An adviser to embattled Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner reportedly wanted to use photos of his own penis in a puberty book for boys as young as 10 years old.
Morris Katz, who has also worked for New York City&#8217;s Democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani, published the 112-page book titled &#8220;Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Puberty ― and Shouldn’t Be Googling: For Curious Boys&#8221; in 2020.
As <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/04/us-news/mamdani-guru-wanted-to-use-images-of-his-penis-in-creepy-puberty-guide-for-10-year-olds/">the New York Post</a> reported, Katz made the revelation in a footnote below a series of images using snakes and butterflies, among other things, to depict physical changes to male genitalia during puberty: &#8220;At first, we were going to use images of my penis to get this point across but the publisher said it was inappropriate so here we are, with some fruit and animal metaphors.&#8221;
Billed as a &#8220;puberty book written by the cool older brother,&#8221; the Amazon description says that it provides &#8220;facts about developmental changes to tween and teen boys&#8217; bodies and brains are spelled out in fun, familiar, boy-speak and illustrated in edgy graphic novel format.&#8221;
The Platner fixer made headlines earlier in the week when the Bangor Daily News first reported that he&#8217;d been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/platner-campaign-threatened-female-staffer-who-exposed-sexual-deviancy">behind threats</a> aimed at a former staffer who contributed to reports exposing Platner&#8217;s explicit text messages sent to multiple women while he was married.
The message, sent through a third party, was directed at former state Rep. Genevieve McDonald, a Democrat, over her cooperation with The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
&#8220;Just want to be clear on where we are right now,” he wrote, adding that Katz warned her that she would face a smear campaign if she assisted with the story. “If the story goes in its current iteration we’ll communicate directly on the record, and by name, that Genevieve violated the personal trust of Amy and Graham and shared explicit falsehoods to sabotage the campaign.&#8221;
He also appeared to lash out at her in an X post, although he did not mention her by name, once the story went public: &#8220;It’s no one’s f*cking business what happened in Graham &amp; Amy’s marriage before he was ever a candidate for office. There should be no place in our politics for incompetent, opportunistic operatives who violate privacy, betray trust, and prioritize vengeance over decency.&#8221;

Mamdani Takes Reins Of New York City After Historic Election Win

Platner Adviser Wanted D*ck Pic In ‘Puberty Guide’ For 10-Year-Old Boys

Platner Fixer Linked To Mamdani Wanted To Send D*ck Pic To Millions Of 10-Year-Old Boys

graham platner

Politics

Zohran Mamdani

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
Ladies love the 1995 and 2005 film versions of &#8220;Pride and Prejudice.&#8221; Their timelessness has inspired a dedicated base of fans who prize the romantic, heartfelt relationships that have the time to build through character development and genuine affection. 
Both beloved films had very little kissing and zero sex scenes, as pro-life activist Lila Rose recently <a href="https://x.com/LilaGraceRose/status/2042280067758494013">noted,</a> yet they managed to become wildly popular. The 2005 &#8220;Pride &amp; Prejudice&#8220; starring Keira Knightley was a box office success, grossing $121.6 million over a $28 million budget. The 1995 &#8220;Pride and Prejudice&#8221; BBC miniseries starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle drew in about 10-11 million views per episode, selling 12,000 VHS copies within the first two hours of its release. 
But Hollywood’s latest attempts to take on 19th-century romance have repeatedly resulted in historically inaccurate, hypersexualized cinema that fails to hold up against the established classics.
The smutty Jane Austen knock-off show &#8220;Bridgerton&#8221; brags an expensive budget of $7 million per episode, but the sparkle of the show seems to be dwindling. Though the viewer numbers are still high, season 4 streams <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2026/02/11/bridgerton-season-4-viewership-drops-the-lincoln-lawyer-spikes-in-new-report/">dropped</a> 12% from season 3 as the repetitive “will-they-won’t-they have sex” plot becomes predictable to audiences.
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1096799" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1096799" class="size-medium wp-image-1096799" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/BRIDGERTON_406_Unit_11438R-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/BRIDGERTON_406_Unit_11438R-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/BRIDGERTON_406_Unit_11438R-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/BRIDGERTON_406_Unit_11438R-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/BRIDGERTON_406_Unit_11438R.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Liam Daniel/Netflix</div>
In &#8220;Bridgerton,&#8221; the highlight of the season is often a dramatic sex scene for the main lovers, reinforcing in women’s minds that satisfying and steamy sex is the reward one should be looking for in a relationship. According to the show, a good love story is all about physicality and satisfying lust. But in faithful Jane Austen adaptations, physical touch is rare. 
Romance is Darcy offering his hand as Elizabeth gets into the carriage, palms meeting during a dance, and, ultimately, the good character of Darcy slowly being revealed, leading to a mutual declaration of love after recognizing one another&#8217;s character flaws. Physical chemistry means little without the quick-witted interactions, brutal honesty, and the realization that Darcy is willing to go to great lengths to protect Elizabeth (and her family’s) reputation, even after she rejects him. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Mr. Darcy&#8217;s hand flex after holding Elizabeth&#8217;s hand 🥰<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrideandPrejudice?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PrideandPrejudice</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JaneAusten?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JaneAusten</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/romance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#romance</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/film?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#film</a> <a href="https://t.co/XJfdGi4Vse">https://t.co/XJfdGi4Vse</a> <a href="https://t.co/7FirXtmTqb">pic.twitter.com/7FirXtmTqb</a>
— Anonymous Galore / AG 🌺 (@AnonymousGalore) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnonymousGalore/status/1815717963175272450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The works of Jane Austen demonstrate a much deeper sort of love than what is seen on screens today, which is why those renditions have a longevity few modern series will have. While the wave of Austen adaptations produced in the &#8217;90s and &#8217;00s evoked the maturation of characters and realistic proprieties of the day, today’s pieces such as &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hollywood-promised-a-love-story-what-it-delivered-was-something-else">Wuthering Heights</a>&#8221; or &#8220;Bridgerton&#8221; and its many copycats, prioritize graphic sex scenes and flashy costumes over story quality and true romance.
All of Jane Austen’s heroines have their own flaws, but there is character growth, usually brought about by the love interest of the heroine. Darcy highlights Elizabeth’s wrongful assumptions about him, and Elizabeth reprimands Darcy for his arrogance and pride. Austen understood that real love meant a willingness to call out one another’s misgivings and hold relationships to a higher standard. In the best relationships, both parties are bettered by each other. 
In &#8220;Pride and Prejudice,&#8221; Austen illustrates not only what good character in a man can look like, but also the type of love interest to avoid. Elizabeth’s younger sister Lydia causes a scandal when she runs away with the deceitful Wickham, thinking marriage will soon follow. How many young women today let themselves follow a man with the promise of a “one day” that is never to come?
Running off with a man you aren’t married to isn’t the scandal it was in the 1800s, but Austen seems to tell her readers they can hope for better than Wickham. A man may be charming, handsome, and flirtatious, but that’s not what makes him worthy. A worthy man recognizes his flaws, seeks to redeem broken situations, and protects the dignity and heart of the woman he loves. 
In an age where loneliness is on the rise and women are feeling disenchanted by dating and marriage, it’s time to evaluate what expectations are being promoted within our culture that may be leading them to feel unfulfilled or heartbroken. 
A &#8220;Bridgerton&#8221;-style relationship based on lust will not lead modern women to satisfying romantic relationships. Women need men with good character; they need men like those written by Jane Austen. The more we show healthy relationships in media, the better we are as a culture. Perhaps there’s a chance for life to imitate art?
***
Ali Holcomb is the communications adviser at Advancing American Freedom Foundation. Julia Jensen is the communications assistant at Advancing American Freedom Foundation.

