In the face of sloth, hunger is the cure. I little challenge and hardship can motivate and if we let it inspire us. We need a challenge. We all need a hunger that enabling parents steal.

About a decade ago I pondered the same question of whether I shoud try and BUY an intership. In retrospect, it seems I was onto something before its time. Not everyone can get their foot in ther door, even with skills, experience and gumption. Yes it gives rich kids more of an edge than they had before, but at the same time might help out the poor kid who saves his summer earnings and buys that dream internship. Just like in real life some people don't look so good on paper, but throw them in the deep end at work and those unseen qualites suddenly become strengths.

People have to BUY a college degree, so why not include the first intership with that cost? As longas costs do not spiral out of control it has the potential of creating a level palying field for those without connections.

It sort of reminds me of the guy who worked full-time as an engineer just to pay for his dream of becoming a NASCAR driver. He basically worked his way up through the circuits, but paid his own way with no sponsors. Nobody was going to give him a chance, so he paid for the chance with time and his own money. Eventually he went on to be a proffesional NASCAR truck series driver. BUYING AN INTENSHIP IS THE SAME PROCESS.

I don't know. Aren't parents just "the ultimate network." I think you should take advantage of whatever they can provide you. I hope to be able to provide the kids I'm never going to have with the best opportunities in life. Stop hating on the Rich, Drish! (just kiddin)

I saw this the other day and it worried me a bit. But what concerns me more is why these companies are auctioning off internships in the first place. In this market shouldn't they be more concerned with filling their ranks with worthy college students rather than doling the spot out to the highest bidder? I understand that it could be for a good cause, but I'm sure Rolling Stone could come up with a more appropriate prize than a position at the company. Just please, nothing involving the Jonas Brothers.

You know, I'm not at all surprised that it would come to this.

I grew up preparing for a career as a professional dancer. In order to know the right choreographers and get the right performing experience, one has to pay both for very expensive lessons plus summer 'intensives' which basically equate to internships with dance companies. These intensives were expensive (thousands of dollars) and I often had to also pay for boarding, transportation, etc.

Was I basically buying internships to get a job? Yes. Did it work? Yes, the same day I finished college I was offered a contract with a great dance company. Was it worth it? Dancers are lucky to make 15k a year dancing. Probably a little stupid, but that's how it goes.

If you're going into a highly competitive field (like performing arts) you're probably going to end up paying in more ways than one to succeed. This is a money driven world, and if you're that serious and focused, it may come to the point of buying your way in.

Hey everyone - Thank you for all the comments. And I apologize for not being able to respond sooner... Today has been crazy.

Where to start... Well, first, I was really surprised. I didn't expect this kind of response. Which is cool. It made me think more about this.

@isaac - Is that a quote or did you just write it? I like it.

@Gen Xpert - Good point. The WSJ may have had to dig to find this article. But "supposed" orgies? That's what college is for, right? :)

@boohoo - Personally, I think college costs have already spiraled out of control. And there is a big difference between the nascar guy who is working two jobs to pay for everything himself... And the kid who asks mom and dad to buy his first job for him.

@Andrew - Your point about the economy was well taken... I didn't think about that. I'm all for 'career coaches' or 'agents'... IF the student is willing to work. What bugs me are the people who don't put in any effort because they know they have their parents to fall back on.

@Zack - I actually wrote a paragraph about companies... and then deleted it. I feel like a company who offers an internship to a charity auction is only trying to help out. I can't get mad about that. (Off topic - I was on Twitter the other day and someone tweeted: "Picking your favorite Jonas Brother is like choosing your favorite STD." I thought that was hilarious.)

@Miles - I couldn't agree with you more. Sometimes it seems like the kids that work the hardest are the ones that have to. A $700/month student loan payment can be pretty motivating.

@Victoria - Great analogy. I haven't looked at it from that perspective. I think one big difference is that you've worked at dance your entire life. It's something you've been groomed to do since you were little.

That's different from the kid who decided a year ago that s/he wanted to be a marketing major and work at a record label. That person hasn't put in the time or effort to deserve a reward. (Of course, it's not really my role to be that judge.)

@Jaclyn - True, nepotism has been going on forever. I just feel like it's more common among our generation than in the past.

Again - thanks for the comments, everyone. I learned a lot from this post.

"@boohoo - Personally, I think college costs have already spiraled out of control. And there is a big difference between the nascar guy who is working two jobs to pay for everything himself... And the kid who asks mom and dad to buy his first job for him."

@Andy Drish - you are assuming that the parents are paying this cost 100% out of pocket. I would disagree because the parent may be "rolling" the expense into loans taken out under the student’s name. Victoria has easily given the best example of how this scenario plays out in other industries. The student may very easily be working to jobs to pay for the internship, but like I said your scenario assumes they are taking on the cost 100% out of pocket. I would bet many parents are just "floating" the expense on the credit cards and are fully expecting the student to pay it back to them in some form.

Also you forgot some majors don't allow for students to do anything but go to school full time. I dare you to find someone who graduated from a first tier college with an architecture degree who worked full-time and attended school part-time. You won't find any because it’s not allowed nor is it feasible due to course workload. My point is that they may have to resort to "buying" and internship and when they do it is the same as the NASCAR guy. Just because you took out a loan and paid it off later doesn't mean you didn't work for it (the cost is deferred and does not vanish, but it is smarter to pay as you if you can).

I seriously doubt that this is actually happening. Most companies don't even have the process and infrastucture setup to support such a ridiculous exchange.

Now, if you bribing an internship "placement" service or your brother's cousin's uncle to get your kid in, then that's a different story.

Basically, I think the thesis of the article is completely made-up.