Entertainment
Troye Sivan Blasts Interviewer for “Invasive” Sex Question
Published
4 years agoon
By
Cory Ray
- Troye Sivan called a phone interview he did with New Zealand LGBTQ+ magazine Express invasive and inappropriate after the interviewer asked: “Top or Bottom?”
- An editorial by Out Magazine then called Sivan hypocritical for the comments, saying Sivan has openly discussed sexual themes in his latest album.
- Sivan later criticized the editorial by arguing that talking about “sex in my music on my terms” does not “give anyone a pass on basic manners and allow them to ask about the ins and outs of what i do in bed.”
Sivan’s Interview With Express
Troye Sivan criticized an interviewer who asked him about his preferred sexual position, calling the question “invasive.”
In a phone interview with LGBTQ+ New Zealand magazine Express, Matt Fistonich plays a lightning round with the singer, ending the interview by asking, “Top or bottom?” in relation to Sivan’s sexual position with his boyfriend, Jacob Bixenman.
Sivan follows by answering, “Ooo… definitely passing!”


Sivan then shared a tweet of the interview from a fan, expressing his disdain for the question.
“I thought about asking the interviewer about his absolute fave sex position after that last question,” Sivan said in a tweet, “but then i remembered how wildly invasive, strange and innapropriate that would be. Didn’t stop him though!”
I thought about asking the interviewer about his absolute fave sex position after that last question, but then i remembered how wildly invasive, strange and innapropriate that would be. Didn’t stop him though! https://t.co/mo80DziQrH
— troye (@troyesivan) August 28, 2019
“Next time I’ll just do a Twitter q&a,” Sivan continued.
Fistonich also asked Sivan earlier in the interview whether Bixenman would give Sivan a “hall pass” for Shawn Mendes, who is straight. A “hall pass” is an agreement some couples make allowing one partner to be intimate with certain people.
Sivan previously stated his celebrity crush was Mendes in an interview with Vogue for “73 Questions with Troye Sivan.”
Sivan then goes on to say that if the opportunity presented itself, he would not act on it even if he had permission from Bixenman.
“But the strange thing is when you end up meeting your hall pass, it ends up becoming very real very quickly and suddenly you’re like, ‘no, no, never mind, no hall passes,” Sivan said in the interview.
Fistonich then continues, asking, “So when you met Shawn Mendes nothing got too steamy?”
“No, no, not at all!” Sivan answered.
In an editors note, the magazine states “Matt threw some pretty outrageous questions at Troye, but Sivan took it all in his stride.”
The magazine has also disabled Instagram comments for their post on the story.
Reaction to the Interview
Following the interview, many online expressed their concern over the nature of Fistonich’s sexual questions, with a major concern being the nature of Sivan’s sexuality in relation to the questions about his private life.
Those people argued straight artists do not face the same sort of hyper-sexual questions that LGBTQ+ artists are asked.
troye sivan got asked TOP or BOTTOM on a fucking INTERVIEW, this is so disgusting, no one would ask a straight person this, like??? talk about his work, youre not his fucking friend???
— 𝓛𝑜𝓋𝑒, Letícia 🏹 (@raplineIover) August 28, 2019
They would never have asked a straight man if he was in to pegging. Or a straight women if she liked anal. This "interview" is as creepy af
— Sarah💚🐕🐒🐬🕊 (@SarahAndDC) August 29, 2019
"Troye Sivan calls out 'wildly invasive' interview" https://t.co/7bI92IfuPr
interviewer to a straight celebrity: so are you two, like, in love? where's the wedding ring?
— jai 🏳️🌈 (@pacifiedclown) August 29, 2019
interviewer to a gay celebrity: so do you like getting fucked in the ass or fucking someone in the ass?
An editorial from Out Magazine, however, described Sivan as “hypocritical,” pointing to the sexual imagery presented throughout Sivan’s album, Bloom.
“Do queer journalists have to adhere to the same respectability politics as straight ones?” the opinion piece reads. “It’s 2019, talking about anal sex shouldn’t be taboo, especially in queer media.”
Regarding the album, Sivan has been open with discussing its more sexual themes — including a now-deleted tweet where he used the hashtag #BopsBoutBottoming.
