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Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Harry Styles was 'very behind' his lifestyle brand Pleasing expanding to include X-rated products, says Zoë Ligon who designed sex toys with the singer
Harry Styles sent fans into a frenzy this week after dropping his own range of vibrating sex toys and lubricants in a shock career move. And according to sex educator and author Zoe Ligon, who helped create the product line, the singer was 'very behind' his lifestyle brand Pleasing expanding into the world of sexual wellness. She told The Times: 'I know that he was very behind the project. He does very explicitly talk about sex in this music and I like the way that this person is wearing what they want to wear, looking fabulous. I think he has such a positive presence as a celebrity.' Speaking about her role and how it came about, she continued: 'I kind of worked on the guts. This motor feels good, it needs more battery power, user-testing it. 'A mutual friend put me in touch with the team and, honestly, so much of the early conversations were broad conversations about sex and how to approach the category. It took us a little while to decide exactly what we wanted to do. 'I would nudge and guide and suggest things but ultimately I said, "This is whatever you want it to be" - the design was their idea. I would get the first sample, try it out, say, "This needs to be tweaked, that needs to be tweaked."' According to sex educator and author Zoe Ligon (pictured), who helped create the product line, the singer was 'very behind' his lifestyle brand Pleasing expanding into the world of sexual wellness Harry launched his brand Pleasing in 2021 with a line of vegan-friendly nail polishes and lip and eye serums. And now the popstar's unisex lifestyle brand has dropped two sexual wellness products. The products include The Pleasing Double-Sided Vibrator (£51) and The Pleasing Lube (£19). These new offerings are being paired with a pop-up experience. 'Come explore our three-day pop-up in New York City where your journey begins with a moment to yourself before discovering the new collection, alongside Pleasing bestsellers and a few special surprises,' the Pleasing site reads. 'No small talk here, Pleasing Yourself favors presence over performance.' The new drop was promoted in a series of three ads: two posted yesterday before it was confirmed that he was dropping sex toys, and then one on the day of the drop. But fans were speculating from the first ad that Harry was thinking of releasing a sexual wellness line. x The first video shows a glass of milk being slammed down onto a table, and someone using Morse code to send a message (no one has been able to decipher it yet, with some fans even saying it's a gibberish message). Harry reposted this video onto his stories, his first upload in quite some time. The next ad shows a series of phones ringing and vibrating, and Harry's hands finally reach out to pick up a phone. In the newest ad, Harry writes down 'Please yourself like you mean it' on a diner-style check and then reads the same line aloud. And fans have been sent into a frenzy as a result - with many shocked that he has released an X-rated line before new music. Commenting on Pleasing's Instagram, fans said: 'Harry styles adult toys before HS4? Bros priorities,'; 'Button, milk, gasp. he'll drop sexual wellness products. 18+ only,'; 'We about to get adult toys before HS4,'; 'Is this something sex related? Like sex toys or lubricants related? lol sorry,'; 'Adult toys before hs4 is kinda crazy guys,'; The products include The Pleasing Double-Sided Vibrator (£51) and The Pleasing Lube (£19) 'Instead of being in the studio we get s3x toys from harry... okay?'; 'I smell harry flavored lubricants hahahaha,'; 'S3x toys?'; 'Harry showing up just to advertise the vibrator,'; 'Pleasing vibrators here we come.' Meanwhile taking to X, formerly Twitter, fans added: 'No it's just too funny for me to think that harry styles will release sex toys and lubricants on the brand he founded... like "oh what does pleasing sell?" "oh you see we have nail polish, perfumes, apparel, some face/lip products, vibrators and dildos oh and of course lube" 'Can't believe harry styles started in a boyband and ended up selling vibrators. proud of his growth in every sense,'; 'Never did I think we'd be getting a Harry styles vibrator but here we are,'; 'Harry styles is releasing a vibrator and you expect me to move on with my day?!' It comes after Harry partied into the early hours with pals at