'Polyamory Is The Ultimate Expression Of Bourgeois Individualism,' According To Latest Twitter Discourse

It all started with an article in New York Magazine authored by Allison Davis, the same mind behind the famous "Vibe Shift" piece back in 2022.

"What Does a Polycule Actually Look Like?" profiles a web of relationships between New Yorkers called Nick, Sarah, Anna and Alex, describing the day-to-day existence of a polycule.

There's talk of "undulating" and "jealousy," a lot of "advanced therapy speak," and the cover image of the magazine's issue shows a group of cats hugging each other.

It was, in other words, a media product with all the trappings, triggers and cues of a discourse-spawning event.

Ethical non-monogamy has been in the news, with perhaps the most high-profile recent case concerning Sam Bankman-Fried and the reported polycule that existed at the top of FTX.

People on X / Twitter had a lot to say about the topic, but one of the hottest and most prominent takes belonged to Tyler Austin Harper, a professor at Bates College, who wrote in a thread that polyamory was "the ultimate expression of bourgeois individualism."

For Harper, the ways in which polyamory turns people and relationships into disposable objects is not a rebellion against oppressive structures at all but a giving in to them.

Some online agreed with Harper's take, but others pushed back. As the discussions surrounding the recent media coverage spread on social media, some also found the use of Marxist jargon and framing inappropriate for discussing polyamory.

Others analyzed the situation from the perspective of media and cultural discussion in general.

But during this whole event, a considerable amount of posts were also from people talking about how they did not care about the discourse at all. These posters said polyamory was not relevant to them and they were sick of hearing about it on the internet.

What the future holds for ethical non-monogamy is unclear. The trend may stick around, or it may not. But one thing remains eternal: People on the internet are committed to arguing about essentially everything.