People, especially young adults need sex education. Some folks like to think that sexual knowledge leads to sluttiness. But that’s not true.  Sex information helps people have more satisfying sex and happier lives. Good adult sex ed. goes beyond procreation and disease prevention, it teaches the anatomy of pleasure and the physiology of arousal. It also encourages people to notice their feelings, communicate their desires and to expect sex to be pleasurable. Chaste or promiscuous, the sex they have will be better. Encouraging people, especially women, to insist on their right to sexual pleasure helps undermine a culture of drunken groping that leaves women feeling used.

One of the concerns of Yale President Richard Levin is that sex week is overly commercial. Babeland, for example, has offered workshops and discussions on the G-Spot, Oral Sex Tips, Sex Toys etc.,  and of course we always mention babeland.com. The fact is there are still very few resources for adult sex education, and Babeland is a good source of the accurate sex information and encouragement that is so needed. Although there are a few new academic programs in sexuality studies (SF State has a great one) and a handful M.D.s who have focused their practices on sex, there isn’t a large credentialed professional class of sex educators at the college level. For the most part today’s sex educators come from a grass roots movement of pleasure activists who have trained each other in non-institutional settings.

Sex education is a big part of our mission at Babeland and we do tons of outreach and in-store workshops that teach various aspects of human sexuality. Helping to empower folks around their sexuality is the juice that makes selling vibrators a thrill. Going to Yale has been a fun part of that. But if Yale wants a less commercial sex week, I hope they pay that forward with a program to train those educators at Yale. I’d love to see a pleasure focused Sexuality curriculum in every college and medical school in the country.

Until that happens the students at Yale are regrouping and are planning a new SWAY- Sex Week All Year. If they invite us we’ll be glad to be a part of it.

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This post, Yale Needs Sex Ed, originally appeared on Babeland's Blog on November 17, 2011. Tweet This Post!

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Many thanks to our co-sponsor Jimmyjane for donating the fantastic products that helped support this effort.

And since October is Family Sex Education Month, here are a few things you can do to help pay your own sex education forward to the next generation:

• Be prepared. If you’re wondering how to approach the topic, pick up a book like Third Base Ain’t What it Used to Be: What Your Kids Are Learning About Sex Today and How to Teach Them to be Sexually Healthy Adults by Logan Levkoff or Birds + Bees + YOUR Kids- A guide to sharing your beliefs about sexuality, love, and relationships by Amy Lang. Learn how to make sex education a normal part of life rather than one big scary talk.
• Be available. If your child asks you a sex question, even if you can’t answer it in the moment, make sure you circle back around to it later so you don’t leave a curious child in the dark.
• Be supportive. If you see a child of any age struggling, offer your support in a non-judgmental way. Helping teens find a useful website, a clinic, or a place to talk can make all the difference.
• Help other parents tackle sex ed—post a comment on the Moms in Babeland blog about your experience talking to kids about sex! Offer an open mind and friendly advice. Come to our next Talking With Your Kids About Sex event at a Babeland store in New York City or Seattle.

Through the Come for a Cause philanthropy program, Babeland donated $115,000 to 300+ organizations in 2010 and will exceed that in 2011. Look for your next opportunity to support organizations doing fantastic work in the community during Pink October. Babeland is partnering with Young Survival Coalition again to raise money for their work with women under the age of 40 with breast cancer. Let’s keep up the good fight!

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This post, Babeland Customers Donate Over $22,000 for Sex Education, originally appeared on Babeland's Blog on September 27, 2011. Tweet This Post!

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Babeland’s social history project debuts online at www.vintagevibrators.com. History buffs, techies, collectors, and sex toy fans should all enjoy these novel antiques.

Scroll through the exhibits, imagining yourself being treated for “hysteria” by one of the more tortuous looking devices, or marvel at the beauty-aid imagery used to market early-model vibrators to consumers. Wow your next dinner party guests with vibrator history anecdotes, including the ultimate proof that necessity is the mother of all invention: doctors experienced repetitive motion stress from manual stimulation of their patients, which ultimately led to the invention of this labor-saving device. You can even trace the lineage of your vibrator to its nineteenth century predecessor in the entertaining Modern Classics section.

One thing we learned during this project is that vintage vibrators come with stories. What’s yours? Did you find one in Grandma’s closet? In the attic of your new house? Share your story with us here or email a photo and the backstory to us at marketing@babeland.com and we’ll post it. We want to start a collection of your vintage sex toys, so if we post your photo, we’ll send you a coupon good for $10 off your next order.

