HUNGRY. Espresso: Rory Sutherland How to Take a Dick Pic in 1987
Mar 5, 2026
Rory Sutherland, behavioural economist and advertising maverick, tells a hilarious anecdote about the practical hurdles of sending a genital photograph in 1987. He contrasts past logistics with modern ease. He also riffs on how older generations misjudge youth behavior by overlooking historical constraints.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Constraints Shape Social Norms Over Time
- Practical constraints shape social norms; many judged behaviors only became common once technology removed barriers.
- Rory contrasts the complex 1987 workflow with instant digital sharing to explain shifting norms.
Tech Lowers Friction So New Behaviors Appear
- Rory argues older generations complain about young people's strange behaviors without remembering technology made many acts previously impractical.
- The example of photo-sharing shows moral panics ignore how tech lowers friction and reshapes what people can practically do.
How Sending A Dick Pic Worked In 1987
- Rory Sutherland recounts how sending a dick pic in 1987 required film cameras, developing shops, fake names, phone boxes, envelopes and stamps.
- The long, awkward process made the act practically impossible and socially risky in small towns like Monmouth or Cumbrian towns.