Style-ish Podcast: "Is Sexy Back?"

Host: Shameless Media
Episode Date: September 18, 2025
Hosts: Madison Sullivan Thorpe (Mads) & Rhiannon Joyce (Ray)

Episode Overview

In this insightful and lively episode, Mads and Ray dive deep into the resurgence of "sexy" within fashion, pop culture, and advertising. Using everything from the latest VMAs to throwbacks like Victoria's Secret and Sex and the City, they explore how "sexy" is being redefined in 2025, moving away from male-focused objectification to a more empowering, authentic, and diverse celebration of sexuality and self-expression. The co-hosts balance nostalgia and critique, peppering in industry history, personal opinions, and analysis of recent campaigns—making this a must-listen for anyone curious about how brand and cultural trends intersect.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Word of the Week: "Unfortunately, I Do Love" (TikTok Trend)

• [02:00] Mads: Breaks down the viral TikTok trend where women unapologetically admit to loving things that aren't socially glamorized (e.g., coffee on an empty stomach, going out till 3 am). This trend pushes back against the perfectionism of social media self-improvement content.
  • “It's the antidote to this perfect picture people are curating on social media.” – Ray [03:13]
• Authenticity matters: Both hosts agree that the best posts feel personal, not AI-generated or generic.

2. Is Sexy Back? Pop Culture Signals

• Increased chatter about recent pop performances, such as Sabrina Carpenter’s VMA act nodding to Britney Spears, Tate McRae, and Dua Lipa, signal a resurgence of overt "sexy".
• [05:35] Ray: "I'm loving it because it feels like these young women are really embracing their sexuality. They're not shying away from owning the fact that they are sexy."
• "Naked dress" moments—e.g., Margot Robbie and Dakota Johnson—reflect this shift in both red carpet and street style.

3. Sex Sells: A Historical Lens

• [07:53] Ray: Traces the phrase "sex sells" back to 1871 Pearl Tobacco, with the marketing of cigarettes using naked women. In the late 20th century, advertising's use of sexual imagery peaked: “These campaigns were all driven by sex and... by the male gaze and the focus was on objectifying women.”
• Brands like Victoria’s Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, Tom Ford, and Playboy were called out for using women as entertainment and products, primarily for men.

4. Power Shift: The Female Gaze & Cultural Change

• Pop Culture Check: Early 2000s television (e.g., Sex and the City) and advertising began questioning the serving of the male gaze. [12:25] Ray: “It was like, hey, wait a minute, this is actually what I want to see. Women being represented in a way where it's sex positive.”
• Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign marked a shift—beginning to market to women, showing diverse bodies, and sparking critical conversation.
  • “Both [Sex and the City and Dove] coming at it in very different veins, but the end result ultimately being very similar and pushing the narrative forward.” – Ray [15:07]

5. 2025 Pop Star Era: Reclaiming Sexy

• [17:18] Mads: Highlights how today’s pop stars (Sabrina Carpenter, Dua Lipa, Tate McRae, Taylor Swift [“sexiest era”], Troye Sivan, Charli XCX) own their sexuality onstage and in public discourse, making "sexy" feel self-owned and inclusive, not prescribed.
• Troye Sivan’s concerts: “That concert was sexy as fuck... it was such an exciting moment for the queer community that they could feel represented.” – Ray [18:45-19:14]
• New trends ("unfortunately I love") and sexy pop performances serve as "antidote" to traditional, restrictive expectations.

6. Brand Campaign Deep-Dive: Carl’s Jr. (2025)

• Classic: Carl's Jr. was infamous for male-gaze ads (e.g., 2005 Paris Hilton Super Bowl ad).
• 2025 Shift: No Super Bowl spot, instead social campaign featuring Alex Earle, who’s known for her party-girl, hungover content.
  • “The spot cheekily did make a nod back to the provocative ads of the 2000s... but one thing I really want to home in on is... the tone shift was not very negative. It was actually quite complimentary…” – Ray [24:14]
• Positive reception: 91% IG follower increase; successful in targeting Gen Z/millennial audience; lauded for moving away from objectification and instead presenting a more contextual, relatable "sexy".