Glastonbury last month, where he was seen getting very close to 28-year-old producer Ella Kenny. Now, fans of the Watermelon Sugar hitmaker are convinced they have figured out exactly what Pleasing are launching - and it's raunchy Meanwhile taking to X, formerly Twitter, fans added: 'No it's just too funny for me to think that harry styles will release sex toys and lubricants' In a video obtained by The Sun, the pair could be seen sharing an intimate kiss on the dance floor, sending Harry's impassioned fans wild. Bournemouth University graduate Ella put on a leggy display in a pair of tiny black short and a simple white button-up shirt as she wrapped an arm around friends Nia Archives and Jessica Skeete-Cross. DJ and singer-songwriter Nia is a prominent star on the drum'n'bass scene, having been nominated for a Brit Award and Mercury Prize and opened for Beyoncé during her 2023 Renaissance tour. While Jessica is a stylist for ES Magazine, who has worked with big names like Maya Jama , Robert Pattison, Letitia Wright , Cara Delevingne and in an interesting twist - Harry's ex-girlfriend, Taylor Russell. Taylor and Harry dated for 14 months, reportedly striking up their romance in March 2023, before their split in May last year. During their relationship, the actress appeared on the cover of ES Magazine in November 2023, which Jessica styled and proudly shared to her Instagram. Ella is a producer who has worked at a studio in London for around three years, producing 'crossplatform content' for businesses such as record companies and fashion brands. She has worked alongside Nia, as well as produced music videos for artists such as Rachel Chinouriri, and Slow Thai, as well as Anne-Marie and Aitch's huge hit PSYCHO. She and Harry already knew each other prior to the festival, but it remains unknown if their passionate exchange was a one-off. Reportedly, the Watermelon Sugar star was in the VIP section with a group of pals when Ella arrived and kissed him on the cheek multiple times, before he led her to the dance floor where they shared their very public smooch. Speaking about the kiss to The Sun , a source said: 'Harry and Ella had fun together at Glastonbury and shared a kiss on the dancefloor. 'They had a good time in the moment but it doesn't mean it will evolve into anything. They just got on and had a snog. 'But she seems like a normal, down-to-earth girl which is different from some of the big stars he's dated before.'
Refinery29
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Refinery29
Why Harry Styles' Sex Toy Is 'A Big Leap Forward'
Harry Styles' decision to release a sex toy has been exciting in more ways than one. The mere idea that someone as talented and gorgeous as Styles would, in any way, intersect with our sex lives has immediately given rise to fantasies and internet commentary. 'If I buy the Pleasing vibrator, does Harry Styles teach me how to use it?' pondered one X user. "'Coming soon', hell yeah I am!!!' joked another. Upon their release, the vibrator reportedly sold out in only minutes. Of course, Styles and his team anticipated such a response. Styles' career has been flanked with parasocially adoring fans ever since his One Direction debut. As he's evolved, both in age and as an artist, he's embraced an androgynous sexual charisma in the vein of David Bowie or Prince, and his latest commercial venture riffs on this appeal. The Pleasing vibrator and lubricant was accompanied by marketing rife with innuendo and fantasy, from Morse code messaging (which Redditors have since declared to be nonsensical) to a Babygirl -endorsed glass of milk. However, Styles' vibrator has the potential to be more than clever branding and fodder for quippy Tweets (as much as those were appreciated). Styles has long been using his image to challenge gender norms. From embracing skirts on the red carpet to donning nail polish and launching his gender-neutral fashion and beauty label, Pleasing, in 2021, he's been feeling his way through an idea that masculinity doesn't have to look a certain way. Sitting under this very same label, the vibrator is an extension of Styles' gender philosophy. It's his latest way of critiquing — and broadening — 'masculine' ideals. To put it plainly, when Styles — a famous, cis-gendered man — endorses a vibrator, it serves to counter a still-prevalent narrative that toys are a sign of sexual failure for men. 