GettyImages-56013323

What ‘Bridgerton’ Gets Wrong That ‘Pride And Prejudice’ Got Perfectly Right

Hollywood

Movies

Netflix

Upstream

The JPMorgan sex scandal just got a little wilder as the Wall Street Journal reported that plaintiff Chirayu Rana turned down a $1 million settlement offer in March.
According to the outlet, inside sources say Rana’s attorneys countered by asking for $11.75 million. After negotiations failed, the lawsuit was filed against his former employer. 
A JPMorgan spokesman confirmed to WSJ, “We did try to reach an agreement to avoid the time and expense of litigation and to support an employee who was being threatened with the very reputational harm now unfolding. We continue to believe these allegations have no merit and new information raised as a result of the public filing only reinforces that conclusion.”
The company&#8217;s attempt to keep the matter out of the news does not necessarily indicate the harassment occurred, the outlet noted, but rather can be a common tactic used to make these claims go away without the national spectacle. As was previously reported, the company was unable to corroborate Rana’s claims of racial discrimination and sexual harassment. 
The bombshell sexual harassment lawsuit sent shockwaves through the financial world before being deemed a “complete fabrication” by insiders.
Rana, 35, first filed a lawsuit in late April under the pseudonym “John Doe.” The filing leveled a series of lurid and sensational accusations against Lorna Hajdini, 37, an executive director on JPMorgan’s leveraged finance team. 
In the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/viral-jpmorgan-sex-slave-suit-unmasked-as-complete-fabrication">initial complaint</a>, Rana alleged that Hajdini had turned him into her personal “sex slave,” claiming she drugged him with “roofies” and Viagra to facilitate non-consensual encounters. The suit included salacious quotes, alleging Hajdini told him, “If you don’t f*ck me soon, I’m going to ruin you… Never forget, I f*cking own you.”
The original filing said that Hajdini referred to Rana as her “little brown boy toy” and allegedly told him, “I bet your little Asian, fish head, wife doesn’t have these cannons.”
The suit further claimed that she threatened to “slash his bonus” if he didn’t follow her commands. 
Rana’s claims came under intense scrutiny after it was revealed that he did not report to Hajdini, so she would not have had approval over whether his bonuses were awarded or taken away. 
A bank spokesman said at the time, “Following an investigation, we don’t believe there’s any merit to these claims. While numerous employees cooperated with the investigation, the complainant refused to participate and has declined to provide facts that would be central to support his allegations.”
The lawsuit was taken off the docket, but then was refiled on Monday, per the WSJ.
“The original lawsuit was not withdrawn,” Daniel Kaiser, Rana’s lawyer, told the outlet. “After filing, the court clerk informed us that the suit required review and sign-off from the judge before being formally filed under a pseudonym. Upon signature by the judge yesterday, the suit was formally filed under a pseudonym.”
Hajdini’s lawyers said she “continues to categorically deny the allegations. She never dated this individual, never had a sexual or romantic encounter with him of any kind and never gave him any drugs. She maintains that his false claims are entirely fabricated and tarnishing her reputation.”

JP Morgan

The Move The JPMorgan Sexual Harassment Accuser Made Before Filing

Business

Lawsuit

News

A bombshell sexual harassment lawsuit that sent shockwaves through the financial world this week has been branded a &#8220;complete fabrication&#8221; by insiders, as the anonymous accuser was <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/30/business/bombshell-jpmorgan-sex-harassment-suit-that-went-viral-branded-complete-fabrication-as-john-doe-accuser-unmasked/">unmasked</a> as former JPMorgan staffer Chirayu Rana.
The 35-year-old Rana, now a principal at investment firm Bregal Sagemount, initially filed the suit on Monday under the pseudonym &#8220;John Doe.&#8221; The filing leveled a series of lurid and sensational accusations against Lorna Hajdini, 37, an executive director on JPMorgan’s leveraged finance team.
The initial complaint, which went viral after being <a href="https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15776897/JPMorgan-executive-banker-sex-abuse-lawsuit-new-york.html">reported</a> by the Daily Mail, painted a dark picture of corporate debauchery. Rana alleged that Hajdini had turned him into her personal “sex slave,” claiming she drugged him with “roofies” and Viagra to facilitate non-consensual encounters. The suit was peppered with salacious quotes, alleging Hajdini told him, “If you don’t f*ck me soon, I’m going to ruin you… never forget, I f*cking own you.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Bombshell sex harassment suit against Lorna Hajdini, JPMorgan branded &#39;complete fabrication&#39; as John Doe unmasked <a href="https://t.co/Njh9k8GcNe">https://t.co/Njh9k8GcNe</a> <a href="https://t.co/26HxbeeOV8">pic.twitter.com/26HxbeeOV8</a>
&mdash; New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/2049965116091752895?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2026</a></blockquote>
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However, the narrative began to crumble within 48 hours. JPMorgan issued a scathing rebuttal, revealing that a &#8220;thorough internal probe&#8221; involving phone records and emails found no evidence to support the claims. A bank spokesman said, “Following an investigation, we don’t believe there’s any merit to these claims. While numerous employees cooperated with the investigation, the complainant refused to participate and has declined to provide facts that would be central to support his allegations.”
Furthermore, sources revealed a glaring hole in the lawsuit’s logic: Rana did not actually report to Hajdini. While the suit claimed she threatened to “slash his bonus” if he did not comply with her demands, Hajdini had no authority over his compensation or performance reviews.
“He has tarnished her with a complete fabrication,” an associate of Hajdini told the New York Post. While Rana was described by some colleagues as “socially awkward,” Hajdini is regarded as a “top performer” who spends her free time volunteering for educational non-profits.
The original court papers, which included claims that Hajdini referred to Rana as her “little brown boy toy” and allegedly told him, “I bet your little Asian, fish head, wife doesn’t have these cannons,” have since been withdrawn for “corrections.”
Insiders suggest the lawsuit may have been a high-stakes attempt at a shakedown. Sources say that before going public, Rana filed an internal complaint in May 2025 and attempted to negotiate a payout totaling “millions” to leave the company. When the bank refused to settle, the &#8220;John Doe&#8221; lawsuit followed.
Under U.S. law, court filings enjoy &#8220;absolute privilege,&#8221; meaning media outlets can report on the most scandalous allegations—such as Rana’s claim that Hajdini told him to “stop f*cking crying” during an assault—without fear of defamation suits, even if the claims are later proven to be entirely false.
Hajdini remains in her position at JPMorgan, while Rana’s career continues at Bregal Sagemount.

