Happy Thursday! 

Halloween is tomorrow. If you don’t have your costume yet, revisit my round-up of trending costumes for inspo. Or, check out some of the celeb looks that have been shared so far (I contributed a few to this list, but Keke Palmer’s Honey recreation and Demi Lovato’s Poot are missing). I’m going as a pirate tomorrow. Easy peasy!

In today’s newsletter, a very bizarre anti-condom rant from an Alex Cooper associate, racism against a Love Island USA contestant, streamer Emiru speaks out against her ex-boyfriend and fellow creator Mizkif, and more. Subscribe to the Yapper tier for the full newsletter.

If you’re in New York City, don’t forget to vote on Nov. 4! I will be voting for Zohran Mamdani for a more affordable and accessible city. Early voting is open now until Sunday, Nov. 2.

This take feels like another product of our conservative culture. Influencer and Extra Dirty podcast host Hallie Batchelder received backlash this week for some genuinely wild comments about condoms. 

“I'm like, re-entered a hoe era,” she said on her podcast on Oct. 23. “The last two guys I've fucked like in the past month have suggested using condoms and I'm like kind of being offended by the condom epidemic.”

She went on to say that 1) it “kills” the mood; 2) she can’t get pregnant because she has an IUD; and 3) she feels like the guy is “calling me a whore” for wanting to be protected against an STI. 

I am not surprised that there are people who think like this, given the state of sex education in this country. However, I am a little surprised that she said this with her whole chest on her podcast and doubled down on it in a TikTok, saying condoms “ruin the vibe.” It is such a laughably flippant take on something that is actually very serious in this political climate. In an age when Roe v. Wade has been overturned and millions of women have lost access to reproductive healthcare, this is a dangerous thing to promote to your audience of young women. I don’t really care how messy or carefree your brand is. It’s shitty to spread misinformation about condoms! 

While IUDs are extremely effective birth control devices — I have one and am grateful for it! — that doesn’t mean a person can’t get pregnant while using them. It’s a very small percentage, but it is possible — even if, as Batchelder claims, you have a “stronger IUD than like Zeus.” Plus, it doesn’t do anything to protect you from STIs, which affect about 1 in 5 Americans, according to the CDC. Calling someone — even your hypothetical self — a whore for possibly having an STI further stigmatizes these infections and discourages people from getting checked out. 

Extra Dirty is part of the Unwell Network, the podcast company owned by Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper. Cooper has talked about how she wants to empower and “make women feel liberated” through Unwell. The message that Batchelder put out feels counterproductive to that goal. Many people on TikTok have weighed in this week and shared this same sentiment, garnering millions of views. They also remarked on how concerning it is to have anti-condom and anti-birth control content amid attacks on reproductive rights in this country.

Everyone has their own preferences in the bedroom — and I think it’s fine to talk about that. The types of contraceptives people use are between them and their partners. However, people who have unprotected sex should know and understand the risks before proceeding. I don’t think it’s responsible for someone with a platform to say the things Batchelder said and not mention any other measures she takes to ensure she is healthy. Regular testing should be a part of your routine if you engage in frequent unprotected sex with multiple new partners. Be safe everyone and reject whatever the hell this is!