that this is ultimately a moral choice. Virginity clearly does not mean much to her and she sees it as a commodity to be sold. The money that she will receive is enough to set her up for life. If this is a consensual agreement between adults, should society still criminalize the conduct. After all, she can legally have sex with in infinite number of partners. She also can legally receive an assortment of gifts before such encounters from meals to trips to jewelry. It is not unknown for individuals to sleep with others to achieve benefits of various sorts, but are not considered prostitutes. Likewise, a porn star can have sex with dozens of partners for money but not be charged with prostitution since it is done on film. What is left is an uncertain line in defining prostitution.

Yet, when she wants to accept money for such services, she would be considered by most as committing the crime of prostitution. So long as these arrangements involve consenting adults, should the arrangements still be considered criminal?

Source: IBT

92 thoughts on “Haggling Over Price: Brazilian Woman Sells Virginity on Internet But Insists That She Is Not A Prostitute”

  1. A couple of things need clarification here. We all know that a Japanese person was the winner. I have no idea how many of you know that Brasil has the largest Japanese population outside Japan and secondly, Prostitution is legal in Brasil. Many travel agents arrange charter flights from the US and from Europe for this to and fro fun.

  4. raff, I know. Troll’s gotta do what a troll’s gotta do. They can’t help themselves. Typical seventh grader. Wonder if his parents know he is playing on the computer unsupervised?

  6. OS,
    Leslie Gore in icon, no matter hat Matt says.
    Elaine,
    Just about every major religion consider women as second class believers.

  7. GeneH,
    All for authority on English language. But how long is she going to be a prostitute? For the rest of her life, even if she has done it only once? So OED would consider her a prostitute when she’s on her deathbed though she did this when she was a young woman? Despite having tried cigarettes once, I am not a smoker. Despite having once been a bookkeeper I am not now a bookkeeper. Time matters. Intention matters. Forms of the “be” verb make a difference. Was a bookkeeper. Will be a prostitute. The point about the sex therapist (sounds like surrogate would be correct) is a valid point. If therapy is the goal, then no, it’s not prostitution and the person is not a prostitute.

  8. Otteray Scribe 1, October 26, 2012 at 8:39 pm

    Matt, do you have to work at being a jerk, or does it come naturally? Now crawl back under your rock where you belong.
    ———————————————————-
    My best friend, OS. When were you neutered?

  9. Matt, do you have to work at being a jerk, or does it come naturally? Now crawl back under your rock where you belong.

  10. Otteray Scribe 1, October 26, 2012 at 7:18 pm

    It has been fifty years since sixteen year old Leslie Gore recorded this iconic song. At 66, she is still fighting for the same rights. It is about damn time the knuckledraggers slunk back into their caves
    ——————————————————————
    She can keep her boobs to herself. Nobody wants any of that anyway. Tell her the ovaries are spent already.

  11. FairlyBalanced,

    “So there is no fine line when it comes to movies and it is usually women who want to stomp out prostitution because they cant stand the competition.”

    Give me a break! Many men in our society like to demean women…treat them as second class citizens…perceive them only as sex objects…try to legislate their rights away. If there are women who want to stomp out prostitution, it isn’t because they fear the competition. I’d say they fear/dislike the debasement of their sex.

  12. It has been fifty years since sixteen year old Leslie Gore recorded this iconic song. At 66, she is still fighting for the same rights. It is about damn time the knuckledraggers slunk back into their caves.

  13. I’ve always liked the persuit almost as much as the climax (no pun intended). Paying for it takes that away.

  14. i guess this means it costs allah 56,160,00 every time some numbnuts lights his underware bomb.

  19. There is overt prostitution and then there are lesser varieties. Some person doing some sort of sex act in a movie is a porn star not a prostitute and a high paid actress who is paid to kiss some schmuck in the movie is getting paid for a lesser level of sex. So there is no fine line when it comes to movies and it is usually women who want to stomp out prostitution because they cant stand the competition.

  20. Oh, my goodness! What happens if she gets pregnant? You’re going to have to pay a lot more than the bid price.

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