JPMorgan Chase Ahead Of Earnings Figures

Viral JPMorgan ‘Sex Slave’ Suit Unmasked As ‘Complete Fabrication’

Media

U.S.

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
Increased rates of sexlessness have been documented around the world, among all age cohorts, regardless of marital status. But what’s most astounding is that this trend is particularly pronounced among younger generations, including millennials (born from 1980 to 1994) and Gen Z (born from 1995 to 2012), with roughly one in three men and one in five women saying they haven’t had sex in the past year.
From research I’ve conducted, it seems the sex recession is the culmination of <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Sextinction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Sextinction/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1776257052842000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3Igdoodn9vaNNolHcsa_QH">a number of factors</a>, including social media and dating apps, new cultural norms post-#MeToo, and technological advancements in romantic surrogates such as AI companions, sex robots, and platforms like OnlyFans, to name a few.
Although all ages risk falling prey to these artificial replacements for sex, members of Gen Z are particularly vulnerable because they grew up enmeshed in this technology before experiencing the real thing. While social conservatives may celebrate the recent celibacy of young singles, the reasons they are abstaining from sex should be concerning.
Interventions that have the capacity to modify our biology, mating psychology, and mental health are driving these trends. For example, two common types of pharmaceutical drugs — selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, a class of antidepressants) and the birth control pill — are known to decrease libido as a side effect.
Although these interventions have the potential to aid many, we must ask what their influence has been on young people. Many begin their usage in childhood, and this has the potential to affect them profoundly.
<a href="https://www.harmonyhit.com/state-of-gen-z-mental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.harmonyhit.com/state-of-gen-z-mental-health/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1776257052842000&amp;usg=AOvVaw03jrcZTkqiZaM6Y-hz6nY9">More than a third</a> of Gen Z report taking prescription medication for a mental health condition. If an individual is uncomfortable in social situations or when required to have face-to-face interactions, they will be less inclined to want to meet new people in the context of dating. Sexual intimacy requires being comfortable in your body, being present in your head, and being willing to put yourself in a position of possibly being judged or rejected by someone else.
Rumination, negative self-perception, and self-consciousness, which are hallmark symptoms of depression and anxiety, can additionally convince a person (erroneously) to prefer online avenues as a sexual outlet because they exist behind the safety of a screen.
So, it is a positive thing that young people are seeking help to improve their situation. If a person is not emotionally healthy, even if she does desire companionship, it will be challenging to vet a partner properly and find the right person for herself.
We know little, however, about the long-term effects of SSRIs on adolescents’ sexual development. This is concerning, considering SSRIs have been approved for use in children as young as <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/teen-depression/in-depth/antidepressants/art-20047502" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/teen-depression/in-depth/antidepressants/art-20047502&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1776257052842000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0BjwRTOhps2BhfIzUxTVLd">6-years-old</a>, and <a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/psychotropic-medication-among-children-adolescents">nearly 4%</a> of children and adolescents aged 3 to 17 in the United States take them.
One recent <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40063219/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40063219/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1776257052842000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3fo61QtqB1bYSBRUf-DMVU">study</a> using a rodent model showed that exposure to an SSRI was associated with changes to a part of the brain that is involved in emotion regulation and stress management.
There are also data emerging about a condition called post-SSRI sexual dysfunction, which describes sexual side effects from SSRIs (and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) that persist after a person has ceased taking the medication. This can include a loss of sexual desire and arousal, numbness in one’s sexual anatomy, and sexual dysfunction, including erectile dysfunction and difficulty reaching orgasm.
In some cases, individuals who began these medications during their <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/magazine/antidepressants-ssris-teen-sexual-side-effects.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/magazine/antidepressants-ssris-teen-sexual-side-effects.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1776257052842000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2mHVmEHsQZ_rQlhXE0V7oQ">teenage years</a> report a blunting of emotions and an inability to feel crushes, foreclosing their desire in adulthood to be sexually active.
The birth control pill may be contributing to the use of SSRIs because taking the pill is associated with an increase in mood disorders like <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9218393/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9218393/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1776257052842000&amp;usg=AOvVaw12xICqKrlZ7A6G7dsyy_lA">depression</a>.
In the U.S., more than <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/contraceptive.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/contraceptive.htm&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1776257052842000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2dRuVxMZQXIj14TPCRqGoh">one in 10 females</a> aged 15 to 49 are taking the pill. Many young girls will initially start for non-contraceptive reasons, such as regulating their menstrual cycle or alleviating associated cramps. Although these teenage girls may not be sexually active, their mating psychology is nevertheless being affected.
If an individual’s emotions and personality are biologically altered during their formative years, this can lead to long-lasting changes. Similar to SSRIs, little is known about how the pill affects adolescent brain development. It has been hypothesized that taking the pill may affect the process by which girls’ brains become feminized and the way they <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41245982/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41245982/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1776257052842000&amp;usg=AOvVaw07kPYy_n9jOS_n00oYWGDQ">process information</a>.
Because the pill halts ovulation and thereby a woman’s ability to become pregnant, it can dampen not only her interest in sex and interacting with men but also the sexual signals she sends out to the men she does encounter. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22245227/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22245227/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1776257052842000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1KJjqtWiLrkYy_fz28dT0k">Men can tell</a> when a woman is ovulating, and if she is, they are more likely to pursue her.
This is not to blame women on the pill for the sexual inactivity plaguing young people, or to suggest that women should not take hormonal birth control. Instead, I would argue that women and girls deserve access to factual, unbiased information about the potential consequences associated with taking this medical technology, especially during critical developmental windows.
Those who eschew pharmaceuticals may still be unintentionally consuming these drugs through the water supply. Studies in fish have shown that synthetic estrogen in birth control pills can induce <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1874176/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1874176/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1776257052842000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1uYMYFslD9xC6EzL-UeFcq">intersex conditions</a>, and early-life exposure to antidepressants, including SSRIs, can alter the programming of the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9245512/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9245512/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1776257052842000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1gnYContk5nRNOLeUEDHim">endocrine system</a>.
Although more research needs to be done to know whether the same disturbing effects apply to humans, I wonder to what extent this exposure is contributing to men’s declining testosterone levels. To bring things back full circle, low testosterone is commonly associated with depression and reduced sex drive.
Until we address the true causes of the mental health epidemic flourishing today, no amount of technological distraction will cure this issue or alleviate our sexlessness. The purported technological solutions for our social and sexual disconnection will only make us sicker.
Physical activity, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/experts-say-ditch-screens-before-bed-i-tried-these-six-tricks-instead">adequate sleep</a>, effective psychotherapy, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-tried-the-one-thing-big-tech-hopes-you-never-do">minimal use</a> of social media, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-you-may-be-in-a-toxic-relationship-with-your-leggings-and-what-to-do-about-it">endocrine-disrupting products</a>, and ultraprocessed foods are relevant places to start. Those of us who were blessed to grow up in an era predating smartphones and internet toxicity must support younger generations in finding a path back to normalcy.
***
Dr. Debra Soh is a sex neuroscientist and the author of “<a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Sextinction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Sextinction/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1776257052842000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3Igdoodn9vaNNolHcsa_QH">Sextinction: The Decline of Sex and the Future of Intimacy</a>.” She was featured in Matt Walsh’s film “What is a Woman?” Visit her at <a href="https://www.drdebrasoh.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.drdebrasoh.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1776257052842000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0DRbi58bw_pNgY_OO8jaRx">DrDebraSoh.com</a>.