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This post, All Abuzz About Vintage Vibrators, originally appeared on Babeland's Blog on September 19, 2011. Tweet This Post!

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Cosmopolitan surveyed women about sex, dating and relationships. Only 20% of the women who responded said they were “Completely satisfied – wouldn’t change a thing” when asked “How satisfied are you with your sex life?”. That’s really upsetting and means we have our work cut out for us here at Babeland. Maybe a survey of our own is in order, too.

Trojan hopes its ‘Good Vibrations’ truck will stimulate a discussion about sex — and we do, too. Babeland’s co-founder and the co-author of Moregasm: Babeland’s Guide to Mind-Blowing Sex, Claire Cavanah, was there for the debut Thursday, July 28th and was interviewed by one of our fave sex educators, Logan Levkoff. We’ll post a video from the truck soon. Meanwhile, check out the Tri-Phoria vibe if you want a versatile new toy.

A male porn star speaks: James Deen sits down with Salon to wax poetic about sex as art — and begs you not to learn your moves from him. This is an insightful interview from Salon that let’s us get to know a person that most mainstream media outlets aren’t profiling. If you’re curious about James, you can see him in Pirates II: Stagnetti’s Revenge.

10 Famous Ladies Who Like It Kinky  Rihanna, Nicole Kidman, Britney Spears and more! By the way, RiRi, you can shop privately at Babeland anytime you want and we promise we won’t call the National Enquire or any other paparazzi.

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This post, Inspiration, Information and Just Because – Link Love, originally appeared on Babeland's Blog on August 2, 2011. Tweet This Post!

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This article sounds techy but the Luddites will appreciate it, too, and it features our friends at Jimmyjane prominently. Lessons Interface Designers Can Learn from Teledildonics: Third-wave human-computer interaction, where users engage with machines on an emotional and even physical level, saw little expression in the marketplace, until a bunch of geeks jumped ship for the sex toy industry.

Joan Rivers teaching sign language for “orgasm” on The View. Hilarious!

20 Songs About Cunnilingus, can you think of others?

German Greens Warn of Dangerous Dildos  Phthalates are an issue we’ve talked about extensively and Babeland’s toys are all phthalate-free so you can shop with confidence and peace of mind for your health.

Top 5 Female Sex Fantasies … And What They Mean by Ian Kerner

What’s with the “sexless” trend? Recent reports of a backlash against sex are bogus, but they do reveal very real fears.

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This post, Inspiration, Information, Just Because – Link Love, originally appeared on Babeland's Blog on July 18, 2011. Tweet This Post!

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• Take the batteries out and make sure your vibe isn’t going to turn itself on in your suitcase or the overhead bin.
• Use the travel lock on your rechargeable toy if it has one. Many do.
• Follow the 3-1-1 rule and travel with 3 ounces or less of lube, massage oil, and other liquids. Lubettes are great for travel. Perfect size and the packets are disposable.
• Take along restraints in silk, satin, or another material that’s less likely to draw attention than something with a chain.
• If you’re really nervous, a Duckie vibe or Lipstick vibe travels incognito and no one in line will know the difference if it gets pulled out of your bag.
• Size matters, according to the TSA. The general rule is that screwdrivers, etc less than 7 inches are allowed. If you’re bringing a large metal toy, like the Eleven, on vacation, something less than 7 inches is less likely to be noticed.
• Know the laws if you’re going to a foreign country. Porn is illegal in Saudi Arabia, for instance. Do a little research before you leave.

For more suggestions, check out this article, Have Toys Will Travel, here on babeland.com. Happy first day of summer!

Share your travel tips or horror stories about traveling with toys with us in the comments.

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This post, Travel with Sex Toys is OK Says TSA, originally appeared on Babeland's Blog on June 21, 2011. Tweet This Post!

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Recently, the Observer, the New York Times and the Village Voice all published articles on the possibility that “sex was dead” – it simply isn’t something we can fit into the daily schedule. And it makes sense. If a person works 14 hours a day, or they have children (or they work 14 hours and have children), sex might as well be the last thing on their mind at the end of a hard day. I know for myself: talking about sex at work all day, while it may seem like a natural aphrodisiac, can actually have the opposite effect. Sex can start to seem painfully like work, especially when it is your work.

