Polling data about the sex lives of young adults left the CNN set in shambles after it was presented by data guru Harry Enten.
Enten on Sunday took a brief detour from some of the most pressing issues concerning Washington, D.C. to talk a bit about American lifestyle choices. Using data from Gallup and GSS, Enten explained how Americans are “cutting back” on a variety of activities:
Yeah, I mean, my goodness gracious, this is a huge decline. Americans who drink alcohol — we are looking at the lowest level since the 1930s. What are we talking about? Just 54%, on occasion, Americans say that they drink alcohol. That’s down from four points last year; that’s down from 62% in 2023; and it is way down from the record high, the last year that that happened, when it was 71% back in 1978. This record low is being driven by younger folks — and Republicans, as well — as they increasingly view the idea of drinking as an unhealthy habit.
Enten then brought up another set of data on smoking. In 1974, 40% of people said they had smoked in the last week. In Gallup’s latest poll, that number dropped to just 11%.
Then CNN anchor Kate Bolduan teed Enten up to get into the final part of the segment:
BOLDUAN: And people watching are also going to see this tab; and are you — you’re saying that people
are giving up vices — and you think sex is a vice?ENTEN: I’m not saying that sex is a vice. According to some people, perhaps it’s a vice. It’s not a vice according to the Harry Enten school of thought; but “bow chicka wow wow,” going down.
That comment got a laugh out of Bolduan and several others on set. Enten continued:
ENTEN: What are we talking about? No sex at all in the last year, as Kate’s off on the side laughing it up–BOLDUAN: I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m not laughing. I’m not entirely sure.ENTEN: She’s doing something. She’s not even sure.BOLDUAN: I’m blushing under all of this makeup.ENTEN: She’s blushing! There we go! In the 1990s among all adults, no sex at all in the last year was 18%. In 2024, look at that: no sex at all up again 10 points. Look at here: those 18 to 21, look at that! Twenty-four percent in the 1990s. It’s the younger folks who are giving up sex. Look at that percentage. Doubled! Doubled no sex in the last year. Maybe they do need a little bit of alcohol. Maybe those two are related.
Laughter could again be heard around the set
“I have so many things — so many things —
Watch above via CNN