GettyImages-1793678138

The ‘Sex Recession’ Hitting Gen Z And What’s Quietly Killing Their Drive

Gen Z

Mental Health

Sharon Stone, who may have cemented her own status as a sex symbol after her role in 1992&#8217;s &#8220;Basic Instinct&#8221; — said in a recent interview that she now fast-forwards through &#8220;blatant, harsh&#8221; sex scenes when she watches television.
<a href="https://pagesix.com/2026/04/01/celebrity-news/sharon-stone-calls-out-harsh-sexuality-in-modern-tv/">Stone</a> spoke with &#8220;CBS Mornings&#8221; host Gayle King about her acting career, the split-second that made her an icon, and how what is acceptable onscreen when it comes to sex has changed over the years — and the actress argued that the change wasn&#8217;t necessarily for the better.
King referenced the famous scene from &#8220;Basic Instinct,&#8221; saying, &#8220;Sharon, when you look at your legendary career, what do you think about — I remember when ‘Basic Instinct’ came out? Cross the legs, uncross the legs. And I remember — ‘Is she wearing panties?’ — that’s how crazy it all became, right?”
&#8220;Right. It was a third of a frame. It wasn’t even an entire frame of film,&#8221; Stone replied, saying that to her, the real attraction was tied up in the mystery.
&#8220;And, so, people were desperately trying to figure it out,&#8221; Stone continued, adding, &#8220;So often now, when sex scenes come on TV — I fast-forward. I don’t want to see it. I don’t want to have to go through all of this blatant, harsh sexuality. For me, it steals from my own imagination. And I prefer my yearning, mystery, desire. I want to keep that alive inside myself.&#8221;
Stone went on to say that while that film had certainly opened a lot of doors for her career, she felt it also typecast her in a way that hurt her personal life.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Basic Instinct” changed the trajectory of Sharon Stone’s career — but she told <a href="https://twitter.com/GayleKing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@gayleking</a> that she also felt like she was being “punished for the behavior of others.” <a href="https://t.co/UHGTfe5ZXn">pic.twitter.com/UHGTfe5ZXn</a>
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSMornings/status/2039037539982491748?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;In many ways, I feel like I wasn’t protected and taken care of. And then, in many ways, I feel I was punished for the behavior of others,&#8221; Stone said, adding that it had played out when she lost custody of her son, Roan, in 2008.
&#8220;I lost custody of my child,&#8221; Stone told King. &#8220;My child was put on the stand in custody court and asked if his mother did sex movies. I mean, things that were bizarrely inappropriate &#8230; People treated me in ways that were … very cruel and unkind, as if I was some sort of slatternly, vulgar person.&#8221;
&#8220;Like you were wearing a scarlet A on your head,&#8221; King interjected.
&#8220;Yeah, I mean, you know, I played a character — 30 years ago. Like, grow up,&#8221; Stone added.
Reports indicate that Stone&#8217;s then-8-year-old son was asked about his mother&#8217;s films, and that the perceived stability of his father Phil Bronstein&#8217;s home also <a href="https://people.com/celebrity/papers-sharon-stones-ex-has-sole-physical-custody-of-child/">factored</a> into the custody dispute.

The Fashion Awards 2025

Sharon Stone Became A Sex Symbol Overnight. Now She Doesn’t Linger.

