The future of fucking
Sexual trend forecasting, from fairy smut to female perverts
For Pleasure-Seeking’s first brand collab, I teamed up with Feeld to dream up six predictions on where the sexual zeitgeist is headed. We made them back in December, but the piece didn’t go live til recently—which might’ve been divine timing, because it gave our predictions a chance to come true. Here’s my version, annotated with a few updates and personal notes; you can read the original in A Fucking Magazine.
By now, you’ve probably abandoned your New Year’s resolutions. Maybe you’ve emerged from Dry January thirsty as ever; maybe your libido is experiencing a spring awakening; or maybe you feel like the walls are closing in, and you’re swiping right to avoid reading the news. And honestly, who could blame you? With Trump in office, we’re entering a strange new era—one where the stakes are higher, the vibes are weirder, and the need for pleasure is more pressing than ever.
If you’re anything like me, you might be anxious about what the future holds. So I teamed up with Feeld, I consulted my crystal ball, and came up with some prophecies for this year—blending data from their 2024 report with insights from popular porn searches, social media trends, and the first cultural aftershocks of 2025. Here are six takeaways and six predictions for our sexual future, from the next big aesthetic to the evolving politics of pleasure.
From sci-fi to fairy smut: Seeking sanctuary in fantasy
Last year, Feeld’s Raw Report revealed that sci-fi was among the fastest-growing interests for users in cities like NYC, Berlin, Copenhagen, Portland, LA, and Seattle. “Sci-fi helps us understand the messy dynamics of human worlds, both inner and outer, while also reaching forward toward alternate forms of life and community,” wrote Dr. Luke Brunning, an expert in the philosophy of sex and relationships—pointing out that the genre can function as a source of hope for those seeking escape from global turmoil.
I predict…
In 2025, this desire for escapism will shift from cybernetic futures to the realm of fantasy, myth, and folklore. We’ve already seen the rise of faerie-themed smut, most notably A Court of Thorns and Roses, a bestselling romantasy series inspired by Beauty and the Beast. Between that and the monstrous desire fueling Nosferatu’s return, I suspect a revival of forbidden love narratives set in bygone dreamworlds—fantasies that push against the constraints of our current reality, expanding erotic imagination beyond modernity.
We’re also seeing the resurgence of medieval aesthetics like chainmail, which has been spotted everywhere from the Dior runway to Chappell Roan’s performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. Other signs that gothic romance is on the rise? “Castlecore” is gaining traction, with celebrities donning medieval fashion motifs such as corsets, armor, gowns, crosses, and veils. Pinterest data shows that users are increasingly searching for items like antique ruby rings. Half the cool girls I know dressed as Joan of Arc for Halloween.
In other words, the renaissance is having a renaissance. And let’s face it: The future is feeling uncertain at best. It makes sense that, amid widespread disillusionment with technology and the rise of AI-generated slop, we’d be yearning for nobler times.
P.S. My friend is now in a fairy smut book club, and says it’s giving her wild sex dreams… Do with that what you will!
Brat is dead; Long live Brat
Last year, Feeld saw a whopping 465% increase in users identifying as brats—due, no doubt, to Charli XCX’s album of the same name. Her irreverent, hypersexual attitude struck a chord last summer, fueled by the return of indie sleaze and a collective post-pandemic thirst for lost youth. After years spent online shopping and watching Tiger King when we should have been fucking in the back of clubs, no wonder we’re craving a second adolescence.
But brattiness isn’t just about aesthetic rebellion. It’s also the perfect entry point for exploring power dynamics in bed—flirtatious banter with stakes. A way of invoking heat, testing boundaries, and going toe-to-toe with someone you’re not sure if you’d rather fight or fuck. Enemies-to-lovers, anyone?
I predict…
More of the hedonistic, hard-partying spirit that characterized Brat summer—coupled with an extra helping of self-care following a late night out or particularly devastating headline. Now more than ever, as they say, we’re going to want to be off our phones and in community with others, whether that’s in the club, your neighborhood bar, or a secret third thing.
Which brings me to my next prediction…
Sweating it out: In 2025, we’ll be meeting in the sauna
As Trump’s presidency wears on, we’ll see a shift from solo aesthetic maintenance to community wellness and self-care. This is in contrast to 2024 trends like the morning shed: a dystopian ritual in which TikTokers document the lengths they go to in order to wake up looking “naturally beautiful.” On top of smelling of capitalist self-optimization, these trends weren’t particularly sexy—hinging, it seems, on the fact that most anyone doing them was probably sleeping alone.
I predict…
Saunas are the new place to socialize! Over the years, NYC bathhouses have gone from a space for immigrant families to gangsters making deals and a destination for queer cruising. Now, they’re making a comeback—and at a time when people are drinking less and seeking new ways to socialize, there’s no better way to unwind than naked in a steam room with your best friends, or sweating it out and gossiping in the company of 20 perfect strangers.
Amid mounting political stress levels, expect a rise in “sensory” experiences, community-oriented wellness spaces, and—mark my words—an increase in relaxation-themed porn. Think erotic massages, happy endings, “milking porn.” In 2025, my biggest fantasy is to relax and take a load off—or blow a load, whichever happens first.
