Artist Danielle Egan Confirms Viral Polycule Flyers Were Satirical Stunt
Over 2,000 responses were received for the satirical recruitment drive, which Egan describes as a collaborative world-building exercise rather than a genuine scheme.
San Francisco artist and tech worker Danielle Egan has confirmed that a series of ten viral flyers posted on city poles were a satirical stunt, not a genuine recruitment effort. The advertisements, which sought a new member for a "polycule" and included a Notion application form requesting details such as waistline measurements and interest in a "breeding pool," sparked widespread online discussion and anger. Egan stated the project was intended to spark delight and engage strangers in a collaborative world-building exercise rather than to trick or deceive anyone.
The initiative received over 2,000 responses, generating significant discussion threads on social media platforms including X and Reddit. Egan clarified that while she hung only ten flyers while picking up a prescription, the physical nature of the posters combined with the tech-savvy Notion form contributed to the illusion of reality. She expressed surprise at the level of belief and the subsequent anger from some respondents, noting that the framing of the story by early commenters significantly influenced whether others perceived it as a joke or a genuine scheme.
Egan described the project as an "alternate reality game" where participants could add their own fake characters to the narrative, emphasising that it was never meant to be malicious. She noted that the secondary step of using Notion for the form felt very techy and aligned with a San Francisco tech bro stereotype, which may have helped sell the idea of it being a real, tactile thing to some observers.
Egan has a history of public stunts in San Francisco, including operating a fake high-end restaurant called "Mehran's Steakhouse" in New York City in 2023 and organising the citywide scavenger hunt "Pursuit." She is also a collaborator with San Francisco tech renegades, including software engineer and artist Riley Walz, who has created tools for viewing old internet videos and accessing the Jeffrey Epstein emails.
The term "polycule" refers to a visual representation of a polyamorous relationship network, a concept that became the central focus of the viral campaign. Egan previously launched other stunts, such as "Sit Club," an antithesis to run clubs, and a "Death Duel" involving inflatable boxing gloves to satirise complaints about gender ratios among tech workers.
Egan emphasised that what people often get wrong about these events is that they are not supposed to make people think they are real or make anyone the butt of the joke. She stated she is not trying to trick anyone and would not even call it a prank, but rather an inside joke meant to bring strangers into a little world she has created.
"It's never coming from a place of malice or trickery or deceit. It's always just that I want to spark delight," Egan said. She enjoys the world-building aspect of the project, comparing it to an activity where people can learn snippets about characters in a polycule world and introduce their own weird elements as part of the charade.