“I just wanted to be as real as possible about it and for me, that’s a really tender and sweet experience,” he said in an interview with Paper Magazine. “I wanted to explore it in that perspective, and ultimately I was writing a love song from my experience. I wanted it to be sweet and candor and have all that stuff with fear and curiosity — everything packed in there.”
Sivan Challenges Out Editorial
Thursday, Sivan responded to the op-ed on Twitter, saying it was “disappointing” to see the LGBTQ+ magazine “miss the mark so much on the reporting of this.”
Last I’ll say on this, but disappointing to see that @outmagazine, an LGBT publication, was the only one to miss the mark so much on the reporting of this https://t.co/vEgSnIm7Q5
— troye (@troyesivan) August 29, 2019
Sivan then posted a series of tweets explaining both his album and its relation to sex, including a rebuke of Out’s assertion “he wrote a whole ass album about bottoming.”
“Firstly, Bloom is about love,” Sivan said. “I said that in every single interview i did about the album. Suggesting that i made the entire album about bottoming is over sexualising me + my work, and is reductive.”
“I speak about sex in my music on my terms, when I’m in control, and writing music that is going to be close to my heart forever,” Sivan continued. “That does not open the flood gates + give anyone a pass on basic manners and allow them to ask about the ins and outs of what i do in bed.”
Firstly, Bloom is an album about love. I said that in every single interview i did about the album. Suggesting that i made the entire album about bottoming is over sexualising me + my work, and is reductive
— troye (@troyesivan) August 29, 2019
I speak about sex in my music on my terms, when I’m in control, and writing music that is going to be close to my heart forever. That does not open the flood gates + give anyone a pass on basic manners and allow them to ask about the ins and outs of what i do in bed
— troye (@troyesivan) August 29, 2019
Sivan then echoed many of the sentiments his fans expressed over what they called a divide between the way straight and LGBTQ+ people are seen in media.
“I highly doubt anyone would ask any of my straight peers explicit questions about who does what to who in their relationship, no matter the content of their music,” Sivan said.
I highly doubt anyone would ask any of my straight peers explicit questions about who does what to who in their relationship, no matter the content of their music. I don’t think artists should have to expect to be asked about that when they show up to work in the morning
— troye (@troyesivan) August 29, 2019
There’s no shame in anal sex or any kind of sex – i just don’t want to talk about it over the phone to a complete stranger
— troye (@troyesivan) August 29, 2019
Since Sivan’s series of tweets, Out has removed the comments many viewed as controversial.
“This piece has been updated since its original publish time due to the editorial team’s determination that it did not meet our standards,” an edit to the article now reads. “We have condensed and revised the piece accordingly.

The singer ended his message by liking a tweet that read, “i’m not a top or a bottom. i’m just tired.”
i’m not a top or a bottom. i’m just tired
— ᶜᵒⁿˢᵗᵃⁿᵗⁱⁿᵉ (@greenIight) August 29, 2019
See what others are saying: (INSIDER) (Hollywood Life) (PopCrush)

“The creation, promotion, or viewing of this content is not welcome on Twitch,” the company said in a blog post.
New Rules Regarding “Synthetic NCEI”
Twitch is cracking down on explicit deepfake content and will indefinitely suspend users who share or promote it after a first offense.
“The existence of this content, and its presence and distribution on various sites, is personally violating and beyond upsetting. Deepfake porn isn’t a problem on Twitch, but it’s a terrible issue that some streamers (almost exclusively women) may face on the internet at large,” Twitch said in a Tuesday blog post, explaining it wants to “help streamers protect themselves” in any case this issue arises.
Twitch referred to this content as “synthetic non-consensual exploitative images,” or “synthetic NCEI,” but many of the platform’s users have casually referred to it as deepfake porn. Synthetic NCEI involves someone taking the face of another person and editing it into a pornographic video to make it appear as though that person filmed themselves demonstrating those sexual acts. The new rise in access to this technology has concerned many, as it is easy to use it to exploit others.
While synthetic NCEI is already banned on Twitch, the company took a more actionable step against it in its Tuesday post by creating an Adult Sexual Violence and Exploitation policy. The new rule prohibits the intentional sharing, promoting, or creation of synthetic NCEI and those acts can result in an indefinite suspension on the first offense.
