Gonzalo Barr

Compare and contrast –

(1) The review in “History of the Movies” of the film, Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), based on the novel by Arthur Golden –

In the film we see lots of money exchanging hands in the mizuage ritual, a coming-of-age ritual when a young apprentice geisha essentially “sold” her virginity to the highest bidder.

[…] the mizuage ritual was important for her in a couple of ways. If, like Sayuri, her mizuage fetched a high price, her debt to her geisha house could be reduced or even eliminated.

(2) An excerpt from the news –

Student auctions off virginity for offers of more than £2.5 million
A student who is auctioning her virginity to pay for a masters degree in Family and Marriage therapy has seen bidding hit £2.5million ($3.7m).

Natalie Dylan, 22, claims her offer of a one-night stand has persuaded 10,000 men to bid for sex with her.

Last September, […] she had received bids up to £162,000 ($243,000) but since then interest in her has rocketed.

The student who has a degree in Women’s Studies insisted she was not demeaning herself.

Miss Dylan, from San Diego, California, USA, said she was persuaded to offer herself to the highest bidder after her sister Avia, 23, paid for her own degree after working as a prostitute for three weeks.

[…]

Miss Dylan said she did not think it was particularly significant to be willing to sell your virginity and insisted that she was happy to undergo medical tests for any doubters.

[…]

“My study is completely authentic in that I truly am auctioning my virginity but I am not being sold into this. I’m not being taken advantage of in any way.

“I think me and the person I do it with will both profit greatly from the deal.”

Other cases of Art vs. Life are here, here, and here.

Sources: Cathy Shultz, “History of the Movies” (Dec. 25, 2005), reviewing the film, Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), based on the novel by Arthur Golden, “Student auctions off virginity for offers of more than £2.5 million,” The Telegraph (Jan. 12, 2009)