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Modern WisdomWhy Sydney Sweeney Has Two Big Targets On Her Chest - William Costello
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CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 3:42
Sydney Sweeney’s sports-betting ad and the “set women’s sports back” backlash
Chris Williamson and William Costello watch and react to Sydney Sweeney’s Novig sports-betting ad, then unpack the claim that it “set women’s sports back.” They argue the accusation implies a surprisingly low view of women’s sports’ legitimacy and resilience.
- •Chris describes the ad and the online reaction as predictable rather than surprising
- •William says the ad is aimed at young men and follows the marketing maxim that sex sells
- •William criticizes the “set female sport back 40 years” line as sexist and absurd
- •Chris suggests it’s implausible that women’s sports popularity is so fragile it can be undone by a cleavage-focused ad
- •They note other controversies (like trans athletes in women’s sport) that critics were allegedly quieter about
- 3:42 – 6:23
Hypocrisy claims: empowerment, sex positivity, and selective puritanism
Chris argues the outrage conflicts with common sex-positive, empowerment rhetoric—especially from commentators who support sex work or explicit pop culture. William frames much of the criticism as sudden sex negativity that depends on who is doing the sexualizing.
- •Chris contrasts the backlash with “my body, my choice” and pro-empowerment narratives
- •Chris notes Sydney Sweeney is an owner in the company, not just a paid ambassador
- •William argues the same self-sexualization can be praised or condemned based on in-group/tribal coding
- •They describe the criticism as unexpectedly puritanical and “put your clothes back on” in tone
- •Chris suggests critics treat the ad like a statement about women’s sports rather than about gambling
- 6:23 – 12:31
Double standards in sexualization and the “male gaze” reality in women’s sports
They compare the outrage to other examples of sexualization in sport and media, including instances where men are ogled publicly. Chris challenges the idea that women’s sports can or should “escape the male gaze,” arguing male viewers are a major audience.
- •William cites viral examples of women openly sexualizing male athletes (including a shirtless tennis moment)
- •Chris questions why similar sexualized sports imagery (e.g., repeated nude athlete features) isn’t treated as regressive
- •Chris argues men are the biggest consumers of women’s sports, complicating claims about eliminating the male gaze
- •William offers a steelman: athletes self-sexualizing might be different from a non-athlete doing it around sports
- •They return to the difficulty of proving the ad meaningfully damages women athletes’ reputations
- 12:31 – 13:05
From culture war to evo-psych: why women direct ire at Sydney Sweeney
Chris asks for an evolutionary-psychology explanation for why Sydney Sweeney attracts especially intense hostility from women. William outlines three concepts he thinks explain the reaction: intrasexual competition, sexual economics theory, and female coalitional psychology.
- •Chris frames the episode as another recurring “furor” where evo-psych may explain behavior
- •William introduces the three core concepts guiding his interpretation
- •William says women’s jealousy targets rivals embodying men’s preferences (youth and beauty)
- •Chris presses the question of why Sydney Sweeney specifically, given many attractive women exist
- •They set up the idea that norm violations in female group dynamics can trigger coordinated condemnation
- 13:05 – 18:47
Intrasexual competition and indirect aggression: how women punish “for the boys” signaling
William argues Sydney Sweeney is perceived as threatening because she openly signals she is appealing to men without reassuring women she’s “not a threat.” He describes indirect competition tactics—like feigned concern and reputation attacks—as safer ways women historically competed.
- •William says Sydney Sweeney explicitly frames content as “for the boys,” which cues threat to other women
- •William explains why women’s competition tends to be covert: making enemies historically carried higher costs
- •They discuss derogation strategies aimed at a woman’s perceived mate value—especially loyalty and sexual morality
- •William notes common accusations like “she’d steal your boyfriend” as a way to warn others and punish norm violation
- •Chris contrasts male insult styles (status/formidability) with female insults (looks and sexual morality)
- 18:47 – 22:50
Sexual economics theory: ‘price enforcement’ and the parallel to simp-shaming
William and Chris describe sexual economics theory as a group-level policing of the ‘cost’ of sexual access. Chris links this to slut-shaming as a price enforcement mechanism and draws an analogy to men’s simp-shaming around giving commitment without sex.
