Olympians’ biggest obstacle this year could be their “anti-sex” cardboard beds
ordered cardboard beds for the Olympic Village, in a move to prioritize sustainability. The plan is for the 16,000 beds to be recycled afterwards.Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.The cardboard beds debuted at the 2021 Tokyo Games, and were repurposed into paper products.
But sustainability wasn’t the only priority of Olympic organizers that year. Social distancing was mandated as well. And therein lies the conspiratorial reasoning for the recyclable bedding: No sex!Despite assurances the beds would be strong, athletes were rightfully skeptical.
There were questions about whether the beds could support a good night’s sleep, never mind some post-game activity. In a viral tweet, Team USA track and field athlete Paul Chelimo theorized the beds were designed to discourage intimacy. “Beds will be able to withstand the weight of a single person to avoid situations beyond sports,” he wrote.It seems blasphemous that organizers in Paris, one of the most romantic destinations in the world, would outfit bedrooms with cardboard.
The City of Light has played host to some all-time great dalliances. Olympians deserve to cool down, or heat themselves back up, in the most Persian of ways.