Celebrities

Sharon Stone

Television

The following is an edited transcript excerpt from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1930-president-trump-endorses-jake-paul">The Michael Knowles Show</a>.
* * *
The New York Post published an article yesterday based on a new survey that&#8217;s just come out.
The headline reads:
<blockquote>‘Hotwifing’ — the sexy new couples trend that’s ‘strengthening’ marriages across the country</blockquote>
Now, to be clear, I don&#8217;t encourage you to read the article or the survey, but this is part of a broader cultural trend, a broader cultural normalization of polyamory, of “consensual non-monogamy.” That&#8217;s the new gross clinical jargon they use to sanitize their own perversions.
From the article:
<blockquote>Could ‘hotwifing’ save your marriage? 71% of kinky couples say loaning their wives out for that thing that only husbands and wives are supposed to do together strengthened their union.</blockquote>
Seventy-one percent. The overwhelming majority of these &#8220;kinky couples&#8221; say it strengthened their union. In reality, these are people whose unions are probably not all that strong to begin with. But they say — and these are people who are obviously very, very confused about a lot of things — that pimping out their beloved actually strengthened their union.
Color me a little bit skeptical.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Could &#8216;hotwifing&#8217; save your marriage? 71% of kinky couples say loaning their wives out for sex &#8216;strengthened&#8217; their union <a href="https://t.co/U2cynXcIlF">https://t.co/U2cynXcIlF</a> <a href="https://t.co/aA51Nem0Eu">pic.twitter.com/aA51Nem0Eu</a>
— New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/2031777390880309504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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In any case, you hear a lot about this right now. When some people read this, they react in the old fuddy-duddy way: “Geez, these kids today. This is crazy. Can you believe what they&#8217;re doing now? In the olden days an inch of stocking was looked at as something shocking, but now anything goes.”
That&#8217;s the wrong approach. Because this is not novel. This is not an innovation. There&#8217;s nothing new about this. This is just paganism.
Our culture — the West, sometimes we describe our nation as a Christian nation — but even what we call the West is really a pale shadow of what we used to call Christendom, which was Christian civilization that thrived from roughly the age of Constantine up through the Protestant Revolution, which then starts to crack it up a little bit. But still you had a substantially Christian civilization, albeit amid wars of religion.
Then with the Peace of Westphalia and the Enlightenment, people tried to preserve Christianity but without taking religion all that seriously. You get into modernity and you&#8217;re really living on the fumes of Christendom. Soon enough that gives way to overt paganism.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1930-president-trump-endorses-jake-paul"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-1054531" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MK-watch-now-1-1024x171.jpg" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" data-wp-editing="1" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MK-watch-now-1-1024x171.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MK-watch-now-1-300x50.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MK-watch-now-1-768x128.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MK-watch-now-1-1536x256.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MK-watch-now-1.jpg 1800w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Here’s what Tertullian, an early Christian writer and Father of the Church, has to say about how pagans versus Christians regarded sex. 
A great line from Tertullian in his &#8220;Apology&#8221;:
<blockquote>All things are common among us, except our wives. We give up our community where it is practiced alone by others who not only take possession of the wives of their friends but most tolerantly also accommodate their friends with theirs.</blockquote>
It&#8217;s a great observation — almost Chestertonian millennia earlier. He says: we Christians are different from the pagans in that we share everything except our wives, and the pagans share nothing with each other except their wives. They won’t share their money, they won’t share their food, they won’t share their resources, they might not share their time — but they will share their wives.
But we Christians are the opposite. We&#8217;ll give anything to each other except for our wives.
Saint Jerome has a famous line in his commentary on Hosea:
<blockquote>Rarely does a heretic love chastity.</blockquote>
Every so often there is a heresy that promotes chastity, but generally speaking you notice — especially in modern religion, with wacky pastors of weird breakaway schismatic churches — they’re always promoting strange sexual practices. That’s the one common thread among all the weird heretical forms of Christianity today.
Rarely does a heretic love chastity.
What this new study reveals — the one meant to shock us with a New York Post headline, “Can you believe 71% of these kinky couples say it’s actually great for their marriages when they cheat on each other?” — is not a new discovery about the present. It reveals how ignorant we are of the past.
This is what paganism was always like.
It&#8217;s amusing when people think they&#8217;ve discovered something new. These people promoting orgies and decadence and bacchanalia think they&#8217;ve discovered freedom. “In the old days people were uptight, but now we’re free. We have free love, we’re doing drugs, we’re polyamorous.”
It makes you think: wow, no one has ever thought of that before — doing drugs and behaving like degenerates. What innovators you are.
It just reveals how little we understand the past. We pretend we understand ancient paganism. We pretend we understand what Christianity replaced. We really don’t.
A great example of this is in the Bible. In Exodus, the Israelites leave Egypt, and Moses goes up Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. Five seconds later, the Israelites abandon the God who led them out of Egypt and start worshiping a golden calf.
Moses comes down and essentially says: what are you doing? Stop worshiping this golden calf.
When people imagine that scene, they think the Israelites were just bowing down saying, “Oh golden calf, we worship you.” But that’s not really what was happening.
They were actually doing the same stuff modern pagans do. They were indulging in food and drink, engaging in all kinds of strange sexual behavior, revelry, and excess.
It’s the same pattern.
There is nothing new under the sun.
So when we come across these “new discoveries” about relationships and marriage and free love, what we’re really doing — wittingly or unwittingly — is rejecting Christianity, reverting to a kind of base, degraded paganism, and pretending that we’ve discovered some new revelation.
But it’s the opposite of a new revelation.
It’s the rejection of revelation.

Couple At A Restaurant Meal

‘Hotwifing’ Is Being Sold As A Marriage Booster — Yes, Really

Bible

Christianity

Marriage

Michael Knowles

Opinion

Paganism

Former “Full House” actress Candace Cameron Bure said she and her husband, former professional hockey player Valeri Bure, once inadvertently attended a creepy underground Hollywood sex party.
The 49-year-old made the confession on Tuesday’s episode of her eponymous podcast while talking about “weird and embarrassing” moments.
“I went to a party once with Val ‘cause we were married. And it ended up being this underground party that was an S&amp;M sex thing that was so dark and demonic,&#8221; Bure told her guest, Madi Prewett of “The Bachelor” fame. &#8220;We walked in, and my eyeballs were popping out of my head because I saw stuff I&#8217;ve never seen before in my life.”  
“I’m looking at Val, going like, ‘How are we here? What is happening?’” Bure continued. “We made a hard U-turn and walked right out of there. It just was so slimy and weird.&#8221; 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="You Become Who You Surround Yourself With" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oEomteHrm-4?start=813&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
She recalled discussing the awkward situation with her husband afterward.
&#8220;I was like, &#8216;We&#8217;re going to pause before we ever say yes to going out with that friend again,&#8217;” she said. “We just had no idea what we were walking into, and it was so disgusting and gross.&#8221;
The title of the podcast episode is “You Become Who You Surround Yourself With.” During the conversation, Bure and Prewett discuss in depth the friends who drew them both closer to God and those who led them astray.
Candace and her husband have been married since 1996 and share three grown children: Natasha, 27, Lev, 26, and Maks, 24.
Bure has been outspoken about her faith and conservative values for years. In 2022, she faced backlash and was accused of “bigotry” and of “selling out” after she voiced her opinion about traditional marriage.
Last year, the actress said celebrities are less likely now to face backlash for publicly professing their faith.
“I feel like people are just a little less afraid of being canceled now that they can share their faith openly or whatever their opinions are [even] if they’re not congruent with some other people’s opinions,” she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/candace-cameron-bure-says-people-are-less-worried-about-being-canceled-if-they-share-their-faith?author=Katie+Jerkovich&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Candace+Cameron+Bure+Says+People+Are+Less+Worried+About+Being+Canceled+If+They+Share+Their+Faith">said</a> at the time.

Candace Cameron Bure

Candace Cameron Bure Accidentally Attended ‘Dark And Demonic’ Hollywood Sex Party