Twitch also updated its Adult Nudity policy to include synthetic NCEI. Even if it is only shown briefly, that content will still be taken down and result in an enforcement.
In addition to the policy changes, Twitch made available a list of resources for those who might be impacted by or wish to learn more about synthetic NCEI.
“The creation, promotion, or viewing of this content is not welcome on Twitch,” the company said closing its blog post.
Growing Concerns About Explicit Deepfakes
Twitch’s updates come as synthetic NCEI and deepfakes have become a primary topic of concern for social media platforms. Earlier this year, Twitch was home to a major deepfake controversy after a streamer known as Atrioc was caught with an open tab to a website that hosted these videos. That site specifically hosted deepfakes of female Twitch streamers, some of whom were Atrioc’s colleagues.
Many women featured on the page spoke out against these deepfakes, explaining the trauma they endured knowing their face, image, and likeness were used in a sexual manner without their consent. It’s an issue that extends far past Twitch creators. Some fear they could be used for revenge porn, and there are already several cases where the technology is used to create sexual videos of celebrities.
On Tuesday, NBC News published a report finding that Facebook and Instagram ran suggestive ads featuring deepfakes of actresses like Emma Watson and Scarlett Johansson. The ads were for a deepfake app that told users they could “replace face with anyone.”
While the ads did not show explicit pornographic content, one ad featuring Watson was clearly meant to mimic the start of an explicit video, suggesting a sexual act was about to start. The face of the “Harry Potter” actress was seen looking into the camera before bending down.
The report found that 127 ads with Watson deepfakes and 74 with Johansson deepfakes ran across Meta’s platforms on Sunday and Monday, but have since been removed. The app in question was also removed from the Apple app store after NBC News contacted the tech giant for comment.
See what others are saying: (The Verge) (Engadget) (Kotaku)
Entertainment
Fans Defend Pedro Pascal After Actor Refused to Read Thirst Tweets: “It’s Sexual Harassment”
Published
2 weeks agoon
March 6, 2023
Pascal has been dubbed the Internet’s “daddy,” but many think the joke has gone too far.
Pascal’s Heartthrob Status
Fans are defending actor Pedro Pascal after he refused to read thirst tweets on the red carpet, arguing that it is inappropriate and disrespectful to ask him to do so.
Pascal, the star of HBO’s “The Last of Us” and Disney+’s “The Mandalorian,” has become a major Hollywood heartthrob. He has even been widely dubbed as the Internet’s “daddy” by those posting about his handsome looks. The running joke grew last year when he did a Vanity Fair lie detector test and said he considered himself a “bigger daddy” than “Star Wars” star Oscar Isaac.
“Daddy is a state of mind, you know what I’m saying? I’m your daddy,” he quipped during the interview.
Since then, TikTokers have started posting thirst trap edits of Pascal, journalists have called him “daddy” on the red carpet, and interviewers have shown him tweets where fans call him a “cool, slutty daddy.”
Pascal has been a good sport about the public displays of lust for him, but many think the joke may have crossed a line. During last week’s red carpet premiere for season three of “The Mandalorian,” an Access Hollywood reporter went viral for asking Pascal to read thirst tweets to the camera. Pascal politely declined.
“No. Dirty! Dirty!” he told the reporter after reading through the tweets.
“For your enjoyment only,” she responded.
“Thank you very much,” Pascal said before exiting the interview.
this is the worst thing I’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/7npzBOqCxk
— lauren | tlou & mando spoilers (@djarinluck) March 1, 2023
Fans Condemn Thirst Tweet Interviews
In response, many who watched the clip condemned this treatment of Pascal, arguing it promoted constant objectification.
“I think it’s time for the internet to leave Pedro Pascal alone,” one person wrote. “It’s sexual harassment, but no one seems to care bc he’s a man + is graceful about it. It’s really gross and I would never want to be treated like that.”
I think it’s time for the internet to leave pedro pascal alone. It’s sexual harassment, but no one seems to care bc he’s a man + is graceful about it. It’s really gross and I would never want to be treated like that. https://t.co/NuNwWuPQMz
— dominick 🏳️⚧️ (@transguyenergy) March 3, 2023
“These jokes have gone way too far and he’s visibly uncomfortable,” another fan added.
i literally have to skip videos of people sexually harassing pedro pascal or making him read thirst tweets bc it’s so gross and cringe!!! like these jokes have gone way too far and he’s visibly uncomfortable
— renny (@boyeat3r) March 4, 2023
Some claimed that while the Internet’s love of Pascal “started as harmless fun…the constant public objectification and sexualization must be terrible” and should stop.
