Why Sydney Sweeney Has Two Big Targets On Her Chest - William Costello - #1152
Episode of Modern Wisdom · September 19, 2026 · 1 h 8 min
Chris Williamson and evolutionary psychologist William Costello examine the backlash to Sydney Sweeney's Novig sports betting ad and why women in particular criticise her.
Summary
Chris Williamson hosted psychology researcher William Costello to discuss the online backlash to an advertisement Sydney Sweeney made for Novig, a sports-focused betting and prediction market company in which she holds an ownership stake. After playing the ad, both argued that criticism claiming Sweeney had set women's sport back decades was inconsistent with critics' broader support for sexual empowerment and silence on other issues such as transgender athletes in women's sports.
Costello offered an evolutionary psychology account of why Sweeney attracts hostility from women, drawing on intrasexual competition, sexual economics theory and female coalitional psychology. He argued that Sweeney openly appeals to the male gaze without signalling loyalty to other women, contrasting her with Sabrina Carpenter, and discussed research on mistrust of "guy's girls", breast-size preferences, mutual self-deprecation among women, and his forthcoming paper on how scales measuring sexism pathologise men. Williamson added that Sweeney's apparently effortless, unearned beauty may intensify envy, arguing that men can more easily raise their physical attractiveness than women.
The pair also compared public sympathy for Lindsay Clancy, discussed jury in-group bias, and argued the overlooked story was the harm of sports betting to young men, with Costello citing research on bankruptcy and suicidality. Williamson criticised The Daily Wire's Kalshi partnership, said he had declined prediction market sponsors, and floated a tongue-in-cheek theory that Sweeney's ads coincide with inconvenient news. They closed by discussing whether pointing out hypocrisy changes minds and the concept of gamma bias.
Chapters
- 0:22
Introducing the Sydney Sweeney ad
Williamson introduces Costello and the Novig sports betting ad featuring Sydney Sweeney, which is played on air.
- 2:23
The backlash and claims about women's sport
The hosts dismiss claims that the ad set women's sport back, noting critics' inconsistency and Sweeney's ownership stake in the company.
- 11:36
Is the backlash worse than the ad?
Williamson argues the reaction may harm women more than the ad and considers whether a right-coded female athlete would face similar criticism.
- 12:53
Why women hate Sydney Sweeney
Costello lays out intrasexual competition, sexual economics theory and female coalitional psychology as explanations for the hostility.
- 22:09
Sydney Sweeney versus Sabrina Carpenter
The pair contrast reactions to Sweeney and Carpenter, arguing the difference lies in whom each is perceived to perform for.
- 28:33
Downplaying achievements and gamma bias
Costello explains women's tendency toward self-deprecation and describes his paper on scales that pathologise male sexuality.
- 33:53
Male sexualization and guy's girls
They discuss why men mind being sexualized less and research on women's mistrust of women with mostly male friends.
- 39:51
Victim narratives and body preferences
Discussion of Sweeney's lack of a vulnerability narrative and research on male preferences for breasts and buttocks.
- 45:17
Lindsay Clancy and in-group bias
The hosts compare sympathy for Lindsay Clancy with hostility to Sweeney and discuss jury in-group bias.
- 48:02
Unearned beauty and envy
Williamson argues natural beauty provokes more resentment and that men can more easily improve their attractiveness than women.
- 55:14
The real story: sports betting harms
The pair argue the overlooked issue is gambling's harm to young men, citing bankruptcy and suicide statistics and criticising media sponsors.
- 1:03:29
Distraction theory and hypocrisy
Williamson jokes Sweeney ads coincide with bad news, and they discuss whether pointing out hypocrisy is persuasive and the idea of gamma bias.
Key points
What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.
- William Costello
Costello argued that Sweeney, as a stakeholder, deliberately used the principle that sex sells to market a product aimed at young men.
“she understands the oldest maxim in advertisement or marketing that sex sells, and she backs herself on that front to be the face or body of her own brand”
Listen from 2:57 · Sydney Sweeney Novig advertisement controversy
- William Costello
Costello called an Irish radio presenter's claim that the ad set women's sport back 40 years a sexist view of women's sport.
“claimed that she, in 40 seconds, has set female sport back 40 years. And I hear that and I think, what an incredibly sexist”
Listen from 3:13 · Sydney Sweeney Novig advertisement controversy
- William Costello
Costello argued that self-sexualization is judged as empowering or not depending on whether the woman belongs to the critics' political in-group.
“the very same act of self-sexualization can be seen as empowering if it's the right person in the in-group in your tribe”
- Chris Williamson
Williamson argued that the reaction to the ad could harm women more than the ad itself.
“I do think that the counter-reaction we're seeing could be more damaging to women than the ad itself”
Listen from 11:36 · Sydney Sweeney Novig advertisement controversy
- William Costello
Costello argued Sweeney draws particular hostility because she openly appeals to the male gaze without reassuring other women she is not a threat.
“she aggressively prostrates herself or kind of presents herself as appealing specifically to the male gaze without first coming in”
- William Costello
Costello explained women's indirect competition style as an adaptation to the high ancestral cost of making enemies while caring for offspring.
“It's very costly for women to make enemies. Throughout ancestral history, they are responsible for the well-being of their offspring”
- William Costello
Costello described women collectively as acting like a cartel that polices the price of sexual access.
