Eighteen years ago, filmmaker Chris Bell made a big splash on the festival circuit with a wonderful and provocative documentary about steroids called Bigger Stronger Faster*. (Yes, the asterisk is part of the title.) Rather than slamming sports stars and bodybuilders who juice as contemptible cheaters, the movie takes a more nuanced approach, ultimately arguing that there are all sorts of ways for athletes to gain a competitive advantage—and that it might make more sense to normalize and regulate the use of steroids than to ban them from competition completely. I wonder what Bell would make of the Enhanced Games, a nascent athletic contest with an irresistible hook: Competitors are welcome and even encouraged to use any number of controlled substances, with doctors concocting cocktails for them that might include testosterone, anabolic steroids, growth factors like HGH and EPO, hormone and metabolic modulators, and stimulants like Adderall. Clara Molot’s deep dive into the games is absorbing—especially accompanied by Mateusz Stefanowski’s photos, which show several enhanced athletes showing off their pharmaceutically assisted physiques.
Elsewhere, The Onion is foiled once more in its quest to acquire Alex Jones’s conspiracy mecca Infowars; Nick Reiner heads to court; and Meryl Streep walks us through a few of her favorite Meryl Streep movies. More tomorrow!
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HILLARY BUSIS,
SENIOR EDITOR
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Most drugs are banned in the world of elite sports, but not at the Enhanced Games. In this competition—backed by Peter Thiel, Donald Trump Jr., and Saudi royalty—the athletes are guinea pigs. And if those backers have their way, you’re next.
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An eleventh-hour ruling means Collins and his satirical newspaper The Onion have come up short once again in their quest to play the ultimate joke on Alex Jones. “Is this the most elaborate bullshit that I’ve ever had to encounter to get around to something that I thought was just a nice thing to do? Yes, it is,” Collins tells VF.
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Reiner has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the deaths of his parents, Rob and Michelle. In the same courthouse where OJ Simpson stood trial for murder, Reiner’s case is already drawing cameras—if not yet answers.
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Mamma mia! After 50-plus years into her career, Meryl Streep has some stories. From her “beef” with Goldie Hawn to love scenes with Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning actor revisits classic scenes from her filmography.
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At the King’s Trust Gala, Anna Wintour, Karlie Kloss, and Donatella Versace mingled with the King and Queen of England amid multimillion-dollar art.
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Kiese Laymon nearly gambled away his life on sports betting, an experience the renowned writer details in a searing personal essay for the Sports 2026 issue.
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