No, it's not whimsical. People label sexual third parties “unicorns” and “dragons” because it’s cute and harmless. They aslo say it because plain language would expose the private truth of what is being asked, expected, and often paraded despite the secrecy. In all actuality, no one wants to say, “We are looking for a disposable human fluffer-buffer to help manage our boredom, and leave without expecting anything.” So instead, they reach for glitter and myth. Unicorn. Dragon. Pretty yet clandestine titles for lustful intentions.
These polyamory monikers have been replaced but not retired and as of ~2000, a more muted, less cartoonish upside-down pineapple symbol has been deemed as thee sign to look for. Its broadly accepted practicality for an action that is to be carried out by adults seems more appropriate, whereas unicorns and dragons bring about thoughts of My Little Pony and video games (cite: Hasbro and DnD) A side note to mention: Dungeons and Dragons and the term 'Unicorn' both derived from the 1970s; a decade where many tumultuous events kept a negative atmosphere looming about. It is believed that the terminology was adopted as a means to thwart parents back then. Nevertheless, it never really went away. Eventually, the term found itself in the adult world of today.
Why Myth Instead of Honesty, Why Keep It?
Because honesty forces accountability. Referring to the third party a friend requires acknowledging autonomy, emotions, boundaries, desires, and consequences. Myth erases all of that. A fantasy-based creature does not need validation. A Unicorn or Dragon does not destabilize a relationship. That is the appeal. Myth turns a risky emotional transaction into fantasy theater. It replaces responsibility with symbolism and calls it freedom.
The Unicorn Protocol:
The unicorn is not rare because of beauty or enlightenment. The unicorn is rare because the criteria are fundamentally contradictory. Be attractive. Be sexually available to both partners. Do not form attachments. The association is based on performance and reciprocity. Do not threaten the couple. Do not introduce complexity. Do not linger. Do not exist outside the fantasy. You are not a polygamous lover. Calling someone a unicorn allows couples to pretend that the act is sort of magical instead of mechanical. It sounds mystical and exceptional instead of predatory and transactional.
Dragons, Cuckold and Voyeurism:
Where unicorns are expected to blend in and disappear, dragons tend to symbolize male presence that is noticeable simply because it exists, not because it dominates. They are often imagined as powerful, but in reality they are frequently men of smaller stature or softer demeanor, whose real involvement is not aggression but visibility. The intensity projected onto them is less about physical threat and more about what they represent physically.
Dragons are rare not because they are dangerous, but because they disrupt fragile male ego structures. Husbands and boyfriends are far more comfortable being offended than they are confronting the pleasure or curiosity associated with another man entering the dynamic. It is safer to frame the idea as threatening than to admit desire, comparison, or vulnerability.
Euphemisms Exist to Avoid Guilt
Here is where the comparison gets uncomfortable. In pornography, a fluffer exists to prepare the scene. To keep things functional. To facilitate performance. They are not the focus. They are not meant to interfere with the narrative. In many real-world sexual arrangements, the so-called unicorn serves an eerily similar function.
They harp on desire. They validate attractiveness yet they stabilize insecurity. They enhance performance. And, most importantly, they disappear when inconvenient. Calling this role a unicorn is how people avoid saying that out loud. No one wants to admit they are recruiting for sex out of boredom. Couples mask their involvement in these trysts as being adventerous rather than the former. And many opt for discretion as a veil.
Enter the Pineapple
This is where swinger culture quietly exposes the whole charade. Swingers do not rely on mythology. They rely on signaling. The upside-down pineapple is not magical, poetic, or rare. It is practical. It says exactly what it means without pretending anyone involved is a creature, a fantasy object, or a symbolic stand-in.
The pineapple does not promise transcendence. It does not imply uniqueness. It does not erase humanity. It signals openness, consent, and mutual participation. Everyone involved is assumed to be a full person with boundaries, flaws, desires, and agency.
