Sex toys have found religion.

The ever-burgeoning novelty industry has broken what’s probably the last barrier of mainstream acceptance and has been embraced by a number of religious-based websites that offer sex novelties for couples who want to spice up their spirituality.

Christian, Jewish and Muslim-based novelty sites are now offering their flocks sex aids along with a dose of scripture.

The Daily Beast reports that entrepreneurs have found a new niche in the reported $15 billion industry and a unique way to market to sex toy consumers who consider themselves pious but are turned off by the explicitness and overtly sexuality of most novelty sites.

One leading Christian sex toy site, Book 22 (named after the Biblical Book of Solomon) was founded by Joy Wilson nearly a decade ago when she realized she needed something more to jazz her and her husband’s sex life after their second child was born. The explicitness of most novelty sites offended her so she decided to take matter into her own hands — so to speak.

Now, Book 22 is facing competition from rival vendors including Hooking Up Holy, (with a tagline of “Spouses Who Play Together Stay Together”), Kosher Sex Toys, El Asira, Intimacy of Eden, and Covenant Spice.

Aimed primarily at married, heterosexual couples, the sites are even being supported by a number of community leaders.

Kosher Sex Toy consultant Rabbi David Ribner told The Beast, “Religious people do it like everybody else. Why shouldn’t they have access to toys that make their lives more satisfying?”

The site’s owner Gavriel, a 25-year-old furniture salesman said, “There is nothing wrong with having all the sex you want.”

In fact, some of the new religious sex retailers believe that their holy scriptures not only condone, but require a healthy sex life. El Asira founder Abdelaziz Aouragh noted that Islamic belief stresses that men and women must “reach their peak” during intercourse and only after that is the “deed complete.”

Most of the new sites are found though Google searches and ship a few hundred orders a month, but business is growing.

Some use quotes from scripture or other religious messages to soften the sex, but products include vibrators, lingerie, whips, lotions, clitoris stimulators and more. But some draw the line based on religious doctrine and customer concerns.

For example, some Christians will balk at anal items or condoms (but special orders are not uncommon), the El Asira Muslim site will sell only Sharia-compliant items, and Kosher Sex Toys won’t stock male masturbatory aids (because “God frowns on wasted potential according to the Torah”).

Packaging for the most part is toned down and shipped in plain boxes.

But the holy use most of the same Chinese manufacturers and local distributors as the typical novelty industry.

Although selling sex toys with a religious hook may be a clever way of further exploiting a growing industry, the purveyors of these new sites claim their mission is to educate and build mutual respect between couples — something the secular industry segment has been touting all along.

Email this post

The ad features an image of two pairs of feet, one larger and one smaller, sticking out of a bathtub with the tagline, “Play in the Bedroom, Bath, Spa or Shower.”

People’s managing editor made a last-minute decision not to run the advertisement due to heightened sensitivity resulting from the Penn State scandal, which is covered in the Sexiest Man Alive issue. An apology was made to Trigg for any inconvenience this may have caused.

“We respect and support People Magazine’s decision to pull the Wet Platinum advertisement from the Sexiest Man Alive issue,” said Michael Trigg, CEO of Trigg Laboratories.

“While the original creative was intended to denote a consenting adult man and woman together in a bathtub, we understand how the image and tagline can be misconstrued, especially in light of the troubling allegations of child abuse at Penn State. Our creative team will work closely with People to create a revised version that shows the benefits of Wet Platinum. We look forward to publishing our new advertisement and working with People magazine on the upcoming Best of 2011 issue.”

The original creative had run previously in OK! Magazine, In Touch Weekly and earlier issues of People and was set to run in People’s Sexiest Man Alive issue featuring actor Bradley Cooper.

Time Inc., the publisher of People magazine, incurred charges to pull the advertisement.

“Trigg Laboratories looks forward to the new Wet Platinum advertisement that will run in the Dec. 26 issue of People magazine pending approval from Time Inc.,” Trigg said.

“We remain dedicated to creating fun-loving, intimacy enhancing products for use only by consenting adults.”

Email this post

CNBC.com says that the U.S.’ poor economy and rising unemployment rates are behind the recent rise in sex toy sales.

With less disposable income, many individuals are finding comfort in staying home and snuggling close their lover … and by snuggling, I mean f*cking. So, on Friday nights instead of that hot date to the movies, dinner, anywhere requiring money — that typically ends in the bedroom, couples are cutting to the chase, picking up some wine, chocolate and cock rings on the way home and making it a Blockbuster porn movie night.

Don’t have a job? Wondering what to do with all that free time? CNBC cites the 9 percent unemployment rate and growth in self-employment as another masturbation motivator.

Investing in a high-quality toy isn’t only for the privileged, in fact, considering the 10-year warranties offered on some products, CNBC quotes a Parisian online sex toy retailer as estimating its use to work out to “less than a penny per use, which makes it a much better investment than the stock market.”

Another factor that continues to drive the sales of sex toys is of course the Internet, which continues to serve as a mask for society to hide their inner demons and desires. Now people are allowed to perv out with minimal risk of being outted.

And ultimately, we can also thank Britney, Rihanna, Katy Perry and every other salacious pop tart preparing our youth for the sexy times ahead.

Email this post

Topco Sales’ line of Bree Olson sex toys are WINNING shoppers over with all the recent exposure of Charlie Sheen and his “goddesses.”

“The Bree Olson line of toys has always been popular here at Topco Sales,” explains Desiree Duffie, Director of Marketing and Public Relations. “The recent Charlie Sheen exposure has put sales through the roof.”
There are 15 Bree Olson toys — some of the most popular include a replica of her butt in doggystyle position and a full sized Bree Olson blow-up doll. Topco also has strokers modeled after the goddess’ vagina and ass, as well as vibrating toys.

