Barney the Dinosaur was always a beacon of positivity and love — and apparently, the actor behind the popular childhood icon is carrying that same attitude into his new career.
David Joyner, the man who wore the big purple dino suit for the PBS series Barney & Friends from 1991 to 2001, has traded in the T. Rex life for the tantric life, and now works as a tantric sex guru in Los Angeles.
According to an in-depth VICE report, Joyner began his tantric sex workshop in 2004, and now charges women (or “goddesses,” as he calls them) $350 for a three-to-four hour session aimed at “unblocking” their energies. In the interview with VICE, Joyner emphasizes that, although he does frequently engage in consensual intercourse with his clients as part of the workshop’s progression, sex is not always part of the deal.
“Not all of my sessions have sex or ‘spiritual intimacy.’ It’s only in the full-sessions, when someone is ready to take the sexual energy to a higher level,” Joyner says. Apparently, the first session consists of a bath, chakra realigning and a massage — and if some of the women just happen to reach completion from these activities, well, so be it.
While the idea of a former, beloved childhood dinosaur partaking in tantric sex workshops might be somewhat uncomfortable in itself, there are other dicey dynamics at play in Joyner’s practice. Apparently, Joyner doesn’t favor using condoms during the tantric sex, as it “blocks” energy — a stance which several health workers and tantric sex therapists tell VICE is kind of “shady.” It’s also somewhat problematic to have a sexual relationship with clients, regardless of the business, as the power dynamic makes consent a slightly grayer area.