2020 Tokyo Olympics "Anti-sex Beds" Hoax

About

2020 Tokyo Olympics "Anti-sex Beds" Hoax refers to a rumor that athletes' beds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which are made of cardboard, are supposedly designed to crumble under the weight of two people in order to discourage athletes from having sex. While there are anti-fraternization guidelines at the Tokyo Olympics due to the pandemic, the beds are made of cardboard to support sustainability and can support up to 440 pounds. The rumor that the beds would collapse under the weight of two people as an "anti-sex" measure was disproven by athletes at the games.

Origin

On July 14th, 2021, Argentinian news organization Olé^[3] posted an article claiming the beds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (taking place in 2021 after a delay due to COVID-19) only support the weight of one person and will break upon sudden movement and are thus "anti-sex beds" aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19. The site does not list a source to the claim. Later that day, the information was parroted by an unknown Twitter user, leading to a screenshot that went viral in several tweets joking about the supposed "anti-sex beds" (shown below).

Spread

On July 15th, 2021, Twitter user @Videotapezzz^[4] amplified the rumor after posting the screenshot with the joke, "I wonder if the most physically gifted people on the planet can figure out how to have sex standing up," gaining over 24,000 retweets and 252,000 likes (shown below).

On July 16th, American runner Paul Chelimo^[1] tweeted pictures of the athletes' beds at the Olympics, writing:

"Beds to be installed in Tokyo Olympic Village will be made of cardboard, this is aimed at avoiding intimacy among athletes. Beds will be able to withstand the weight of a single person to avoid situations beyond sports. I see no problem for distance runners,even 4 of us can do."

The tweet gained over 5,400 retweets and 27,000 likes (shown below).

Adding credence the claim is the fact the Olympics committee has generally discouraged fraternizing at the Olympics.^[2] Athletes have been given a safety guideline that has discouraged physical contact, such as a high five or a hug. Alcohol sales have been banned at the games, and the Olympics committee has drastically reduced the number of condoms typically given to athletes at the Olympics.

Chelimo's tweet attracted the attention of other athletes at the games and appeared to several news organizations to be the source of the "anti-sex bed" rumor.^[5][1] However, a press release from Inside The Games stated that the beds are made of cardboard for sustainability purposes, not chastity purposes. The beds "will be recycled into paper products after the Games, with the mattress components recycled into new plastic products. This will be the first time in Olympic and Paralympic history that all beds and bedding are made almost entirely from renewable materials," stated the release.^[5] The release also stated that the beds can hold up to 441 pounds. Athletes Village general manager Takashi Kitajima told the Associated Press the beds are actually "stronger" than wooden or steel-frame beds.

On July 17th, Irish gymnast Rhys Mcclenaghan posted a video debunking the anti-sex bed claim, specifically countering the "designed to break upon sudden movement" claim by jumping on the bed. "It's "fake news," he stated. The video gained over 7,000 retweets and 36,000 likes (shown below). The official Olympics Twitter account^[6] quote-tweeted the video, saying "Thanks for debunking the myth!"

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External References