Babeland's Blog

Link Love from Babeland

Dallas — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:29:50 +0000

Here’s what we’ve been reading this week:

Did you know that loud sex is cause enough for the police to search your home? If you’re a loud-sex person, you may want to consider sound-proofing.

I was completely fascinated by this piece from a woman who has diabetes about her insulin pump and sex.

Did you hear about the high school prom that was shut down (that’s right – canceled) because one girl wanted to bring another girl and one of them wanted to wear a tux? Give me a break.

Norrie May-Welby of Australia is the first person to have “gender non-specified” on their ID. Love it – wish we could do that here!

Larry Flint is going to write a history of the Presidents’ sex lives. I’m confessing right now – I’m going to read it.

Cory Silverberg at About.com has yet another great article, this time about Erectile Dysfunction.

Heather Corinna, sex educator extraordinaire at Scarleteen has a new sex ed survey about casual sex. We here at Babeland highly recommend that you take it. Susie Bright does too.

Get Lucky and Get Some Green!

Dallas — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:08:31 +0000

If you’re feeling a little green around the gills from having too much “fun” last night, we have a little something to help you recover. Nothing like a little sex toy sale to remind us that March is halfway over and spring is on the way!

Don’t forget! Babeland Facebook friends win sex toys!

Dallas — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:50:51 +0000

Just a little reminder that all this month, we’re giving away one Fun Factory toy per day to people who are our friends on Facebook. We’ve made lots of new friends and if you haven’t friended us, now is the time! You still have two more weeks left to win.

See all the details here.

Porn for Women

Dallas — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:40:57 +0000

Feminist porn, porn for women, porn for couples – in the past few years, porn has shifted directions a bit, moving away from the Cum On My Face #14 gonzo films that stocked porn stores everywhere. Well, actually, they still do, but there are some newer kids on the block, too.

What does it mean when a film is called “porn for women” though? First, this implicitly sets up the idea that all other porn is “porn for men”, not something that women would ever want to watch. Second, it claims to have some idea of what “women” in general want. Sometimes, that boils down to people who are into each other having a lot of fun – a concept I think we can all get behind. It can also mean playing to stereotypes about all women wanting candles and flowers and love poems and massages.

The reason I have a problem with the idea of “porn for women” is that, anecdotally, I just don’t experience it. I’ve spent five years talking to Babeland customers about porn and I’ve meet just as many men who are absolutely fed up with what they’re supposed to love and many women who are looking for something with some hardcore action in it.

What the people I talk to have in common is that they want to see people having realistically good times – getting off, having fun, etc. The activities vary but the theme is the same. A porn can have all of the candles and love poems in the world, but if one person still looks bored, it doesn’t matter.

That’s where I think the idea of feminist porn comes in. Instead of relying on stereotypes about women, these films explore and explode those stereotypes. Instead of fake pleasure, these films search for real orgasms, laughter, and surprise.

No matter who you are, if you’re looking for porn that is an alternative to the mainstream, check out the Feminist Porn Awards for a list of past winners for a place to start, or look at our DVD selections – they’re all movies we love. Some favorites include:

Claire and Rachel talk about Moregasm

Dallas — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:31:22 +0000

Check out this awesome (and hilarious) video with Claire and Rachel, Babeland co-founders extraordinaire, talking about our favorite new book, Moregasm.

Babeland Smart Balls

Dallas — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:13:15 +0000

There are new smart balls on the block! In case you didn’t know, smart balls help to exercise your Kegel muscles, which can lead to stronger orgasms. Just insert one or two balls vaginally and squeeze around them – it’s like going to the gym for your vagina! You can even wear them while walking around so you can strengthen your orgasms while you do the dishes or clean your apartment – talk about double tasking…

I love these Babeland Smart Balls because they’re super cute and they’re made of silicone, one of our highest quality materials. Just wash them with soap and water and they’re ready to go the next time you are.

Fun Factory Vibrator Love

Abby — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:13:20 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I live in a part of the country where it’s officially starting to be Spring. Not to rub it in or anything, but the birds are chirping, little blossoms are poking out on the branches, and everyone’s mood is starting to catch up with the weather. And while big ol’ jackhammer vibrators may be good for winter, when Spring rolls around, I want the bright colors and whimsical (yes, whimsical) designs of the new Fun Factory vibrators. I challenge you to look at the Bubbles vibrator (pictured here) and not smile. I mean, how cute can a sex toy be? It’s bubbly! And adorable! I want to dress it up in special outfits and carry it around like a little dog or something.

Conveniently, Fun Factory is also one of our favorite sex toy companies — they’re environmentally responsible, super-concerned with quality, and they’re always refining their designs to better suit their customers’ needs. What more could you want? We love them so much, we interviewed their founders to learn a little more about their humble beginnings and their newest toys. Enjoy!

Link Love from Babeland

Dallas — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:01:43 +0000

Here’s what we’ve been reading this week:

The Vatican rocked by a gay sex scandal? I’m… surprised? No, that’s not the word…

The amazing photographer Dave Naz is doing a new project shooting a new series about queer folks on the masculine spectrum. He’ll be in San Francisco on the 18th if you’ll be in town and are interested. More info from Jiz Lee here.

