MSNBC just posted a new Sexploration column, written by Brian Alexander. The column explores green sex toy options (something that we’ve covered at length on this blog here, here and here) and discusses the controversy around phthalates. Overall, I think the article is great - it points out both sides of the issues on phthalates and talks about how different sex toy shops (including Babeland!) handle it. He interviews Carol Queen from Good Vibrations and our own Anne Seamans! There are a couple of things that I wished he had addressed, however:

1. Brian states that some of the cheap toy makers are having to adapt because of a new concern about phthalates:

“[M]ost big manufacturers are offering silicone versions of some toys, in addition to glass, metal and elastomer rubber (something like the neoprene in wet suits) that are phthalate-free.”

What this article doesn’t mention, however, is that many of these companies also dress up phthalate toys with “silicone” labels. They look and feel a little different but when you open them up, they still off-gas and that is something that silicone should never, ever do. I worry about these toys because consumers shopping at more “traditional” (icky) sex toy stores might not know about these tricks and think they’re getting something they’re not (and paying for it too). At Babeland, we try to do as much research on the material of a toy as we can so that we can clear up these issues for customers.

2. The column also talks about the price differences between silicone/glass/etc toys and materials containing phthalates (usually Jelly Rubber) and states that phthalate toys are cheaper:

“Phthalate-containing materials are used… because they are cheap. Toys using them tend to be on the low end of the price scale. Silicone toys can be expensive by comparison because they can be difficult to manufacture and the material costs more.”

While I do agree that the sticker price of a phthalate-containing toy is much less expensive, in the long run, I actually think it probably evens out. As Alexander himself states, silicone toys are nearly indestructible. That means you might spend $70 or $100 on a toy but you’ll spend it once. If you’re buying Jelly Rubber, chances are you’ll come back for a replacement at least once if not more times because the material breaks down over time. Sometimes, you really do get what you pay for.

3. This brings me to my last point. I’m all for cheap sex toys. I know not everyone’s wallet is flush with cash (certainly mine is not) but I also feel strongly that of all of the places we’re going to cut corners to save a few bucks, our sex lives should not be one of them. These are orgasms we’re talking about here people! Don’t skimp! A good quality toy will give you pleasure for years to come. You’d invest so much more than that in getting the perfect pillow or frying pan - why not a sex toy?

Brian concludes by mentioning, and I agree, that one of the best things about this new awareness is that it’s largely consumer driven. Babeland has tried to help by providing you with what we know, but as you speak up, sex toy companies listen. So, keep demanding better quality and lower prices and it will happen. The sex toy industry makes billions of dollars per year - they can spend a bit of it on figuring out how to keep us happy and healthy.

photo by Kim Carney / msnbc.com

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Porn for women is certainly on the rise. This week’s Oprah magazine contains an article on porn for women written by the fabulous Violet Blue, author of the Smart Girls Guide to Porn.

This is a huge step for Oprah and I’m thrilled about it. Violet mentions some of my favorites including Comstock Films, Tristan Taormino and Candida Royalle. I’ve written about all of them here as well. I hope that Oprah’s readers try some of these movies. All-in-all, it’s a fantastic sign that we’re winning - little by little. If this, instead of the right-wing anti-porn morality, is what gets into Oprah’s magazine, things aren’t looking too bad. Now, if we could only get her to take a public stance on a woman’s right to choose. Do you know that in all her years on the air, she’s never once mentioned it?
Have you bought a copy of O magazine yet? I’d love to hear what you think of the article.

The New York Times has an article this week about a condom commercial from Trojan Condoms that has been rejected by both CBS and Fox. Neither station wants to show the commercial on their networks. Why? The commercial depicts pigs in a bar with beautiful women. One pig goes to the bathroom and buys a condom from a vending machine and is transformed into a handsome man. Now, the women will look at him. The tagline is: “Evolve: Use a Condom Every Time”

Despite the stereotypical messages around sexuality and the heteronormative bent of this ad, I like the message. It doesn’t use scare tactics and it’s not goofy to the point where you giggle and discount the whole thing. It’s sexy. In fact, it may be one of the first times that sex is actually used to sell… sex. This could be a beer commercial, but it’s better than a beer commercial. If we want to send a message that condoms make you sexier, I’m all for it.

Naturally, that is the problem that CBS and Fox have with these ads. They would prefer the scare tactics and shame. In fact, Fox says that they rejected the ads because:

“Contraceptive advertising must stress health-related uses rather than the prevention of pregnancy.”

Since when was pregnancy prevention not a health-related use? Last time I checked, pregnancy carries health risks just like STIs and relieving all of those fears, not just some of them, is what condoms are all about. Do CBS and Fox think that anyone who is against condoms will stop watching all of the programs on their network? Are they really going to get that many angry letters? I personally don’t see people who are opposed to condoms drawing a distinction between one condom ad and another.

In fact, the Trojan website for this campaign says the following

“America is not a sexually healthy nation. It’s time we evolved the way we take care of ourselves and our partners. It’s time we evolve our ideas about sex and condom usage. It’s time we evolve for a healthier sex life”

I know that at the end of the day it’s all about selling more condoms than their competitors but, I like Trojan’s style here. They’ve come along way from the “Trojan Man”. This campaign is about healthy sexuality, not fear and misguided moralism.

While we’re on the subject of ads that will our puritanical habits will oppose, I ran across some hilarious condom advertisements from other countries on Yuxt.com. My favorite ad is the last one which I have included below - it’s incredibly cute and surprising and hilarious. This is what condom advertisements should be like all the time. Check these out and tell your friends.

And if you want to see the pig commercial:

Argentinian condom ad: