I believe that sex is one of the most beautiful, natural, wholesome things that money can buy.

The humor hinges on a bait-and-switch. The opening clause sounds like a sincere affirmation—sex as “beautiful, natural, wholesome”—language associated with health education or romantic idealism. The final phrase, “that money can buy,” abruptly reframes sex as a commodity, exposing the tension between lofty cultural narratives and the realities of commerce, exploitation, and hypocrisy. In Martin’s hands, the line also satirizes the way public figures offer earnest-sounding pronouncements that collapse under scrutiny. The joke’s sting comes from its economy: a single appended clause turns moral uplift into cynical realism, forcing the listener to confront how easily ideals can be undercut by market logic.