Speaking of Jiz Lee, they have a new fundraising project involving hot online photos! It’s called KarmaPervs and it’s awesome. Check it out and donate!

The nominations for the Feminist Porn Awards are out – yay!!!

Lada Gaga is wearing a strap-on for this Q magazine cover. That is all.

Apparently “marital aids” are the most common thing left behind by tenants when they move out of an apartment. Who leaves their sex toys behind? Clearly these people aren’t shopping at Babeland.

Think the anti-choice movement can’t shock you anymore? Read this article from the New York Times about how they’re courting African-Americans by using race-baiting tactics. Scary.

Join Queer The Census! Because we should be counted.

Johnny Weir may not have won gold at the Olympics, but he wins the gold in my heart for the following statement:

“There’s a whole generation of people that aren’t defined by their sex or their race or by who they like to sleep with. I think as a person you know what your values are and what you believe in, and I think that’s the most important thing.”

Kelly Cutrone Convinces Bravo to Air Babeland Sex Toy Episode on TV

anne — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:07:01 +0000

Kelly Cutrone, the star of the Bravo TV reality show “Kell on Earth” shopped at Babeland for an upcoming episode (see clip below). Upon learning that the episode was slated to appear only on Bravo’s web site, Kelly went to the mat with the powers that be to get the episode aired on TV (next week beginning Monday at 10 PM, check Bravo schedule for other airings). When she called to let us know, first we had the equivalent of a virtual orgasm, and then we pressed her for more details. Here’s what Kelly had to say about the episode:

Why was it important to you that Bravo air this on TV and not just the web?
This is a really beautiful women’s story, with a subject (sex) that is hard to talk about, and where women have a lot fewer role models. I visited Babeland because my doctor’s receptionist talked to me about her sex life–one woman reaching out to another woman to get this information. And vibrators have been one of women’s best kept secrets. Our show is about women and power, and now housewives are going to watch me shopping for sex toys, and see it as a fun and celebratory thing. (editor’s note: Kelly picked up the Bunny Love Kit, the SaSi vibrator, and some lube.)

What did you have to do to convince Bravo to air it on TV? Were they afraid of making viewers uncomfortable?
Oh no, it wasn’t that, it just didn’t fit as well into the existing storyline, so I had to convince them to crop a few minutes of interoffice arguing in order to bring vibrators to women in America. Really, do we have to see my printer break one more time? But the president and VP of Bravo are both women and they liked the clip because it was funny, cool, and geared toward women.

Why did you choose Babeland?

I love your store because you’ve made sex toys very popular and fashionable, which until now were typically seen as appealing only to a subgroup. You give people sex toys in a pretty box!

In your new book, If You Have to Cry, Go Outside, you offer guidance for young women on owning their power. In this episode you are so sex-positive, did someone help you with this part of your own development?
My mom really prepared me for where I needed to go. I know for a fact that my mom was into vibrators, I went through her drawers! I always knew my mom and dad had an amazing sex life, they’d send us outside to go and play for the afternoon. But I still never went to my mom to ask about sex, which is why it’s important for women to have access to the information.

Any sex toy anecdotes you’d like to share?
A good friend of mine gave me an anal dilator once, which I had to put in my bag as I was going through security at the Milan airport. I’m the first person at the gate, and behind me are two amazingly hot, sexy Italian business men. Sure enough, the security guy opens up my bag, pulls out the anal toy, and says “Signora, you cannot go on the plane with this, this is a weapon.” Clearly the two Italian guys knew what is was and were ready to ask me out on a date. But I grabbed the toy back, and said “I’m a fashion producer, I suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome, and I need it to do my job.” And off I went through the gate!

Kelly Cutrone is a fashion icon and the founder of the PR firm People’s Revolution. She recently published the book, If You Have to Cry, Go Outside, and is currently starring in Bravo’s reality TV show Kell on Earth, as well as MTV’s show, The City.

This article is a re-post from the Babeland Blog. Read more about sex health, what’s happening in the sex positive community, and sex toys and

America’s Sexuality Day 2010

Dallas — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:58:09 +0000

It probably seems amazing but we here at Babeland did not know about America’s Sexuality Day. It’s today, March 3rd and this is the first year!

What is America’s Sexuality Day all about, you ask? Well, here is their mission statement:

Sex is unquestionably a primary, essential impulse for humanity’s survival and individual pleasure. Whether we each choose to be sexual or celibate, guided solely by impulse or social/religious structures, we all navigate a diverse landscape of sexuality in America. Yet, there is no date specifically designated in our nation to honor and understand our sex.
America’s Sexuality Day– The March 3, 2010 Proclamation
We proclaim March 3, the historic anniversary of The Comstock Act of 1873– America’s Congressionally authorized national censorship laws against sexual free speech– to be the annual America’s Sexuality Day. The legacy of the Comstock Act and the laws it sired, makes it the most advantageous, encompassing date for celebrating the complex symbiotic relationship of sex, individuality, culture and our democracy.

Check out more about the day here and become a fan on Facebook!