Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Explain Which Ordinary Items Have Become Hypersexualized

People Explain Which Ordinary Items Have Become Hypersexualized
Paul Magdas on Unsplash
Make us preferred on Google

If you were to objectively examine pop culture in the United States, you would decide the country is obsessed with sex.

Innuendos and outright blatant displays permeate advertising, music, TV and movies.

And then there are the completely nonsexual items that somehow ended up being associated with sex.


Redditor CharmingWitty asked:

"What is an ordinary item that is overly sexualized?"

Eggplant

"Eggplant"

- Cometguy7

"Men: if it looks like an eggplant, go to the doctor."

- NatStr9430

"Specially this 🍆"

- CharmingWitty

"They are not at all penis shaped. They are club shaped. No penis looks like that."

- Trees_and_bees_plees

Giphy

Massagers

"Massager."

"My wife has a Magic Wand that we legit use for massages and nothing else but feel like we need to hide it from plain sight."

- adiosmith3

"Damn it, some of us really do need a phallic-shaped shoulder massager!"

- JonGilbony

Giphy

Cucumber

"Cucumber"

- koala60

"I always feel awkward buying cucumbers as a woman."

"I know I’m just making salad, and I know other people aren’t looking at my produce purchases assuming their naughty by nature, but still… they’re so phallic."

- freya_of_milfgaard

"Just put them next to other stuff in your cart so it's not so obvious, like two plums."

- hobokenbob

"Let’s see… one cucumber, two plums, a jar of coconut oil, some candles, a Barry White cd… just the usual stuff."

- freya_of_milfgaard

Lotion

"Lotion"

- Emile_The_Great

"Lotion/tissue combo. I have dry skin and allergies, man!"

- TheHadokenite

"I go through lotion and tissues at an incredible rate. Never once used the combo for that."

- horselips48

AskReddit

"Probably the subReddit AskReddit."

- MicronQ

“People of Reddit, Sexy sex sexy sex sexual sexy sex sex?"

- EPIC_PORN_ALT

"Women of Reddit, what is the most sex you ever sexed?"

- hattorihanzo5

"Redditor for 1 year. This is the real deal."

- LIEUTENANT__CRUNCH

Giphy

Riding Crops

"Riding crops."

"I have one I bought when I rode horses for years, still have it and everyone assumes it's a sex thing."

- chut2906

"Riding crops, leather care products, and a large assortment of ropes tend to earn some pretty dirty looks."

- RoryFoxey

Giphy

Banana

"Banana"

- Keke_Dudu

"Just let me eat my banana without making me feel weird."

- cameronedwards69

"I used to eat my banana like corn on the cob just in case."

- GodOfMoominism

"Strangers still looked at you funny, just for a different reason altogether."

- MusikPolice

"I blame all those condom PSAs. Why did they always have to use a banana?"

- LakotaGrl

Giphy

Handcuffs

"It used to be that a handcuff collection meant that you were a nerd into magic..."

- s4b3r6

Giphy

Twins

"Female twins."

"Ugh. I hated the questions growing up and through high school."

"No, we do not get 'freaky', she is my sister."

- kdawg2894

"I had a grown man ask me in all seriousness If my twin and I swap boyfriends because ‘we’re the same person’ so apparently our boyfriends won’t know the difference."

"I had to tell him that not only will they know the difference but I am not attracted to her boyfriend, nor her to mine… he did not believe me."

- SiennaStyles

"Also assumes your boyfriends only know or like you for your appearance and that you’re not actually two separate people."

- QSB59

"Yeah, it seems like a wild concept to people who haven't spent any time around identical twins before, but they're actually very different people, and it's very easy to tell them apart when you know them."

"I knew a few sets of twins growing up, and never had any issue identifying any of them."

- JerHat

Giphy

The Female Body

"Shoulders."

"All schools disliked that."

- HeyyIhateMyself45

"Don’t even get me started on the clavicle."

- jeswesky

"and knees"

- foreverritzel

"Dem ankles tho."

- hollow1367

"For real."

"I understand some women may not feel comfortable showing their shoulders and that's fine, but they shouldn't feel like they have to cover them up because of men's thoughts."

"It's so pathetic to blame men's thoughts and behavior on the way women dress."

- kb4000

"Girls can't show any joint in your body unless it's knuckles because 'it's distracting' but God forbid anyone has to wear a mask during a global pandemic."

- BirdsLikeSka

Giphy

The United States isn't alone in hypersexualizing things unrelated to sex.

But many studies point to the country's puritanical approach to the topic of sex and sexuality as well as the human body as a reason why the USA seems to be leading the way in many respects.

It's just sex. It's just biology and anatomy.

Loosen up, people.

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Hillary Clinton; Donald Trump
Dominik Bindl/Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Hillary Clinton Uses Trump Catchphrase To Troll Him After He Criticizes Her Home Decor

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had a quick response after President Donald Trump lashed out at her and claimed he "doesn't like" her home when a reporter informed him that she had criticized his taste in gold White House decor.

Trump has given significant attention to White House renovations and other pet projects around Washington, D.C., during his second term in office. Trump's White House renovations have already cost nearly $1 billion, according to one analysis.

Keep ReadingShow less
Randy Quaid
Erika Goldring/Getty Images

MAGA Actor Randy Quaid Hit With His Own Past Tweet After Claiming Texas Election Was 'Rigged'

Social media users were quick to shut down conservative actor Randy Quaid after he spoke out against the Texas midterm election results, insisting Democrats had "100% rigged" the election.

Texas Democrats swept every statewide race, winning the governorship and a U.S. Senate seat for the first time in decades. The election between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton in the race for the U.S. Senate was over before Election Day even hit because Talarico received more early votes than Paxton received in total.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump
CBS

Trump Blasted For Completely Out-Of-Touch Response To His Net Worth Going Up By Billions During His 2nd Term

President Donald Trump was widely criticized for his tone-deaf response after he was questioned by 60 Minutes correspondent Ross Douthat about the billions of dollars reportedly added to his net worth during his second term.

A recent Forbes report noted that Trump's “net worth went up by $3 billion” since he returned to office in January 2025. The publication's estimate says Trump’s net worth exploded from $3.9 billion in 2024 to $7 billion in 2026.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Does About-Face To Push New Election Conspiracy Theory—And Here We Go Again

After previously appearing to accept the midterm election results, President Donald Trump did an about-face and declared in a post on Truth Social that they weren't "honest."

Last week, Democrats swept midterm election races to win back both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in a clear repudiation of the Trump administration. Trump had a noticeably muted reaction to the results but initially congratulated Democrats and pledged to work with them when new members of Congress are sworn in.

Keep ReadingShow less
Viral Video Of Jack Black And Celine Dion Rocking Out At Metallica Concert In Las Vegas Has Fans Going Wild
Gabe Ginsberg/WireImage; Marc Piasecki/GC Images

Viral Video Of Jack Black And Celine Dion Rocking Out At Metallica Concert In Las Vegas Has Fans Going Wild

Celine Dion and Jack Black rocking out together at a Metallica concert? Now that's a pairing nobody saw coming.

The two stars were spotted letting loose during Metallica's Life Burns Faster residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas last Saturday, and the footage quickly made its way across social media. While Black's love for heavy metal is hardly a secret, Dion's enthusiasm might surprise fans more familiar with her powerhouse ballads.

Keep ReadingShow less