- •William frames sex/sexual access as a resource with varying “costs,” from commitment to casual sex
- •William says women may feel pressure to match lower ‘prices’ if others cater heavily to male desires
- •Chris explains slut-shaming as discouraging undercutting in the mating ‘marketplace’
- •Chris proposes simp-shaming as the male mirror: discouraging men from giving resources/commitment too freely
- •William adds sex-ratio research: scarcity shifts bargaining power and mating strategies toward commitment or promiscuity
- 22:50 – 23:27
Female coalitional psychology: leveling, humility norms, and norm-enforced self-disclosure
William argues women’s group dynamics favor egalitarian “leveling,” downplaying personal superiority, and punishing norm violators. He and Chris discuss how women often use humility, mutual self-criticism, and vulnerability signaling to maintain cohesion—contrasting Sydney Sweeney with celebrities who emphasize being a “girl’s girl.”
- •William describes a preference for shared prizes and discomfort with overt credit-taking
- •He says women often downplay achievements to avoid seeming threatening within the group
- •They discuss compliment-and-deny rituals and humility as signals of ‘I’m not a threat’
- •William describes “mutual self-castigation” and how refusing to self-disclose can lead to shunning
- •They contrast Sydney Sweeney with Sabrina Carpenter, who is described as signaling more strongly to women as a group
- 23:27 – 34:32
‘For the girls’ vs ‘for the boys’: tribal cues, empathy signaling, and policing sexuality
They read and react to online comparisons between Sydney Sweeney and Sabrina Carpenter, focusing on claims that one caters to men and the other to women. Chris then reads a long tweet arguing the backlash resembles a decentralized committee policing a woman’s sexuality—ironically recreating the control feminism critiques.
- •They discuss tweets claiming Sabrina’s sexualization is self-affirming while Sydney’s is for male validation
- •Chris rejects the claim that Sydney’s gambling ad denigrates female athletes
- •William says women must often signal empathy and allegiance to women’s collective concerns to avoid sanction
- •William suggests Sydney’s lack of public alignment with popular causes can worsen perceptions among women
- •Chris reads a critique that feminists treat her body as a collective political resource rather than individual agency
- 34:32 – 36:46
Would a man get the same backlash? Threat, fear, and different envy dynamics
Chris asks how reactions differ when men are sexualized in advertising, citing iconic examples. William argues sexualization is less threatening to men and can be seen as aspirational, while women may experience it as more frightening due to higher sexual-violence risk and different envy responses.
- •Chris lists examples of male sexualized ads and asks why they aren’t treated as similarly harmful
- •William says men typically don’t mind sexualization as much because it feels less scary
- •William links women’s stronger negative reaction to higher risk of sexual victimization
- •William argues men may find envy motivating (‘get in the gym’), while women may internalize it as put-down
- •They pivot toward how women judge ‘guy’s girls’ and what that implies about trust and threat
- 36:46 – 39:30
Distrusting the ‘guy’s girl’: cross-sex friendship, mate-poaching fears, and strategy differences
William cites research suggesting women mistrust women labeled as having mostly male friends, questioning their motives. They connect this to cross-sex friendship dynamics, mate poaching tactics, and perceptions that a “guy’s girl” may prioritize men’s goals or short-term mating.
- •William references research from Sarah Hill’s lab led by Hannah Bradshaw on mistrust of ‘guy’s girls’
- •They discuss how cross-sex friendships can activate mating psychology and create perceived risk
- •William notes mate-poaching tactics can involve infiltrating via friendship
- •Chris emphasizes proximity and access as enough to trigger threat perceptions in relationships
- •They describe the ‘not like other girls / less drama’ stance as a potentially competitive strategy that can appeal to some men
- 39:30 – 41:24
Victim narratives and Sydney Sweeney’s ‘brazen ownership’ of sexuality
Chris asks whether Sydney Sweeney’s lack of a victim narrative contributes to backlash. William suggests group signaling often involves shared vulnerability, and they discuss how interviews about her body (including not getting a reduction) can communicate pride in traits that others perceive as highly male-attention-relevant.