7. Brand Campaign Deep-Dive: Victoria’s Secret & Savage x Fenty

• Victoria’s Secret: Used to be the epitome of sex-sells spectacle, but became viewed as exclusionary and out-of-touch.
  • “Whether you loved it or loathed it, Victoria's Secret sold more than lingerie. They sold fantasy both to women and to men.” – Mads [29:24]
• Critical turning point: Dove’s campaigns and cultural pushback led to VS's decline.
• Fenty by Rihanna: Delivered inclusivity, diversity, and authenticity, retaining "sexy" but broadening its definition: “What Rihanna saw was, how do we have the same sexiness... and show all the ways that a woman and the female form can be sexy while keeping the essence of what made Victoria’s Secret sexy as a brand and a spectacular performance.” – Mads [33:54]
• VS’s 2025 revival: Co-hosts are skeptical. Ray: “It's going to take more than, as you said, a few models to really see a shift in sentiment, but also, for me, a shift in trust.” [36:21]

8. Wrap Up: Is Sexy Back?

• [37:00] Mads: “I think sexy never left. I think we're just seeing more of it. I think sexy is being redefined at the moment, and that's what's exploding. Sexy is no longer about selling to men. It is saying, I own my space and here I am.”
• [38:02] Ray: “From a brand perspective, sexy works when it's empowering. It's aligned with the culture. And for me, it's culturally aware as well.”
• Both hosts emphasize authenticity, cultural awareness, and the importance of women controlling the narrative—in the boardroom and beyond.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “When I've seen creators and it feels very specific and niche, I'm like, nod to that. Absolutely obsessed.” – Ray [03:45]
• “It just felt like... sex was really prevalent and it was absolutely by design to serve men. And the male gaze, it was rampant.” – Ray [10:57]
• “Britney's 2001 slave for you routine... the Britney and Madonna kiss... this is very much a moment in time. And I kind of timestamp that there where it feels like it was for men and for the male gaze and then there's... Sex and the City, which felt like it was sex, was selling for women by women.” – Mads [11:20]
• About Troye Sivan’s show: “It was theatrical masterpiece, sexy and sweaty and spectacular... uniquely confident and seductive and wistful and poetic.” – Ray quoting TimeOut’s Winnie Stubbs [19:14]
• “I think at the moment that it's women in both instances [‘behind and in front of the curtain’]. Otherwise, it does feel disingenuous or it does feel exploitive. I think we're really educated now. We see it straight away.” – Mads [38:43]
• “Attention is the ultimate currency... my only concern is that the pressures that Taylor Swift spoke about... women need to reinvent themselves... I never want sexy as an empowering tool to be the expectation... unless that is what you want to be.” – Mads [39:18]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:00] – "Unfortunately I Do Love" TikTok trend
• [04:57] – Is sexy back? Pop star examples from the VMAs
• [07:43] – History of "Sex Sells" in marketing
• [09:04] – Objectification in advertising’s heyday
• [12:25] – Sex and the City’s cultural impact
• [13:33] – Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign & broader shifts
• [17:18] – The return of the sexy pop star: Sabrina, Dua, Troye, Taylor Swift
• [21:55] – Brand case study: Carl's Jr.'s modern repositioning
• [28:34] – Brand case study: Victoria's Secret nostalgia, evolution, and competition with Fenty
• [34:08] – Victorian Secret’s attempt to return and the challenge of regaining trust
• [37:00] – Final thoughts: Is sexy back?

Final Thoughts

The hosts conclude that "sexy" is, indeed, back—but not as we once knew it. It is now a tool for self-expression, authenticity, and empowerment rather than a vehicle for male-driven sales. Brands that wish to tap into this trend must reflect the real diversity of their audience, ensure women have a say at every level, and understand that today, "sexy" means so much more than it did in the early 2000s. The future is about being real, being inclusive, and letting people define sexy on their own terms.

Contact the podcast at style-ish@shamelessmedia.com or on Instagram @StylishPodcast.