It’s not just simply being busy that stops us from getting horny, though. There has been studies that suggests that especially in women, sexual function can be adversely affected on a physical level by life’s distractions, financial concerns, fatigue, workaholism and anxiety about sexual performance or a potentially negative sexual experience. So not only aren’t you in the mood, but your lifestyle can also be contributing to you not getting in the mood. Luckily, there is also recent research that suggests that reading erotic literature, masturbating and getting physical exercise are great ways to enhance sexual desire and improve sexual stimulation.

So maybe now is a good time for those of us who can’t even conceive of fitting something else into our schedule (including, well, sex with our partner) to start thinking about sex differently. It doesn’t always have to be an obligatory 15 minutes well after our bedtime, it can also be the sexual and emotional connections we make with our loved ones. Spend time with your sweetheart doing the things that are intimate, be it a romantic dinner, shopping (maybe toy shopping?), or just a casual TV night. Attend a workshop; we have some great ones this month that focus on ways to get relaxed, re-focused and turned on, such as the NYC Yoga Positions for Sex workshop or the Seattle Healthy Communication in Relationships and Sex, Sanity and Sleep workshops. But most of all, take this opportunity to acknowledge yourself as a busy person who can’t do everything. Unless human cloning happens sometime soon.

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This post, A Modern Life of All Stress, No Sex?, originally appeared on Babeland's Blog on April 19, 2011. Tweet This Post!

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaxBR1AiFS4

And Babeland customers have their own way to show their support, too! Buy Proper Attire condoms at any Babeland store or online and proceeds will go to support Planned Parenthood. How cool is that?

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This post, I Have Sex (And I Support Planned Parenthod), originally appeared on Babeland's Blog on March 16, 2011. Tweet This Post!

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I have to admit, after about a half hour or so of online research, I couldn’t really say that I knew what really went on in this classroom. The coverage felt as unsatisfying and as ineffective as a censor’s floating black rectangle over a pair of breasts. I had an idea of what the story looked like, without the actual details.

Thankfully, Salon.com’s staff writer Tracy Clark-Flory published an interview with John Michael Bailey, which (in addition to the breadcrumbs I’d already found) filled in many of those blanks for me. I discovered that the class had watched a video during the formal class on female ejaculation and the G-spot (two areas of contention within human sexuality) and having observed that video themselves, the panelists for the “Network for Kinky People” offered to demonstrate how a woman ejaculates, utilizing a modified electric saw (presumably with a insertable toy attached). The woman involved (whose name, incidentally, as well as personal photos, have been distributed widely with the story – far more so than her partner’s) thus disrobed and she and her partner engaged in a sexual act involving the toy.

Now, obviously, this demonstration was explicit, as it contained nudity and penetration. Yet as Clark-Flory herself points out, “aren’t we overreacting a bit?” The primary motivation voiced by the panelists was their belief that the video (which may or may not have been pornographic) ineffectively demonstrated the dynamics of stimulating the G-spot to ejaculation. Bailey himself did multiple check-ins with the students to affirm that the material was explicit and that those who were uncomfortable could leave.

The question is, then, where is the harm? Perhaps the perceived harm comes at least in part from the “Edited for TV” approach reporters seem to be taking, rather than stating what actually happened in this classroom. If the incident is indeed as Bailey accounts it, it served an educational purpose of teaching students what a woman achieving G-spot orgasm might look it (as well as how to do it). Also, for any artist who has taken a drawing class (or a medical student who has observed a pelvic exam, for that matter), nudity serves its place in the classroom. Furthermore, those who remained in the classroom to observe it had a genuine interest in being there. Still, regardless of these nuances, the treatment of the demonstration as media story mirrors the way we seem to treat sexuality in general: foggy titillations that fails to deliver actual information.

What do you think? Did Bailey go to far in allowing this in a classroom? Or do you think it’s media hype? For another perspective on this topic, check out what Babeland’s co-founder Rachel has to say over at Moms in Babeland.

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This post, Sexuality Education or “Live Nude Girl”?, originally appeared on Babeland's Blog on March 4, 2011. Tweet This Post!

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Babeland: Tell our customers a little bit about how Cal Ex began.

Susan: In the early 1990’s, I was working as the General Manager of a full-service adult products distributor that sold magazines, books, videos, and a handful of adult novelty items imported from the Far East. When the owners of that company decided to close after a long and very expensive legal battle with the US Federal Government, I saw a future for myself and a handful of loyal employees in the novelty business. I worked out a deal with the owners to purchase the existing “Swedish Erotica” branded line of toys, and California Exotic Novelties was born. There were about 200 products in the “Swedish Erotica” line that we took over, almost all of which were packaged for a male audience.