The entire internet thirsting for Pedro Pascal started as harmless fun, but this has to stop omfg
— Mads (@Mads_five) March 3, 2023
The constant public objectification and sexualisation must be terrible to live https://t.co/Mf1CRn0rBe
“Being attractive, banking on it, selling it, and even at times enjoying some of the attention, doesn’t give everyone wholesale permission to sexualize you,” someone else argued.
Being attractive, banking on it, selling it, and even at times enjoying some of the attention, doesn’t give everyone wholesale permission to sexualize you. Everyone is allowed to use their charm for their own benefit. What’s not ok is “taking” from someone without consent. https://t.co/hbsJOGEm7b
— voEROS (@voEROSttv) March 2, 2023
See what others are saying: (IndieWire) (The Gamer) (BuzzFeed News)
Entertainment
Conservatives Pledge to #BoycottHershey After International Women’s Day Campaign Featured a Trans Woman
Published
3 weeks agoon
March 2, 2023
“I hope this campaign shows trans girls they can dream big and change the world too,” activist Fae Johnstone said in her Hers for She video.
Hershey Highlights Fae Johnstone
Step aside, Green M&M. Conservatives have a new candy that they’re mad at: Hershey bars.
On Wednesday, Hershey Canada unveiled its “Her for She” International Women’s Day initiative, which aims to celebrate “women changing the future.” Conservatives were quickly outraged by the company’s choice to highlight Fae Johnstone, a trans woman and LGBTQ+ rights activist, as part of this effort.
“We can create a world where everyone is able to live in public space as their honest and authentic selves,” Johnstone said in a “Her for She” video.
In addition to Johnstone, the campaign features gender equality activists, a climate tech researcher, and an indigenous rights activist, all of whom have fought for progress in their respective fields. The women will appear on Hershey’s websites, in marketing promotions, and in artistic renderings on Hershey bar wrappers.
Johnstone wrote on Twitter that she hopes Hershey’s campaign will “give more young women and girls role models” who can demonstrate how to “change the world, together.”
“It also means a lot to be included, as a young(ish?) trans woman,” Johnstone continued. “I grew up with few trans role models. Many young trans folks haven’t met a trans adult. I hope this campaign shows trans girls they can dream big and change the world too.”
It also means a lot to be included, as a young(ish?) trans woman. I grew up with few trans role models. Many young trans folks haven’t met a trans adult.
— Fae Johnstone, MSW (@FaeJohnstone) March 1, 2023
I hope this campaign shows trans girls they can dream big and change the world too ❤️🏳️⚧️💪🏻
A Swift Transphobic Backlash
This decision, however, prompted right-wing Twitter users to accuse Hershey of hating “real” women. Many of the posts included blatantly transphobic rhetoric, as well as promises to boycott the company because it went “woke.”
The outrage was so prominent that #BoycottHershey was one of the top Twitter trends on Thursday morning.
This backlash comes just a little over a month after conservative media figures like Tucker Carlson slammed M&M for making the green mascot character, well, less sexy.
In response to Mars changing the green candy’s outfit, Carlson accused the Mars company of making its characters “as unattractive as possible because when you’re intentionally repulsive, it’s clear you’ve got the right politics.”
Not long after the right-wing backlash, M&M opted to replace its “spokescandies” with actress Maya Rudolph.
The conservative outrage targeted at both Hershey and M&M is part of a larger culture war against any company that makes changes to address diversity, climate change, or other social issues. Brands like Xbox, “Sesame Street,” and more have at one point provoked the ire of Fox News hosts and other Republican figures.
In fact, their outrage against these progressive changes has become so common that once #BoycottHershey was trending, some tweeted that they did not even have to click on the hashtag “to know that they must have done something compassionate that the right hates.”
I don’t even need to click on Boycott Hersheys to know that they must have done something compassionate that the right hates.
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) March 2, 2023
See what others are saying: (The Daily Beast) (MarketWatch) (Bloomberg)

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