skeptic wrote: "Pier Paolo Pasolini (writer and film-maker) had the opinion that it is consumerism that causes the commoditizing of the human body as well as the body of every living organism."

Consumerism isn't the cause of anything. It is merely a name given to an attitude.

Here's the human race's dirty secret. The reality of commoditisation, of all things including both genders:

"Little miss Muffet

sat on her tuffet

eating her curds and whey

along came a spider

who sat down beside her

and did a long lasting mutually beneficial deal with Muffett that day."

The distinction between Costing and commoditising virginity and male and male & female gender bullying is negligable. They are just standard business practice: Tools for creating wealth.

This will NEVER be stopped but it can be shielded far more successfully by examining the root of gender bullying.

So Where does all gender bullying begin?

Here:

"Sugar and spice and all things nice

that's what girls are made of

Snips and snails and puppy dogs tails

that's what boys are made of"

This is widespread, traditional refuge mentality for insecure people: beaten wives and sexually frustrated fathers. It passes a world of damage to the psyches of both sexes.

An advanced and fairer rhyme would be:

"Sugar and spice and all things nice

that's what girls & boys are made of

Snips and snails and puppy dogs tails

that's what boys and girls trade with"

Shock, Horror,

Women sell their bodies for money!

Where's the news in this?

You've been reading 'way too many chick-lit novellas, Peter Hume.

>>What would he get? Obviously she would be less skilled in giving and receiving pleasure than a more experienced woman. On the other hand, he has the pleasure and privilege of showing her the way to sexual pleasure, of watching her understanding unfold from tense cluelessness to knowledgeable enjoyment, and of knowing that her response in the throes of climax is a pure instinctual first, unlearnt.<<

Pure fantasy.

We are talking about someone who is paying for sex. Presumably (and this is equally as presumptious as your scenario, only far more probable) he is unable to attract women in the normal course of his life, for whatever reason. Be that as it may, what interests me is the motivation behind being the first. I strongly doubt that it is to "watch her understanding unfold", which is why I posed the question in the first place.

>>I don't think they're actually getting a million are they? That's just what they're hoping for. I saw an article a while back about a woman who got $35,000 for selling her virginity.<<

I don't know where you live, but $35,000 hereabouts will not stretch to "set[ting] themselves up for life, including investing in property and travelling."

And this is also straight out of those paperbacks:

>>Anyway, the guy asked her if she would come back next night, i.e. for free, and seeing as she had had a nice time and thought he was a nice guy, she did. So this went on for some time and, whaddya know, they fell in love and became an item.<<

Yeah, right.

Dear Pericles,

You are injecting an unpleasant sense of reality into this discussion.

LOL Pericles - the film "Pretty Woman" came to mind ...

Re: " ..talking about someone who is paying for sex. Presumably (and this is equally as presumptious as your scenario, only far more probable) he is unable to attract women in the normal course of his life, for whatever reason. Be that as it may, what interests me is the motivation behind being the first."

I suggest men with enough change to buy the one off services of a virgin are unlikely to have problems attracting women "in the normal course of life". Wealthy men, even old, ugly and obnoxious types, attract more than their share of the female populace. Who knows the motivation? I'd guess it's either fantasy or superstition. There are certain beliefs still rife in some cultures that sex with a virgin can bring about cure or relief of various ailments or rejuvenation, usually sexual, at very least.
Otherwise it would likely be an individuals little fetish - to go where no man has gone before ....

Dear Suzeonline: Females under age 16 are out of bounds - legally - as you say. That doesn't stop some under 16s engaging in enthusiastic consensual sexual activity. Unfortunately Nature is to blame. Not being aware of man-made law, she/he/it causes many human females to be sexually mature by early teens. Sexually mature males are attracted to such females and often vice versa. It is therefore inevitable that men will 'ogle' an attractive nubile female and unless "Underage" is written across her forehead in Nikko marker, he often has little idea. My own daughter was very well developed by age 14 which brought her unwelcome (especially to her parents) attention. However while I resented the obvious 'admiration' of her abundant chest from virtually every male over the age of 10, I did have enough good sense to know that none were likely paedophiles or even dirty old men - just normal males. Just don't touch!
A decent male would not go beyond looking if the girl was underage and a sensible one would find out asap.