Babeland: How did you get here from “Swedish Erotica,” and what’s the biggest difference between Cal Ex then and Cal Ex now?

Susan: Our product line is 180º from where we started. While we make plenty of  products for men, our primary focus is to create products that a woman finds pleasing to the eye, touch, and function. When we first started making vibrators in bright colors, plenty of our distributors (and our competition) thought we were out of our minds. But we knew it was only a matter of time before women would find their own path to pleasure, so we persisted. We have a great creative staff in product development, package design, and manufacturing. It has definitely paid off, not just for California Exotic Novelties, but for women around the world.

Babeland: How many slimline vibes did you produce when you first started?  And how many varieties do you now produce?

Susan: We sold two types (“Rainbow Slimline” and “Rainbow Super-Slim”), with ten colors each.  Our selection today includes hundreds of slimline designs, shapes, colors, textures, and finishes. And we’re careful to provide as large a size selection as possible, from super-slim to extra-girthy.

The first slimline series of vibrators that we sold was called “Raquel,” and featured a photo of a naked girl on the front AND back of the packaging. Looking back, I see the influence of the male-dominated buying public. We were able to convince distributors and retailers to start stocking multiple colors, but the industry wasn’t ready for more sophisticated packaging.

Babeland: How have your female customers affected your toy development over time?

Susan: Our female customers’ needs have evolved as technology has changed. In the early days, for example, we tried selling rechargeable vibrators, but learned that they didn’t sell at the retail level.  We saw great potential, but the consumer wasn’t ready for it. We ended up discontinuing the items at a huge loss; it took years for those products to find their audience. We also introduced several other features that are now taken for granted in sex toys:  waterproof, remote control, phthalate-free, and multi-function.

Also, the internet has proven to be a great educator regarding pleasure products, their uses, and features. Women can now easily access any number of sites that educate and explain the various products that we manufacture. Our complete line includes over 3000 items, so it’s a daunting task to explain the differences without that resource.

Also, we spend months on the road visiting not just our distributors, but also retailers, home party businesses, and E-tailers. The feedback that we receive is invaluable, and we honestly try to incorporate these comments into our products.

Babeland: What’s one of the most popular toys you make for women?  And why do you think women love it so much?

Susan: Recently, the Butterfly Kiss arouser has pushed the popular Jack Rabbit model off its pedestal. The Butterfly Kiss is designed for simultaneous G-spot and clitoral arousal, in an easy-to-hold and maneuverable shape. This item has quietly climbed to the #1 position on our bestsellers list.  I think women like the idea of a dual-purpose arouser without a lot of moving parts; it’s easy to use, and its function is easily understood.

Babeland: When you look around the sex toy market, is there another company’s toy that you wish you’d invented?

Susan: Not for one second! Our success is about our own creativity, never about what someone else has done. We find it creates negative energy to waste time trying to emulate rather than innovate. Sure, new companies have sprung up, and existing companies have come up with new and exciting products… those creations define who they are. California Exotic Novelties is all about well-built, easily available products across all price points; we’re driven creatively by the in-house abilities of the great people at our company.

Babeland: Where do you see your sex toy designs moving in the future?  What are some trends you’re noticing?

Susan: We’ve essentially seen an entire industry emerge over the 17 years we’ve been in business, from small mom-and-pop adult stores to the more glamorous large retailers popping up all over the world. Add to that the very refined specialty shops with loyal followings, like Babeland, and it’s clear that the buying demographic has changed completely over the years. The power of the internet, with all the resources available, has made our users more product- and technology-savvy than ever (and hip to materials, functions, and what a product will do for them).

Our trending points to more high-tech products at the top-end price range of products, but our well-priced products are the mainstay of our high-volume business.

Babeland: If you could ask our customers one question, what would it be?

Susan: What’s your favorite toy, and what changes would you like made to it? Our best ideas come from you!  We’re grateful for all of the support we’ve received since we opened our doors, and we look forward to many more years in a business that we love.  The business of pleasure:  what could be more exciting than that?

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This post, Brand of the Month: Cal Exotics! An Interview with Susan Colvin, President, originally appeared on Babeland's Blog on March 1, 2011. Tweet This Post!

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