Sentence:  More significantly, rigid deference to Bieber's still-young core fan base keeps things resolutely PG, with any acknowledgement of sex either couched in vague “touch your body” workarounds or <WSD>downgraded</WSD> to desirous hand-holding and eye-gazing. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To 'dumb down', reduce in complexity, or remove unnecessary parts.