Entertainment

Today’s young adults, on average, now spend more than a decade navigating the ambiguous space between sexual maturity and marriage. What was once a short transitional chapter has now become an extended, and often confusing act in a person’s life.
William Shakespeare captured the drama of human development in these famous lines from “As You Like It,” penned around 1599:
<blockquote>All the world&#8217;s a stage, 
And all the men and women merely players; 
They have their exits and their entrances; 
And one man in his time plays many parts…</blockquote>
Centuries later, the theme still resonates: We all progress through life from infancy and childhood to adulthood and, if we&#8217;re lucky, old age.
But one act of that lifelong drama — what Shakespeare called the season of the “lover” — has grown significantly longer. A majority of young people today now date for over a decade before saying, “I do.”
For most of history, “sexual debut” (or losing one’s virginity) and marriage were either concurrent or chronologically very close. In the 1950s, the <a href="https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/families/marital.html">window between these events</a> was just a few short years for the average American.
Not so today. Sexual debut occurs, on average, at <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsfg/nsfg-2022-2023-puf.htm#female">17.4 years for women and 17.6 years for men</a>, statistics that have held relatively steady over time. But the average age for first marriage is now much later: <a href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/families-and-living-arrangements.html?utm_campaign=20251202pio&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">28.4 years for women and 30.8 years for men</a>.
Often billed as a fun season of life, the pre-marriage single years today are marked by loneliness, confusion, and poor mental health. 
Shakespeare had it right when he described the lover:
<blockquote>Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad 
Made to his mistress&#8217; eyebrow.</blockquote>
Young adults today are indeed woeful.
Gen Z has struggled with <a href="https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/generation-z-and-the-transformation-of-american-adolescence-how-gen-zs-formative-experiences-shape-its-politics-priorities-and-future/">feelings of loneliness</a> more than any other generation: their <a href="https://glocalities.com/reports/trend-report-polarization">despair and disillusionment</a> are growing.
At least some of this disillusionment may find its root in a confusing dating culture. To extend Shakespeare’s metaphor, one might say that we have lost the script for life. Just a few decades ago, young people knew they were expected to look for a spouse, marry, and then start a family and build a future together. Now that’s not so clear.
So, what can be done? Do we write a new script? Dig up the old one?
In an age where freedom and self-determination are highly valued, any script may seem overly prescriptive. Of course, men and women should be free to make their own choices. No two love stories are the same. And there will always be some people who choose intentional lifelong singlehood. But the absence of norms and expectations appears to create its own problems.
The overwhelming majority of today’s young adults still want to get married and have kids. In a new <a href="https://www.independentwomen.com/2026/02/17/two-truths-and-a-lie-dating/">national poll</a>, fully 80.5% of respondents (aged 18-29) were either married (18.5%) or said they hoped to get married one day (62%), and 70% said they either had kids already (24.5%) or hoped to have them (45.4%). Will they achieve these dreams?
We may not be able to replace the old script for family formation, but we can help the young adults — the lovers — who are stuck on stage, calling for a line. Changing our culture is hard, but possible.
For starters, we can be more honest about what choices and behaviors make people happiest.
More time spent single before marriage means more opportunity to gain pre-marriage sexual experience, but this isn’t a good thing. Our culture tells young adults that pornography, casual sex, and cohabitation are no big deal. Social science, however, suggests otherwise. These choices are associated with <a href="https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1142&amp;context=dignity">worse health</a>, <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7871523/">worse mental health</a>, and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19203165/">lower marriage satisfaction</a>. Sexual inexperience is actually linked to <a href="https://ifstudies.org/blog/does-sexual-history-affect-marital-happiness">stronger, happier marriages</a>.
Pornography poses particular problems for Gen Z. We’re not talking about your dad’s Playboy magazine anymore; we’re talking about a lethal cocktail of social media, artificial intelligence, and ubiquitous internet connection. And it’s not just the guys: Young women are increasingly reading and listening to erotic literature.
A solo sex life is a cheap but easy replacement for relationships with real-life human beings. After all, fellow humans come with smelly socks, emotional baggage, and for many in Gen Z, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/young-men-women-are-taking-poll-gender-gap-staggering-new-levels-rcna202672">divergent political views</a>.
The widening political divide between young women and men both reflects — and reinforces — today’s strained dating culture. Time spent online only <a href="https://bhr.stern.nyu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/NYUCBHRFuelingTheFire_FINALONLINEREVISEDSep7.pdf">deepens political animosity</a>.
And yet, young, single people are <a href="https://pro.morningconsult.com/instant-intel/gen-z-social-media-usage">very online</a>, sometimes using the internet to look for love. Technology has made connections easier, but relationships harder. Many married couples <a href="https://www.theknot.com/content/online-dating-most-popular-way-to-meet-spouse">first met on dating apps</a>. But online dating offers a literal world of possibilities when it comes to potential “matches.” Youth of yesteryear were often constrained to high school sweethearts or college coed counterparts. This “<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/valley-girl-brain/201802/why-dating-is-such-challenge">paradox of choice</a>” that overwhelms today’s dating men and women also undermines their satisfaction even after they commit to one another.
The influence of technology on relationships goes even deeper: Young people today are spending a lot of time on <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11284647/">social media</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/upshot/video-games-boys-young-men.html">video games</a>, and less time on <a href="https://www.americansurveycenter.org/newsletter/how-social-media-made-us-less-social/">in-person social interactions</a>, where real-life relationship skills develop. The COVID pandemic accelerated this trend, but it was <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8478850/#cdev13652-sec-0036">underway before</a> (and <a href="https://www.edweek.org/leadership/kids-screen-time-rose-during-the-pandemic-and-stayed-high-thats-a-problem/2023/02">continues after</a>).
Underdeveloped social skills are likely contributing to &#8220;approach anxiety” in today’s young men, who say they <a href="https://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/4726/1/BSC-ThesisS4637917Approach-anxietyFinal-B.pdf">don’t want to come off as “creepy</a>” when asking a girl out in real life. The #MeToo movement has also played a factor. While the effort to raise awareness about sexual misconduct has had some positive effects, <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/me-too-backlash-getting-worse_n_5cddd96de4b00e035b8ce786">it chilled many male-female interactions</a>.
Most (54.3%) young adults agree that #MeToo has made men fearful of false accusations and, therefore, less interested in dating. Gen Z still expects the man to make the first move, but mixed messages on masculinity are contributing to men’s anxiety in approaching women.
Many young people of both sexes are anxious about parenthood. Among young adults who say they don’t want kids, the most commonly-cited reason is, “I don’t think I’ll be a good parent,” outranking cost, career impact, and societal concerns. In the 18-24 age range, nearly one in three (32.3%) respondents who didn’t want kids cited this as their primary reason.
This points to something cultural — not economic or policy-oriented — about parenthood hesitancy. Perhaps our social expectations of parents have gotten unrealistically high. Perhaps our cultural messages on what makes a “good parent” or even a “good life” have become less clear.
Whatever it is that has deteriorated the confidence of young adults, it won’t be easily fixed by a new government program or subsidy. More and more pundits and institutions are <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/in_focus/4424068/heritage-foundation-right-american-family-needs-saving/">joining the bandwagon for a big-government pro-family agenda,</a> but this is ill-advised. Decisions about family formation aren’t like other consumer decisions that are more easily influenced by government intervention. They relate deeply to our conceptions of identity, morality, and meaning. They can totally change the direction of our life’s story.
“All the world’s a stage” comes from the play “As You Like It” and like most Shakespearean comedies, the final scene is — you guessed it — a wedding. Young adults today can still find their happy ending, too. But they would benefit from a culture that puts less emphasis on shallow, short-term satisfaction and more emphasis on becoming people who can build a future.
* * *
Hadley Heath Manning is a senior fellow with Independent Women and author of the new report “The Dating Decade: Hooking Up, Hanging Out, and Swiping Right.”
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Making a grand entrance into marriage

A Decade Between First Date And ‘I Do’ — What Changed?

A Decade Between First Date And 'I Do' — What Changed?

