Phenomena S2 E9: Flesh
Since the sexual revolution of the 1970s, the Western world has been obsessed with representations of sex. And within this historical explosion of sexual imagery, many companies capitalised on the powerful narrative that consumption could deliver sex appeal and in turn, increase one’s chances for finding a partner.
More recently, however, we’re seeing a shift where sex appeal is becoming increasingly dissociated from the idea of romantic love and folded into a wider and more varied set of personal narratives.
To unpack this further, host Eliot Salandy Brown sits down with Sandra Cariglio, a partner at ReD Associates, and Polly Rodriguez, co-founder and CEO of sexual wellness brand Unbound, as part of our ongoing special series on our evolving relationship to flesh and the body.
Together, they tackle big questions such as: Does sex still sell? How are behaviours and values around intimacy changing? And if the desire to seduce isn’t driving consumption in fashion and beauty like it used to, what will take its place?
Host: Eliot Salandy Brown
Guests: Sandra Cariglio and Polly Rodriguez
This podcast is part of our special series on Flesh
A special edition of our podcast live from NYC as we discuss AI and its impact on the body with Vivienne Ming and Richard Newcombe.
The introductory essay to our special series all about our changing relationship to flesh and the body.
A special edition of our podcast live from Copenhagen, Denmark, where we talk to Oluf Borbye Pedersen and Theis Brydegaard on all things gut, social eating and adherence.
What movements and bodily experiences will emerging technologies need to capture and represent to evoke the visceral and transcendent qualities of dance? An interview with dancer, choreographer and director Claudia Schreier and writer and director Adam Barish.
Our perspective on how to anchor emerging technologies in a deep understanding of our sensory experiences.
Artificial intelligence represents a new horizon of human connection to technology. What does our deepening relationship to AI tell us about what it means to be intimate with someone or something, with or without a body?
Haeckels founder Dom Bridges speaks to ReD about nature as technology, changing perceptions around natural resources and why salt water heals all wounds.
Amanda Parkes, Chief Innovation Officer at Pangaia, on revolutionising the traditional fashion business model, pioneering a new language around materials and the future opportunities in high-tech naturalism.
A special edition of our podcast live from Paris, France, where we talk to British artist Maisie Cousins and Pernod Ricard’s head of cultural foresight Daphnée Hor about the body, perishability and the germ renaissance.
We speak to Season Health about how they started their food-as-medicine platform, adherence, and the challenge of introducing new approaches to healthcare.
Episode 9 of season 2 of our Phenomena podcast with Sandra Cariglio and Polly Rodriguez – does sex still sell?
Lauren Carroll and Erin Merelli of Deathwives talk desanitising the conversation around death, planning for the end, and why confronting mortality makes for better living.
Our original short film, A Second Skin, part of our special series on Flesh, looks at how novel applications of natural materials, specifically mycelium, challenge our categories around beauty, material production, and innovation.
As companies roll out haptic technology that mimics the sensation of weight and touch of real objects when handled in virtual space, it’s important we keep the technology in the background to ensure our hands, and humans, can learn, collaborate, and shine on their own.
Eliot heads ReD Associates’ mobility/automotive practice. In this work, he leads projects that set strategic directions for how mobility and automotive companies approach the challenges and opportunities facing the industry. The projects under his leadership include a foundational study investigating the future value of driverless cars to our cities and communities, and a new approach to digital service innovation for a major automotive company. In all of his work with clients, Eliot is focused on ensuring that human needs and behavior are fully integrated into the development of new technologies.
He has lectured and run courses on automotive, corporate strategy, and executive MBAs at New York University, Columbia University, Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, and Duke University; and his client work was awarded the Gold Award in 2018 from the Industrial Designers Society of America (ISDA). Eliot, a British-Trinidadian, holds a Masters in Sociology from the London School of Economics.