“women kind of, as a group, they're kind of like the cartel with the cost of sex. They have to kind of police each other on who's offering it for what”
- Chris Williamson
Williamson argued that simp shaming among men mirrors slut shaming among women as a price enforcement mechanism.
“Women are giving away sex without commitment and men are giving away commitment without sex”
- William Costello
Costello said he is writing a paper arguing that psychological scales measuring sexism and toxic masculinity pathologise men for attitudes celebrated in women.
“I'm writing a paper at the moment called The Mismeasurement of Men, and it's all about scales that seek to kind of pathologize men”
- William Costello
Costello cited research from Sarah Hill's lab finding that women mistrust women described as having more male than female friends.
“when you describe a girl as being a guy's gal, having more male friends than female friends, women mistrust her”
- William Costello
Costello said evidence on preferred breast size is mixed but that short-term mating-oriented men prefer larger breasts, which may contribute to women's hostility.
“short-term mating-oriented men prioritize big boobs. So that could be another part of the puzzle that's putting women off”
- William Costello
Costello claimed that in-group bias affected the O.J. Simpson jury, which he said could not sympathise with Nicole Simpson.
“the majority black female jury hated that and they just could not get any sympathy for her as a victim at all”
Linked moment · 51:18Skip to 51:18 using a listen link in the info box.
Chris WilliamsonWilliamson argued that men can raise their physical attractiveness more easily than women, mainly through going to the gym.
“it is significantly easier for a man to raise his physical attractiveness mate value than it is for a woman”
- William Costello
Costello cited statistics that around 30% of young men with gambling problems have felt suicidal and around 13% have attempted suicide.
“I think something like 13% have attempted suicide because of this”
- William Costello
Costello cited research from the American Institute for Boys and Men showing that legalising online gambling increases bankruptcy and debt among young men.
“when you legalize online gambling in a specific area bankruptcy among young men goes way up and they go into way more debt”
- Chris Williamson
Williamson said his show has been approached by many prediction market companies and he has declined all of them.
“we have been approached by every fucking prediction market on the planet over and over again. And I have turned every single one of them down”
- William Costello
Costello argued that modern social settings such as corporate workplaces reward the female style of indirect aggression more than the male style.
“It actually kind of rewards the female style of aggression way more than the male style”
- Chris Williamson
Williamson jokingly proposed that Sweeney's ads appear as distractions from inconvenient political news.
“Sidney Sweeney keeps being used as a distraction from geopolitically inconvenient news drops”
Listen from 1:03:32 · Sydney Sweeney Novig advertisement controversy
- William Costello
Costello said that pointing out hypocrisy persuades him personally, though he doubted it works generally because it may trigger tribal psychology.
“If someone points out a way in which I'm being hypocritical, I find that persuasive”
People
In the conversation
- Chris WilliamsonBritish podcaster and host of Modern Wisdom
- William CostelloIrish psychology researcher and Ph.D. student specialising in evolutionary psychology
Discussed
- Sydney SweeneyEuphoria actress
- Sabrina CarpenterAmerican pop singer contrasted with Sweeney
- Lindsay ClancyMassachusetts mother whose criminal case divided public opinion
- Michael O'LearyRyanair chief executive criticised for remarks about airline pricing
- Katie TaylorIrish professional boxer
- Sophie CunninghamWNBA player praised by the hosts
- Megan RapinoeAmerican former soccer player
- Louise PerryBritish writer associated with the maiden-mother-matriarch framing
- Tanya ReynoldsPsychology researcher on moral typecasting and gender
- Matt WalshDaily Wire commentator who explained the MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ acronym
- O. J. SimpsonFormer NFL player whose 1994 freeway chase was televised
Topics
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From the publisher
William Costello is a psychology researcher and Ph.D. student specialising in evolutionary psychology. Expect to learn why the internet is in an uproar of Sydney Sweeney's latest ad campaign, why so many women vehemently hate Sydney Sweeney and not other creators who do similar stunts, why Sydney became so polarising in the feminist movement, what the double standard Sydney Sweeney is held to says about the modern feminist agenda and much more... Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get the brand new Whoop 5.0 and your first month for free at https://join.whoop.com/modernwisdom Get 10% discount on all Gymshark products at https://gym.sh/modernwisdom (use code MODERNWISDOM10) Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at https://chatgpt.com Timestamps: (00:00) Has Sydney Sweeney Set Women’s Sports Back 40 Years? (11:36) Is the Backlash Worse Than the Ad? (12:53) Why Do Women Hate Sydney Sweeney? (23:12) Sydney vs Sabrina: Who Are They Performing For? (28:34) Why Do Women Downplay Themselves? (34:53) Would a Man Have Received the Same Backlash? (37:08) Can You Trust a “Guy’s Girl”? (39:52) Does Sydney Sweeney Challenge the Victim Narrative? (41:45) What Body Types Do Men Actually Prefer? (46:16) What Connects Sydney Sweeney and the Lindsay Clancy Case? (48:05) Do Women Resent Natural Beauty? (55:14) Should Gambling Ads Be Banned? (01:03:29) Is Sydney Sweeney Distracting Us From Bigger Stories? (01:04:40) Is Calling Out Hypocrisy Actually Persuasive? (01:07:30) Where to Find William Extra Stuff: See me live in the UK & Ireland this October: https://chriswilliamson.live Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/boo…
Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on October 10, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.