Boogaloo 💋

Lily Phillips made the choice to sleep with 100 men on camera. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t also being exploited by those around her, nor does it make her undeserving of the intervention she so clearly needs. However, it is a damning indictment of our society that we see a young woman engaging in dangerous behaviour and struggling mentally while putting herself in these harmful situations — and we merely scoff and declare that she deserves it. And even Phillips herself doesn’t understand the risks of her risky behaviour. In an interview before the stunt, she appeared shocked when quizzed about the risk of sexually transmitted infections and was unaware that HIV was passed on through bodily fluids. Meanwhile, it appears from the interview and her naivety that she was unsure as to whether the production team behind her viral stunt had conducted medical screening on her male costars. It seems that she is neither mature nor educated enough to be able to grasp the gravity of her actions, and is merely the face of a far larger machine. Yet, she is the only one facing public backlash. Yes, Phillips “chose” to do this. But a 23 year old woman did not orchestrate this operation alone, and there are puppeteers behind her pulling the strings and cashing in on her naivety and vulnerability. Her mother is her financial manager and her PA pushed her to go ahead with the stunt and kept encouraging her when she expressed doubt and fear. Her father’s friends — men who watched her grow up — even subscribe to her OF. Furthermore, she admitted that she could only remember 5 or 6 of the men and had disassociated during filming, and so could not remember the ordeal and wouldn’t be able to verify it if it weren’t for the footage.  Indeed, Phillips’ broke down in tears afterwards as she recounted the day for a documentary crew, demeaning herself and admitting how hard it was to follow through with the act. These are all clear indicators of a girl who is not okay, and who is being severely traumatised by the things she is doing — in part because of the agents around her who are pushing her down a path of self-destruction so they can line their pockets. She may have consented, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t still being exploited and used.  Indeed, risky sexual behaviour is a well-documented form of self-harm. Most common in women and gay men, this behaviour is characterised by “willing” participation in dangerous or reckless acts, usually as a coping mechanism for underlying trauma or mental health problems. After all, if you spend your whole life being used or exploited by others around you — or grow up in a society which normalises sex as a legitimate “career path” — it’s understandable that one might develop an unhealthy relationship with sex and promiscuos behaviour. I know how that feels, because I’ve been there.  I was sexually abused for a decade by multiple men and know what it’s like to be taught that your only value is being used sexually. Many victims of rape or child sexual abuse fall into self-destructive patterns, or feel that their value depends on their ability to provide sexual gratification for others. I’ve been that girl, and I can see the warning signs in others. Phillips is surrounded by people who are profiting from her selling her body. They encourage her, they enable her, they convince her when she isn’t sure she can stomach the degradation and brutality of her “career”. Yet, because we see a pretty young girl cashing out a large paycheck for her online exploits, she suddenly becomes unworthy of the sympathy and support given to other victims.