If you can believe it, I made this prediction about bathhouses back when my poolside literary reading was just a twinkle in my eye (it’s called MANIFESTING, okay?)
The office is horny again
There’s something undeniably delicious about a coworker affair—and 2024’s porn watchers agree. Searches for “coworker” were up +92%, “workplace fantasy” +57%, and “fucking coworker” +69% (nice).
Why the surge? After years of working from home, we’re re-entering the office—an environment rife with power dynamics. We’ve seen the rise of the “office siren,” the fetishization of corporate culture in shows like Succession and Severance, and a nostalgic return to workplace romance tropes. Power is sexy, and in the office, there’s ample opportunity to subvert it (see: Babygirl).
I predict…
With Feeld’s increasing popularity, matching with a former coworker—or your ex-boss—isn’t just possible, it’s practically inevitable. One Feeld user I spoke to recently matched with her old workplace crush without realizing who he was. His profile was initially anonymous, and she just thought he was hot.
“It had been six years since we worked together,” she told me. “He didn’t recognize me either until we met in person. We hooked up, and I couldn’t stop thinking, ‘Oh my god, my boss is eating my ass.’ It was incredible.”
Since predicting this, I have written about my own workplace affairs (salacious!) and been hired to work on a project about office romance… Just saying!!
Not just a girl: The return of agency
In 2023 and 2024, a spate of -girl trends took over pop culture. From hot girl walk to the clean girl, that girl, girl dinner, and coquette aesthetics, we saw an influx of trends repackaging girlhood. This was reflected in box office hits like Barbie and Poor Things, both of which featured childlike female protagonists negotiating their relationship with femininity, patriarchy, and agency.
The problem with being “just a girl” is that we’re in a man’s world—and with Trump back in office, America is starting to feel a lot like the Mojo Dojo Casa House.
My friend articulated this beautifully in her piece “Grow Up, Girls,” which is very much worth a read. and I also discussed some of these themes in our podcast episode in January.
I predict…
After years of cultural trends that glamorized the infantilization of women, we’re going to see a renewed emphasis on women taking control of their own lives. This push toward sexual agency could take many forms, from a rising divorce rate to a resurgence of the 4B movement or more women-led age gap relationships.
We might see an evolution of the female dirtbag archetype—transitioning from the messy millennial sexcapades of Broad City, Girls, and Fleabag to the midlife crisis-core of Babygirl and All Fours, which follow Gen X protagonists on a journey to reclaim agency after sacrificing their own pleasure for the sake of beauty, career, or family. These works of art have sparked dialogue about monogamy, marriage, and kink—leading many women to question the dynamics they inherited, and pursue their authentic desires.
Which brings me to…
The Year of the (Female) Pervert
In 2024, box office hits like Babygirl and Challengers featured complex female leads willing to risk it all to fulfill their desires. At the same time, breakout acts like Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter took the stage, singing about women’s desire with their whole chests; Ethel Cain dropped an album called Perverts; and even Gillian Anderson contributed to the new canon on desire and sexuality, curating a book of anonymously submitted sexual fantasies from women around the world.
I predict…
Innocence is out; deviance is in. And if the response to last year’s media is any indication, we’re hungry for complex depictions of female desire. This is a breath of fresh air—because for years, the overzealous rhetoric of sex positivity marketed a vision of sexual empowerment that left many women unsatisfied. The cultural script around sex positivity often emphasized performative liberation—more sex, fewer feelings—without addressing the complex dynamics that shape our desires. At the same time, the reframing of sex as empowering opened up new opportunities for it to be commercialized. Sex positivity became personal branding, taste became social currency, and desire became performance.
But something is shifting—and if history has taught us anything, it’s that repression breeds rebellion. With the political landscape growing darker, sex is starting to feel subversive again. Rather than a neatly packaged empowerment narrative, we’re seeing a return to transgressive, messy, unapologetic sexuality—one that’s less palatable and more perverse.
So it’s time to say goodbye to the year of the girl and hello to the female pervert: a character who’s messy, morally ambiguous, and not afraid to embrace desire in all its contradictions. Now’s the time to not just pursue your desires, but to interrogate them—to understand what has shaped them, and to reclaim your rights on your own terms. In today’s political landscape, horniness becomes an act of defiance.
So tell me, how did my predictions hold up, and are there any new trends you see taking shape? IMO I’m witnessing some new female pervert/mid-life crisis media—Dying for Sex is an excellent example—and a lot of pervert discourse. I’ve also seen some interesting analysis of Castlecore, age gap relationships, and tons of articles on the rise of social saunas (plus, the fall of a very specific one—which, I cannot emphasize enough, was NOT where I hosted my event!!)
What did I miss? I’d love to hear your predictions (and analysis) in the comments.
On “sweating it out” - not only is communal nakedness affirming of all bodies—in all their glorious diversity, it’s also a way for women to share their life force energy across the generations. Socializing across age groups is revitalizing for all.
As a film historian/writer who focuses on transgressive sexuality in cinema, I can definitely say that in the last year, I've had more women interested in my work and asking for erotic/explicit cinema recommendations than ever before in my life... so I think you're dead on about it being the year of the female pervert and I am HERE FOR IT.