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Hollywood actress Shailene Woodley has never been one to shy away from speaking her mind or challenging societal norms. Known for her roles in Big Little Lies and The Fault in Our Stars, she's earned a reputation as not only a talented actress but also a ionate advocate for environmental causes and personal authenticity.
Whether it's discussing sustainable living or breaking down outdated ideas around relationships and sex, Shailene is always refreshingly candid. And recently, she opened up about her thoughts on how sex is portrayed in today's media, particularly in the U.S., and she didn't hold back.
On the She MD podcast, Shailene expressed her frustration with how sex is often shown in the U.S., especially in pornography. She didn't mince words, comparing the way sex is presented to "bacon hanging in front of a dog." In her view, mainstream depictions of sex miss the mark, reducing it to a shallow performance rather than something more meaningful. "The way that sex is presented on the surface in this country is so fabricated," she said. "It's such a performance instead of true intimacy, vulnerability, and connection."
Shailene, who describes herself as a "very sexual person," emphasized that many people might not even realize what they're missing when they consume these portrayals. "If people knew what was possible with sex, they would look at porn and go, 'Oh god, this is like junk food,'" she added. To her, it's like selling "McDonald's" when there's something much richer and more nourishing to experience. Pleasure, she insists, is far more profound when it's grounded in real connection.
Shailene talks sex, intimacy, and why porn isn't the answer
Drawing from her own life, Shailene revealed that she was fortunate to discover these insights early on thanks to a positive relationship with a past partner. "I was very lucky in my life as a young person discovering myself and my body to have a partner at the time who loved to dance," she shared. For her, sex is like a dance: "We're exchanging energy. Sometimes the dance is a really fast tango, and sometimes it's a really slow groove."
Shailene feels so strongly about this topic that she wishes she could help reshape sex education. "I wish, in a way, I could do sex ed... and be like, 'How can we fix this?'" She's advocating for a more authentic understanding of sex that prioritizes connection, pleasure, and vulnerability over the fabricated versions that dominate our screens.