This sort of vulnerability with the self is exactly what inspired our May digital cover—the Intimacy issue. In thinking about what being intimate—both with others and with yourself—means during such strange times, we of course wanted to explore dildos, orgasms, and Chaturbate culture. It is office, after all. But we also wanted to move beyond that. What do our current conditions mean in terms of being intimate in all facets of the word—being intimate with your thoughts? With abstraction? With objects or ideas?
Do you cringe at your overgrown hair when looking in the mirror and the Snapchat camera? How has isolation played a part in your want or need to be intimate? Have you developed any new intimate relationships while in quarantine? We asked 13 subjects to explore these ideas in a series of remotely-shot portraits and videos.
We also asked each subject to write a diary entry with this vulnerability in mind. Let's get candid with Sydney Sweeney. Sydney Sweeney always planned on becoming an actor, but she was never blinded by the vanity of it all. When a casting director asked her if she wanted to either become an actor or go to school, she didn't quite understand the question—she wanted to go to business school so that when she was presented with a million dollar acting contract, she would be able to read it through herself and not get fucked over.
Sweeney is undoubtedly a bombshell, but she will never be an object. This calculated fierceness led to her role in the culture-defining HBO series Euphoria , in which she played the character Cassie. She was initially weary about taking the role because of the amount of nudity in the script. Cassie's storyline involves her nudes getting leaked at the beginning of the show, and follows her journey as she has to fight against preconceived notions from her peers about her being a slut.
But ultimately, Sweeney found the empowerment in it all. She realized, you can explore your sexuality and be in control of your own narrative at the same time. Sydney has a beauty that is reminiscent of old Hollywood starlets, with a mentality and focus that is very of the now. This is why we wanted to get intimate with the rising star. Watch this video, as well as all the other Intimacy videos, on.
