2008 Woodie Awards
Second time to make indecent proposal
Jade Alexis Webber
Issue date: 12/4/06 Section: Opinions
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Remember the movie "Indecent Proposal?" No? Allow me to offer a brief summary of the plot: A man offers a married couple $1 million to have sex with the woman for one night. Back then, the movie's provocative premise sparked our interest: "What would I do in that situation?" Now I propose the same question but with a different twist. Keep in mind your current situation-single, dating, married-and answer this: If you were offered $1 million for one night of sex with the buyer, would you accept the offer?
When asked this question, people obviously have two answers-yes and no. The 'yes' people usually follow their answer with a witty comment. It may be something that makes us laugh because, most likely, they believe the offer will never present itself. The 'no' people respond with: 1) they are priceless, 2) they are not prostitutes, or 3) both answers. Recently, I have found the reasons behind the 'no' answer much more interesting.
Let's examine the first reason behind the 'no' answer: "I wouldn't have sex for money because I'm priceless." It seems people are quick to label themselves "priceless," rather than assigning themselves monetary value. In their mind, they believe equating themselves with a dollar sign undervalues their worth. This seems odd considering the actual definition of priceless. According to m-w.com (Merriam-Webster), priceless means "having a value beyond any price." If we take that definition, we can agree that if something is "priceless" it does not "cost anything," which is also the definition of the word "free." Take it a step further: If priceless things have no monetary value, then how are priceless things exchanged? They are given away for free! For example, generations hand down priceless possessions to their offspring. Prominent billionaires donate their possessions to museums, because they surely aren't taking it with them to the afterlife. This is all to say that, ironically (and comically), if you are priceless, you are also free.
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When asked this question, people obviously have two answers-yes and no. The 'yes' people usually follow their answer with a witty comment. It may be something that makes us laugh because, most likely, they believe the offer will never present itself. The 'no' people respond with: 1) they are priceless, 2) they are not prostitutes, or 3) both answers. Recently, I have found the reasons behind the 'no' answer much more interesting.
Let's examine the first reason behind the 'no' answer: "I wouldn't have sex for money because I'm priceless." It seems people are quick to label themselves "priceless," rather than assigning themselves monetary value. In their mind, they believe equating themselves with a dollar sign undervalues their worth. This seems odd considering the actual definition of priceless. According to m-w.com (Merriam-Webster), priceless means "having a value beyond any price." If we take that definition, we can agree that if something is "priceless" it does not "cost anything," which is also the definition of the word "free." Take it a step further: If priceless things have no monetary value, then how are priceless things exchanged? They are given away for free! For example, generations hand down priceless possessions to their offspring. Prominent billionaires donate their possessions to museums, because they surely aren't taking it with them to the afterlife. This is all to say that, ironically (and comically), if you are priceless, you are also free.
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NickyJett
Nicky
posted 12/06/06 @ 3:01 PM CST
Although I'm uncomfortable with the "fee or free" subject matter, I can't really argue with the logic. Nice work!
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