Lily Phillips’ attempt to sleep with 100 men in 24 hours has sparked widespread attention, fueled by a new YouTube documentary that captures the event in all its unsettling voyeurism. While the story may seem to center on Lily, the real conversation that needs to emerge is far broader and more urgent.

Lily, a 23-year-old from Derbyshire, entered the adult entertainment industry at 18, making £2,000 on her first day on OnlyFans. After leaving university, she began collaborating with men in her content, and her TikTok videos documenting these experiences reportedly earn her a six-figure monthly income. She markets herself as a symbol of empowerment—a woman profiting from her sexuality in an industry built on insatiable demand. Yet, as the documentary unfolds, this narrative of empowerment reveals a darker undercurrent.

The Challenge and the Fallout

Lily’s challenge to sleep with 100 men in one day has brought fleeting fame alongside intense online abuse. Critics accuse her of objectifying herself and tarnishing the image of women. However, the documentary raises deeper concerns about her mental and physical health.

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“I get serotonin from when people are like, ‘Oh my God, you’re that slut from the internet,’” Lily says to interviewer Josh Pieters early in the film.

Pieters responds with skepticism: “I know you’re saying that to me right here, but I just don’t believe that.”

Lily defends herself: “I kind of love ruffling feathers… people get agitated by the fact that I’m a slut.”

Despite her outward confidence, the documentary exposes an internal struggle. Lily’s desperation to prove something to herself becomes increasingly evident, and the challenge descends into exhaustion, guilt, and dehumanization.

The Role of the Men

Outside the London Airbnb, men line up to participate, responding to Lily’s social media call. Pieters interviews them briefly, asking questions about their motivations:

• “How long have you been a fan of Lily?”
• “Do you know how many guys have been before you?”
• “Does that bother you?”

Most respond with indifference or monosyllabic answers. Some view it as a personal challenge, while others return for a second attempt, hoping to “redeem themselves.” One man admits to spending £800 to fly from Switzerland for the experience, calling it “worth it.”

Yet Pieters stops short of challenging their entitlement or exploring their complicity in a culture that commodifies women. This oversight underscores a broader issue: the systemic normalization of viewing women as objects of consumption.

The Toll on Lily

As the event drags on, Lily admits to becoming mechanical, a symptom of the dehumanization inherent in the process.

“By the 30th guy, I was just going through the motions… it’s like I’ve got a routine now,” she confesses.

Her friends scramble to find more participants as the night wears on, reducing Lily to a tool for meeting expectations. Exhausted and overwhelmed, she reflects on the emotional toll:

“Sometimes you dissociate, like it’s not normal at all.”

In one of the film’s most poignant moments, Lily breaks down, expressing guilt for not satisfying every participant. “I felt pressure, like I didn’t make them finish, and they traveled so far. I didn’t want to give them a bad experience,” she says, sobbing.

The Unanswered Questions

The documentary fixates on Lily’s journey but leaves critical questions about the men involved unanswered:

• What drives them to participate in such an exploitative spectacle?
• How do they justify their actions, and how might their personal relationships with women be affected if those close to them knew?
• Do they ever consider the immense pressure and harm women like Lily face in this industry?

By allowing the men to remain faceless and anonymous, the film fails to hold them accountable, perpetuating a culture where their actions go unexamined.

The Broader Issue

The real problem isn’t Lily Phillips; it’s the cultural and systemic structures that enable and encourage this behavior. Platforms like OnlyFans profit from the commodification of women’s bodies, while societal narratives often shift blame onto the women involved, ignoring the men who perpetuate and escalate this exploitation.

The parallels to other stories of exploitation, such as the recent case involving Gisèle Pelicot, are striking. Whether it’s men accused of violent crimes or those queuing to participate in Lily’s challenge, the common thread is a culture that normalizes objectification and shields men from accountability.

Shifting the Conversation

The focus shouldn’t be on Lily alone but on the men who fuel this system and the platforms that profit from it. Until we confront these broader forces and challenge the complicity of those who participate, women will remain trapped in a cycle of exploitation.

This documentary shouldn’t be a spectacle of Lily Phillips’ choices but a call to examine the structures that created this scenario. Real change will come only when we shift the narrative from individual actions to systemic accountability.