Apps

Dating

Relationships

Shakespeare

Social Media

Women

A Vassar College student says administrators ignored concerns from Christian students and allowed a student burlesque group to mock their faith in a sexual performance in the campus chapel.
Sydney, a Vassar sophomore granted anonymity for this story, told The Daily Wire she first learned about the event when a friend showed her the flyer for a performance titled “Whoreship &amp; Prayer.” The show was produced by Vassar Burlesque, a student group that regularly puts on sexual and drag performances.
“I found the flyer … and I was disgusted immediately,” Sydney said. “The imagery and name of the show made it [clear] &#8230; it was definitely a show that had a Christian theme … clearly mocking Christianity.”
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<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1013635" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/burlesque-image-1-410x576.jpeg" alt="Burlesque image 1" width="410" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/burlesque-image-1-410x576.jpeg 410w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/burlesque-image-1-213x300.jpeg 213w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/burlesque-image-1-768x1080.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/burlesque-image-1-1093x1536.jpeg 1093w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/burlesque-image-1.jpeg 1264w" sizes=" (max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px" /></div>
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Sydney emailed the dean of student living, the college president, and other administrators to explain exactly why Christian students believed the performance violated Vassar’s stated values of diversity and inclusion. She says she was then contacted by the Office of Institutional Equity, the department that handles identity-based complaints, including those pertaining to religion. She says she met with <a href="https://offices.vassar.edu/institutional-equity/2024/12/19/eoaa-welcomes-brian-van-brunt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brian Van Brun</a><a href="https://offices.vassar.edu/institutional-equity/2024/12/19/eoaa-welcomes-brian-van-brunt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">t</a>, Vassar&#8217;s Institutional Equity and Title VI Coordinator.
Sydney said Van Brunt acknowledged the event was mocking religious imagery and allegedly admitted it would have been treated differently if Christians weren’t the ones being targeted.
“He basically said … it would be different if it were another religion,” Sydney said. Referring to comments students made on the anonymous social media platform Fizz, she said one hypothetical they talked about was if the flyer had referenced Allah. “If Allah was used … then it wouldn’t have been allowed. And he said, ‘Well, obviously that’s a different situation.’”
Sydney said Van Brunt floated the idea of making minor changes to the flyer, such as removing the image of the Virgin Mary or changing the event&#8217;s name, but even those were rejected by the administration. Despite the number of complaints from Christian students, the administration informed them the event would proceed with no modifications.
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<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1013637" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-2-396x576.jpeg" alt="Burlesque image 2" width="396" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-2-396x576.jpeg 396w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-2-206x300.jpeg 206w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-2-768x1117.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-2-1056x1536.jpeg 1056w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-2.jpeg 1249w" sizes=" (max-width: 396px) 100vw, 396px" /></div>
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“Whoreship and Prayer” sold out both nights, <a href="https://miscellanynews.org/2025/12/04/arts/whoreship-and-prayer-burlesque-is-a-religious-experience/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> Vassar’s student newspaper, The Miscellany News. In its coverage, the paper described the November performances as a fusion of religious motifs with sexual choreography.
The Miscellany noted some of the acts, including routines called “Touched by the Holy Spirit,” “Red Sea,” and “Blasphemy.”
Muse, one of the group’s co-presidents, told The Miscellany the show explored “the relationship between sexuality and religion — human intersectionalities that exist in a chaotic harmony.” She added, “I grew up very religious … my spirituality is still a huge part of my life, but the relationship between my body, sexuality and my spirituality has always been a bit of a struggle to untangle.”
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<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1013639" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-3-446x576.jpeg" alt="Burlesque image 3" width="446" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-3-446x576.jpeg 446w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-3-232x300.jpeg 232w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-3-768x993.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-3-1188x1536.jpeg 1188w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Burlesque-image-3.jpeg 1264w" sizes=" (max-width: 446px) 100vw, 446px" /></div>
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Reached for comment, Van Brunt referred The Daily Wire to Victoria Grantham, the vice president for communications, who declined to comment.
Sydney said the Vassar Burlesque group also mocked the backlash from Christian students online, posting memes and celebratory images that used nun costumes, Bibles, and crosses as ironic props. “They actually posted like a tweet … to mock the fact that we were complaining,” Sydney said.
The college sophomore said this was not the first time she saw bias against Christians on campus, but it was the most blatant.
“It made me feel uncomfortable, and I had already felt uncomfortable as a Christian,” she said. “I had heard little comments … little jabs at Christianity before, but I had never seen something this blatantly inappropriate and blatantly hurtful.”
This incident has convinced her that the school’s commitment to “inclusion” does not apply equally.
“They’re outright saying, well, if you are a Christian, you don’t have the same rights as other religions … everyone except you kind of thing. I felt very ostracized.”
The Vassar Chapel continues to host worship nights, Christmas services, and religious gatherings, yet Vassar maintains that it is a “secular space.”
Sydney said that the explanation does not resolve the larger problem: the selective enforcement of respect for religion. “Hopefully, if we bring more attention to it, then it won’t have to be this way forever,” she told The Daily Wire.

Vassar story

Woke New York College Allowed Burlesque Troupe To Mock Christianity In Campus Chapel

Vassar Approved Burlesque Mocking Christianity But Not Other Faiths, Student Claims