'When we do surveys with straight men, they report fears of being seen as creepy or pathetic for using sex toys solo, and feeling threatened by sex toys in partnered sex because they 'should be able to give their partner multiple orgasms without help'," explains Lucy Wark, co-founder of sexual wellness and pleasure company, Normal. "Whereas, the conversation for most women and the queer community is about pleasure, self-care and empowerment to enjoy sex even more. "It's actually a big leap forward to see a male celebrity with Harry Styles' profile promoting a toy, because the conversation about cis men's pleasure is a couple of decades behind.' The hope of sex educators is that, when celebrities open the door to a discussion of sex in a safe, healthy and open-minded way, this will impact the conversation at large. As sex therapist and Lovehoney expert Christine Rafe explains, 'When celebrities speak openly about sex, it gives permission for others to do the same. It creates a ripple effect which makes conversations around desire, pleasure, and boundaries feel more mainstream and less taboo.' We only need to look back to 2008 to understand the effect of one celebrity on the realm of 'sexual wellness'. The term itself is said to have been propelled into the mainstream by Gwyneth Paltrow and her Goop empire. While we've come to understand the failings of some Goop products (like the Jade 'yoni' egg, which was widely discredited by gynaecologists, and also saw Goop cop a $154k fine for misleading claims), having an A-lister stand in the notion that your pleasure should be prioritised paved the way for proceeding years of abundance in sexual health conversation, and for other experts to rise. Since then, we've seen Emily Nagoski's 'Come As You Are' (first published in 2015) become one of the most influential books on female sexual pleasure, and Netflix's Sex Education (2019) thrust, well, sex education into the mainstream. While Harry Styles is far from the first celebrity to release a sex toy, he is one of the few cis celebrity men of his status to delve into this space. With the orgasm gap looming for heterosexual couples, it certainly can't hurt to have someone like Styles in the corner of external stimulation. (And, not for nothing, the Pleasing vibrator was created in collaboration with sex educator and 'Dildo Duchess', Zoë Lignon — so, it's not just for show.) At the very least, the experts all agree Styles is a welcome addition to the chat. 'Harry Styles has always embraced fluidity and self-expression,' Rafe summarises. 'So I hope his range reflects a similarly inclusive and modern view of pleasure, one that encourages people to explore what feels good without shame. Hopefully, people walk away feeling that pleasure is not just acceptable, but important — and that everyone deserves access to it, regardless of gender or experience.'
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
More woke madness as beloved ITV detective show has been slapped with trigger warning over ‘crime scenes'
Another episode has a warning over 'Satanic images' WOKE JOKE More woke madness as beloved ITV detective show has been slapped with trigger warning over 'crime scenes' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) INSPECTOR Morse has been hit with his most baffling case yet — woke trigger warnings for the show's 'crime scenes'. ITV bosses fear viewers may get offended or upset while the mild-mannered Oxford detective solves his mystery of the week. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 1 Inspector Morse has been hit with a woke trigger warnings for the show's 'crime scenes' Credit: Alamy Streaming service ITVX even warns of 'Satanic images' in one episode of the crime drama, which ran from 1987 to 2000. Viewers must click past a parental control screen to watch series seven's 'Day of the Devil'. The episode sees Morse — played by John Thaw — and sidekick Det Sgt Robbie Lewis, (Kevin Whately) hunt down a rapist in a devil-worshipping cult after a jailbreak. One scene shows a Satanist being burned to death during a black mass. Many other episodes also have crime and violence warnings. Senior Tory MP Sir Alec Shelbrooke blasted: 'This is another example of soft-touch Britain seeping into everything. 'We're just going to be laughed at as a country if things like this continue, because nobody's prepared for the real world where there are no trigger warnings.' ITVX was contacted for comment on the Morse warnings. It previously said about general alerts: 'Programming that contains politically sensitive or distressing themes, content, or language has carried appropriate warnings since our launch.' Terry and June to get woke warning - 80s comedy show Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