- •William suggests shared vulnerability can serve as a coalition signal among women
- •Chris imagines a different PR arc: body insecurity → emancipation → empowerment framing
- •William says Sydney sometimes claims discomfort with sexualization but often signals the opposite publicly
- •They argue messaging like gratitude for not reducing breast size sends a strong cue about monetizing sexuality
- •They frame this as intensifying perceived threat and norm violation within female coalitional dynamics
- 41:24 – 45:55
What men prefer: boobs, firmness vs size, and why big breasts trigger stronger derogation
They shift into a discussion of research William cites on breast preferences, emphasizing firmness/ptosis over size as a more consistent cue linked to youth and reproductive value. William adds that short-term mating-oriented men prioritize larger breasts and that women may derogate big-breasted women due to assumed sexual strategy signaling.
- •William says evidence on ‘ideal size’ is mixed, with shape/firmness (ptosis) more consistent
- •He links male beauty preferences to reproductive value and age-related bodily changes
- •William says short-term mating-oriented men prioritize big breasts more strongly
- •William claims women derogate big-breasted women more, associating them with short-term mating cues
- •Chris adds a separate study he saw about preference clusters (both vs ass-only) and reflects on visibility and salience
- 45:55 – 47:40
Sydney Sweeney vs Lindsay Clancy: in-group sympathy, threat, and tribal bias
Chris asks why some women showed sympathy for Lindsay Clancy but direct hostility at Sydney Sweeney. William argues group bias and perceived threat can shape empathy, using the example of juries and in-group dynamics to illustrate how victim sympathy is not evenly distributed.
- •William describes the contrast as bleak: what draws applause vs condemnation
- •Chris asks whether appearance and perceived threat would change who women rally around
- •William argues juries and groups can be strongly in-group biased in sympathy judgments
- •William uses the O.J. Simpson trial as an example of perceived mating/tribal dynamics affecting sympathy
- •They return to the idea that supporting certain narratives can feel more aligned with group self-interest than celebrating male-gaze signaling
- 47:40 – 55:30
Resentment of natural beauty: ‘unearned traits,’ usefulness, and why men react differently
Chris explores whether ‘unearned traits’—like natural, effortless beauty—provoke stronger resentment than visibly earned physiques. William adds that high-mate-value men can also be valuable allies to other men (e.g., formidability), whereas a highly attractive woman can be seen as pure competition for mates.
- •Chris suggests men’s attractive traits are perceived as more attainable through effort, unlike some female traits
- •They discuss ‘effortlessness’ as a cue that can feel like rubbing unfair genetic advantage in others’ faces
- •William says men’s formidability can translate into coalitional value, making them ‘useful’ to other men
- •They discuss age-related derogation shifts: younger women may attack promiscuity, older women may attack competence (‘bimbo’)
- •Chris argues men can often raise attractiveness with gym discipline, while women face a tighter time clock for youth-based beauty
- 55:30 – 1:03:00
The bigger story: gambling’s harms to young men and why outrage targets the wrong victim
They argue the central issue should be the promotion of sports gambling and its potential harms, especially to young men. Chris criticizes political and media inconsistency, and William cites research he says shows increased financial distress after online gambling legalization and links to mental health outcomes.
- •Chris expresses disbelief at conservative figures partnering with prediction-market gambling
- •William calls gambling corrosive for young men and society and cites research isolating effects after legalization
- •William shares statistics he heard about suicidality and suicide attempts among young men with gambling problems
- •They propose an alternative critique angle: the ad is predatory toward vulnerable men rather than ‘harmful to women’s sport’
- •They argue media and public attention prioritizes perceived harms to women over harms to men in this case
- 1:03:00 – 1:07:36
Distraction theory and whether calling out hypocrisy changes minds
Chris floats a conspiracy-style idea that Sydney Sweeney news cycles distract from other headlines, and William jokes about ‘burying bad news.’ They then discuss whether pointing out hypocrisy persuades people or simply triggers tribal defensiveness, ending with a brief plug for William’s work.
- •Chris suggests Sydney Sweeney controversies can dominate attention when other major news breaks
- •William jokes about crisis management using her as a distraction tactic
- •Chris asks whether hypocrisy identification is persuasive or just internet ‘catnip’
- •William says hypocrisy arguments work on him but may activate tribal psychology in others
- •They conclude with William directing listeners to find him on X and wrap up the episode