College

Discrimination

Religion

I expect to cover a lot of cultural madness in my line of work. But I never thought I’d ever find myself voluntarily writing about sex toys.
But over the past few weeks, spectators of WNBA games have taken to throwing rubber phalluses on the court during games.
And so, here we are.
I’m not going to pretend I’ve been a solemn moralist about this from the start. Like many of you, my group texts lit up with this story. The memes? Outstanding. Some of the best work the internet has produced in months. Humor has a way of finding you in moments of absurdity, and I laughed out loud.
But somewhere between a chuckle and a thousand retweets, we blew past a very obvious line.
There’s a difference between laughing about something and endorsing the thing itself. And this? This isn’t streaking, where the joke is on the guy who gets embarrassed, tackled, and escorted out. This is a targeted attempt to humiliate the athletes playing. It’s not about the clown in the stands — it’s about degrading the women on the court.
And one can all but guarantee it’s been men every single time. No woman is throwing this. We’ve all been to enough sporting events to know this is some guy in his late twenties, liquored up, in ripped jeans. Or, as <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/article/nyc-man-wearing-beavis-butthead-064652224.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new images</a> have exposed the first person to be caught, a guy in a Beavis and Butthead shirt. This stuff writes itself.
Spoiler: this guy’s not a hero. He’s a creep.
He’s also not an athlete — his toss didn’t make it to the court, and instead <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/12-year-old-girl-struck-sex-toy-thrown-wnba-game-brooklyn-suspect-soug-rcna224292" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struck a 12-year-old girl</a> who proceeded to “freak out.”
As of this writing, we’ve had four of these incidents, not counting the one above. They’ve happened in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and most recently in Seattle. You could almost imagine Vegas laying odds on it, and in fact, they have. According to Legal Sports Betting and SCCG Management, prop bets have included:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Will the next dildo still be green? — Yes at –200, No at +150.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Color odds: rainbow at +500, pink at +300, blue at +1400.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Even wagers on how it gets removed—kicked off the court vs. picked up by hand, both around –120.</li>
</ul>
It’s the same energy as the “streaker” prop bet before the Super Bowl — except it makes an unwilling punchline out of the athletes on the court.
Here’s the awkward truth for WNBA fans: the stunt worked. It generated more buzz for the league than any actual highlight this season. I wouldn’t be surprised if Google search trends for “WNBA” spiked higher in those moments than they did for last year’s Finals. On one level, you could call it a marketing success story. On the other hand, you could call it what it is — a sad commentary on the state of sports attention spans.
The players themselves have been clear. Chicago Sky center Elizabeth Williams called it “super disrespectful,” and “really immature,” and said that “whoever is doing it needs to grow up.” Sophie Cunningham took to social media: “Stop throwing dildos on the court … you’re going to hurt one of us.” Cecilia Zandalasini, who had to keep playing through one of the incidents, said, “I’ve never seen anything like that … we stayed locked in.”
Imagine working your entire life to reach the top of your sport — grueling training, constant travel, the pressure of competing at the highest level — and now that you’ve made it, instead of talking about a game-winning three, you have to talk about people chucking sex toys at you.
The WNBA isn’t my go-to watch. But that’s irrelevant here. Respect is not conditional on entertainment value. I don’t have to love your sport to acknowledge your dignity as a professional athlete. And a woman!
This also isn’t happening in a vacuum. Kids go to these games. Parents bring their daughters to watch their heroes in action, to dream about someday playing on that same court. What does it say about our society if those kids have to watch security scramble to clean up a sex toy, or worse, duck out of the way as one flies through the air?
To the inevitable “lighten up, it’s just a joke” crowd — no. There’s a baseline of decency that keeps sports a place where everyone can enjoy themselves. We used to know this instinctively. But now we’re so addicted to viral moments that the only question is whether someone caught it on their phone.
Again, I’m no prude. I’ve laughed at this. I’ve probably laughed harder than I should have. But part of being an adult is knowing when the joke has gone too far. We live in a culture that already does enough to cheapen sex, mock boundaries, and chip away at basic respect. We don’t need to import that into women’s basketball.
The irony is impossible to ignore. For years, women’s sports advocates have been fighting to protect female athletes from unfair competition — most of it coming from men trying to insert themselves, literally, into the women’s category. Now, they’re being forced to dodge rubber reminders of that fight mid-game.
This whole situation has been fun, but it’s time to bring the national conversation back to things that matter. If we’re talking about women’s sports, we should be talking about removing male anatomy from women’s sports, not flinging rubber replicas onto the hardwood.
Because once the gag becomes more important than the game, we’re no longer sports fans. We’re just another symptom of the cultural rot we claim to be laughing at.
Gates Garcia is the host of the YouTube show and podcast “We The People.” Follow him on Instagram and X @GatesGarciaFL.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

WNBA Finals – Game Four

The WNBA Sex Toy Incident Was Funny. But It’s Gone Too Far.

Sports

WNBA

Women's sports

A big controversy has now broken out over WNBA games — people are throwing sex toys on the court.
By any normal stretch of human behavior, this is a bad thing to do. You should not go to games and throw sex toys on the court. It&#8217;s obscene. It&#8217;s ridiculous. And no matter how much you dislike the WNBA, you probably shouldn&#8217;t go there and throw a giant sex toy on the court, right? As a respectable human being, you probably shouldn&#8217;t do it.
Is it funny? Sure. A lot of things are funny. A lot of violative and transgressive behavior is funny.
But that doesn&#8217;t mean it&#8217;s good.
The internet culture and subculture have become so reactionary, so reactive, and so disagreeable that this pattern is now driving economic decision-making. An article in The New York Times titled, “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6541093/2025/08/07/wnba-sex-toy-incidents-cryptocurrency-group-scheme/">WNBA sex toy incidents may be linked to cryptocurrency groups’ money scheme</a>” reads like a fever dream: 
<blockquote>Late in the first half of a Los Angeles Sparks-Indiana Fever game on Tuesday night, a neon green sex toy thrown from the stands landed on the floor of Crypto.com Arena, at the feet of Indiana guard Sophie Cunningham. Simultaneously, a group of people during an audio livestream on X reveled in the moment and celebrated its potential to help boost the value of a particular memecoin, a cryptocurrency deriving from an internet meme but traded through very real markets online. The coin was created July 28, the day before the first occurrence of a sex toy being thrown on a WNBA court. As of Thursday, the coin’s worth had nearly tripled in its first week.
“Someone is tweeting that there’s one at the Sparks game,” one person said on the stream. “That is literally the best case scenario that we could possibly imagine,” another replied, because the sex toy had fallen near Cunningham, who had previously posted a plea for spectators not to throw the objects onto the court, which was met with numerous replies of memes involving the phallic object.
The disruption in Los Angeles — as well as others that occurred that evening — appeared to be part of a coordinated effort, borne out of conversations held in some particularly murky, often mysterious corners of internet culture, social media and opportunistic plays in the cryptocurrency markets.</blockquote>
In the normal world, all of this would be treated as sociopathic behavior, going to games and throwing sex toys on the court.
Regardless of how much you dislike the sport, it would be considered, at the very least, bizarre and at the worst, vile.
It could be funny, and a lot of vile behavior is funny, but it is significant; a country with a robust social fabric does not have this kind of behavior, or at least it has less of this kind of behavior. That’s because you wouldn&#8217;t do this in your community, would you?
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2257-member-exclusive?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=The+Ben+Shapiro+Show&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
I know I&#8217;m treating seriously what is a frivolous topic, but I think we are now entering an era with the merger of the internet and the real world, a time where there are no more frivolous topics. Every frivolous topic becomes a symptom indicative of true social ills that are dividing us from one another.
You can&#8217;t get together and say, “Yeah, we probably shouldn&#8217;t do that,” or “A Sydney Sweeney jeans ad? Who cares? That’s fine.”
What happened to normalcy? As normalcy disintegrates and as people take one side or the other on ridiculous meme sociopathy, what you end up with is a very, very polarized electorate.
And that&#8217;s particularly true as young people age into the voting population. You&#8217;re seeing it in terms of sexual polarization between men and women; women are swinging wildly to the Left. Men are moving significantly more to the Right. And in terms of political polarization, it&#8217;s more about aesthetic feel than it is even about policy for a lot of these folks.
Is it a problem?
It does say something about the continuing social polarization of our country. We are addicted to our phones, our memes, and to the LOLs, as opposed to the things that actually build a society — like spending time with other human beings in a physical setting with a common goal of making our society and country better.

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