More woke madness as beloved ITV detective show has been slapped with trigger warning over ‘crime scenes'
INSPECTOR Morse has been hit with his most baffling case yet — woke trigger warnings for the show's 'crime scenes'. ITV bosses fear viewers may get offended or upset while the mild-mannered Oxford detective solves his mystery of the week. Advertisement 1 Inspector Morse has been hit with a woke trigger warnings for the show's 'crime scenes' Credit: Alamy Streaming service ITVX even warns of 'Satanic images' in one episode of the crime drama, which ran from 1987 to 2000. Viewers must click past a parental control screen to watch series seven's 'Day of the Devil'. The episode sees Morse — played by One scene shows a Satanist being burned to death during a black mass. Advertisement read more on itv Many other episodes also have crime and violence warnings. Senior Tory MP Sir Alec Shelbrooke blasted: 'This is another example of soft-touch Britain seeping into everything. 'We're just going to be laughed at as a country if things like this continue, because nobody's prepared for the real world where there are no ITVX was contacted for comment on the Morse warnings. Advertisement Most read in News TV It previously said about Terry and June to get woke warning - 80s comedy show Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Six artists explore personal narratives beyond politics at Atelier Hermes in Seoul
The exhibition 'The Second Life' runs through Oct. 5 In the group exhibition, 'The Second Life,' Atelier Hermes in Seoul has gathered six artists who explore how individual lives are shaped beyond social and political discourse, drawing on personal stories. Curator Ahn So-yeon said Thursday that the participating artists — Bek Hyun-jin, Lee Yona, Han & Mona, Kim Bo-kyung and Park Min-ha — each took a "slice of life" approach to create new work for the exhibition. 'These days, an overwhelming number of exhibitions are being produced around socio-political issues such as the environment and climate crisis," Ahn said. "Rather than focusing on socially or politically 'correct' themes or collective ideas, the exhibition aims to explore how deeply personal issues can expand and evolve within those contexts." Han & Mona, a duo based in Seoul and Edinburgh, presents "Listen, I Know," inspired during the COVID-19 pandemic. The digital installation flashes of Morse code to express the situations of conflict and negotiation they encounter in cross-cultural engagement. 'During the pandemic, I was stuck indoors and when I looked outside there was a light blinking as though it was crying out to me,' the duo's Yoo Mona said of her inspiration for the piece. 'You might feel the blinking of Morse code is a bit slow, which was intentional as we wanted to reflect elements from our own way of communication in the work like the tone and glances when we talk,' Yoo said. "As we have different cultural backgrounds and grew up speaking different languages, small cracks or misunderstanding emerge time to time. That is, however, how our communication expands." Her partner Ma Hanqing is from the Hui community, composed of Chinese-speaking adherents of Islam. Most of them reside in northern China, while some of them live in metropolitan cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, Ma said. Kim, a Berlin based artist who uses knitting, paper weaving and drawing, confessed she almost abandoned her career as an artist, but was able to continue when she came up with her acanthus leaf motif, drawing inspiration from the plant's tenacious hold on life. Park shows the media installation 'Ghost Anatomy,' where she incorporates a virtual character, Noa, created with AI, into her daily life. The piece looks at the way the character explores its own subconscious. Bek, who is a singer, composer, actor and director as well as an artist, presents 21 drawings and five paintings on "hanji," Korean traditional mulberry paper, that depict moments of his current life, now marked by shoulder pain — becoming middle-aged, according to the artist — and a changed rhythm as a result. The artist said his new paintings were changed in style after he was fascinated by the ink painting "Sehando (Winter Scene)" by Kim Jeong-hui (1786-1856), a Korean calligrapher and scholar from the late Joseon Dynasty, for how it depicts the snow-covered landscape with seemingly unfinished lines. Lee, who left Busan to live in New Zealand at age 11, translates the tension that she feels between traveling and rootedness with a stainless-steel installation.
