On July 29, at a WNBA game between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries, someone in the audience threw a green dildo onto the court. Then, at another Valkyries game, it happened again. After Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham wrote a post asking people to stop doing this, someone threw one at her too.

this did NOT age well. https://t.co/K1WGbOWEjJ

The basic dynamic here is familiar: A juvenile, sexist joke inspires copycats after getting attention and coverage; players acknowledge it, and the dildo-throwers escalate further. A 23-year-old has been arrested in connection with the first throw — “it was supposed to be a joke” to “go viral,” the man allegedly said — which is the sort of thing that might normally decelerate a meme cycle like........

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