The following article, Porn, Planes, and Peak Democrat Deflection, was first published on The Black Sphere.

The Flight, the Photos, and the Fallout

In what might go down as one of the more eyebrow-raising political scandals of the year, Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) is scrambling to contain a viral firestorm after being photographed apparently viewing salacious images on his tablet during a commercial flight.

On November 14, 2025, an X account called Dear White Staffers shared a post showing Sherman mid-airplane, staring at an iPad with his mouth agape. The images on his screen appear to be women in underwear, bikinis, or lingerie — definitely not your standard in-flight business reading material.

The post quickly went viral, racking up millions of views and igniting public backlash. One version reportedly amassed more than 12 million views in a single day.

Sherman’s congressional office pushed back quickly. According to a spokesperson, he never intentionally sought out explicit content — it “just came up” in the “For You” feed of his X app. He claims he was merely “scrolling through Twitter,” and the algorithm was doing the rest.

In an interview with Punchbowl News, Sherman admitted that he may have looked through more than 1,000 posts during his cross-country flight. “If you have to fly across the country, you look at a lot of stuff on your tablet,” he explained.

When asked directly whether the content was appropriate for public viewing at 35,000 feet, Sherman said:

“Is it pornography? I don’t think Elon Musk thinks so. Is it appropriate? No.” Newsweek+1

He also shrugged off the idea that he has a “problem” with pornography, though he conceded:

“If I see a picture of a woman, might I look at it longer than a sunset? Yeah.” The Daily Caller

Blame the Algorithm?

Sherman’s defense centers on one central claim: It’s not his fault — it’s Elon Musk’s algorithm. According to the congressman, X’s “For You” page served up the suggestive photos without his active input.

He laid the blame squarely at Elon Musk’s feet, accusing him of “ruin[ing] the X algorithm” by flooding users’ feeds with content they didn’t ask for. Sherman argues that the posts were algorithmic recommendations, not content he actively searched out.

This story reminds me of Andrew Gillum’s excuse when he was caught with a male prostitute. I wrote at the time:

As expected, Gillum issued a garbled statement in which he blamed his inebriated state on too much alcohol at a wedding.

“I was in Miami last night for a wedding celebration when first responders were called to assist one of my friends,” Gillum said in the statement. “While I had too much to drink, I want to be clear that I have never used methamphetamines. I apologize to the people of Florida for the distraction this has caused our movement.”

He went on to thank first responders and asked for privacy.

“I’m thankful to the incredible Miami Beach EMS team for their efforts. I will spend the next few weeks with my family and appreciate privacy during this time,” he added.

Too much to drink, eh?

The Political Context and Hypocrisy

Sherman isn’t exactly a stranger to controversy — or to high-stakes investigations. Over the years, he’s become known on Capitol Hill as a vocal advocate for releasing the Epstein files. And in true political telenovela fashion, he tried to leverage this alleged porn scandal to do exactly that.

According to reports, Sherman responded to the backlash by posting an edited version of one of the photos — replacing the images on his iPad with the words “RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES”. Fox News He even suggested that critics, including Donald Trump Jr., were pushing the story to distract from his demand for those files.

Look, in the game of political theater, that’s a bold move — but also a little performative, even for Capitol Hill. It reeks of deflection: caught in a compromising position, point the spotlight at something juicier, more scandalous, more … epstein-y.

Why This Matters (Beyond the Meme Potential)

There are a few deeper layers to this story beyond the shock value — and that’s where things get very interesting.

1. Public Decency vs. Private Behavior
   Sherman’s case raises serious questions about where the boundary lies between personal behavior and public responsibility. Yes, he’s a private adult with personal vices — but he’s also a public servant. When you’re flying across the country as a congressman, your PDA (public display of algorithm) becomes a potential liability. His claim that the content “just appeared” can’t fully erase the optics of a 71-year-old lawmaker ogling underwear-clad models in public.

2. Algorithm Accountability
   Sherman’s defense hinges on blaming X’s algorithm — and he’s not entirely wrong to question how platforms curate what we see. Algorithms are powerful, opaque, and often unaccountable. But is “it’s the algorithm” a valid excuse when basic judgment should (in theory) still apply? He’s demanding transparency from government (Epstein files), but not extending the same demand to Big Tech.

3. Political Weaponization of Scandal
   The way Sherman merged this controversy with his calls to release Epstein’s files is cunning, though a waste of time. He’s essentially turning a personal scandal into a political lightning rod. If he can shift the narrative from “soft-porn voyeur caught midair” to “martyr in the fight for Epstein transparency,” he might just get out of this with his brand mostly intact.

4. Hypocrisy & Liberal Moral Posturing
   For Democrats who love to posture as morally superior — the party that lectures on decency, on technology, on protecting the vulnerable — this is a bit of a stumble. Sherman’s argument that he’s an innocent tech victim glosses over that he’s also using this moment to score political points. If he truly believed in transparency and accountability, why redirect attention from his own behavior to Epstein instead of simply owning this moment?

Final Thought

The Brad Sherman airplane scandal is not just a funny meme — it’s a revealing microcosm of how modern politics, age, technology, and hypocrisy intersect. A 71-year-old Democrat caught “scrolling through X’s algorithm” isn’t just embarrassing — it’s a metaphor. Public office used as a theater, Big Tech used as an excuse, and a demand for transparency used as a distraction.

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