“The replica Bree Olson pieces were molded from the sex goddess’ body,” explains Vanessa Pellegrini, Director of Product Development for Topco Sales. “Almost every part of Bree Olson’s body was molded to make various kinds of CyberSkin toys. CyberSkin is the material we use to make the toys feel amazingly realistic. We’ve even made replicas of Bree Olson’s face and breasts. Since the sex toys are molded directly from her body, guys actually can feel what it’s like to be Charlie Sheen!”
With all of the entertainment new outlets buzzing over Charlie and his salacious lifestyle that includes two live-in girlfriends (Bree and Natalie Kenly), even adult retailers having their share of Tiger blood.

Castle Megastore is getting in on the action with a contest to win Topco’s Bree toys. All of the information can be found on the adult chain store’s blog.

Email this post

Yesterday being Valentine’s Day I took the opportunity to send messages of love and appreciation to my closest friends and family. Just like in all other instances this group of people that I’ve grown to rely on reciprocated the love and appreciation; and this demonstration kept my head above water on an otherwise lonesome day …

Any other day my phone is blowing up with fellas wanting to take me out on dates and another handful that have moved on from trying to woo me and very blatantly arrange bootycalls. I embrace all the variations of relationships with men that I have and for that reason I was shocked that yesterday my phone was completely silent. When I finally decided to quit waiting around and texted a few of my favorite dudes … Even my slutty inviting text messages garnered lackluster — or zero — responses! One guy waited until the whole holiday was over to respond and today, Feb. 15, wants me to come over! Ha!

I know V-Day puts a lot of pressure on men. They have to worry about gift-giving or planning a special evening. Not only that but they must worry about how it may be interpreted as an indication of what a relationship is or where it’s going. I’m assuming these otherwise chivalrous (pfft… sarcasm!) men would have loved to spend time with me but didn’t want to give me the impression that — God forbid — they might have some emotional investment in our relationship.

I can understand why men would rather hide on V-Day. It’s a tad shady and will definitely get you NOT laid on Feb. 15 but I guess I can appreciate the “honesty.”

Email this post

Change.org is reporting that police in San Francisco, New York City and D.C. are maintaining “Prostitution Free Zones” by arresting anyone suspected of sex work. Suspicious activity supposedly includes being in possession of three or more condoms.

So being cautious is criminal now?

Condoms are sold in packs of three! And say what you will about prostitution but safe sex should never be discouraged. Sex workers already avoid healthcare out of fear of the law but eliminating this simple form of safe sex really could lead to widespread sexual health problems.

Email this post

Talk about a toughie! Sooo many great innovations in sex toys – it would take another decade to list them all. My top pick(s) —one targeting women, the other is for men — were chosen based on their awesome use of technology… Even though, of course, we all know you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to get off but it is almost 2010 — get with the times! Sheesh.

The OhMiBod Collection

I am a huge music fan — I am almost as passionate about my tunes as I am about boning. Since 2006, OhMiBod has found exciting new ways to combine the two. Their collection of music-powered massagers come in all shapes, colors and sizes. This year the company partnered with DJs and a rock band for specially designed product releases and corresponding music playlists. OhMiBod’s Boditalk and Boditalk Escort are cell phone activated vibes that will last throughout an entire call! If you have an iPhone and an OhMiBod vibe, it will vibrate to the sound of the caller’s voice — amazing! The collection is reasonably priced starting at around $50. With their Pleasure Packs, you get a group of goodies at a discounted price!

RealTouch

After two years in development, the RealTouch was officially released this year. A lube reservoir, heating coils and oppositional conveyor belts make up the football-size device that mimics handjobs, blowjobs, anal and vaginal sex through haptic feedback through its web component. A USB link connects the device to a computer, then men can put their penis in this machine and e-fuck hundreds of porn stars — gay or straight AND anime — via VOD giant AEBN’s library of porn videos encoded to work with the device. Retailing at $199, RealTouch users also must purchase movie rentals by minutes. Currently, the RealTouch is only PC compatible, but there are plans to roll out a Mac version and a hands-free Bluetooth option.

Exciting Innovations in Green

I heart the environment. Without it we would have nowhere to masturbate or have sex. Again — many, many novelty manufacturers have developed new ways to not pollute our Mother Earth, such as rechargeable vibes. But two companies, in my eyes, have really gone beyond the call of duty.

RecycleYourSexToy.com

The nonprofit organization launched a year ago with the mission to safely dispose of used or broken vibrators, dildos and plugs from manufacturers and adult businesses as well as individuals. Instructions on how and where to mail the used toys are offered on the site and once you do, you get a $10 gift card redeemable at VibratorShopping.com. Upon receipt, the toys are cleaned and disassembled with parts such as rubber, silicone, plastic and batteries sent for recycling, which process them for reuse.

The Earth Angel

This vibe is referred to as the first to feature green technology. It is designed with a hand-powered battery recharger, and made using recyclable material. The Earth Angel was developed in Ireland and is manually operated with a hand crank that recharges its internal power source. Eight minutes of cranking offers the user one hour of operation, and the core also can be connected to a USB charger. The Earth Angel is eight inches long and features four levels of vibration. Its outer shell and packaging are both made from phthalate-free recycled plastic. In other words… get off guilt-free!

Email this post

I recently caught an episode of “Leave It to Lamas” on E! and was totally amused by (one of my favorite toy companies!) The Screaming O’s appearance on the show in the form of a gift bag.

The scene played out like this:

So the show centers around the family of 1980s star Lorenzo Lamas. His daughter, 23-year-old Shayne Lamas gets a special present from her best friend Amber Hay — a gift bag of vibrating products from The Screaming O.

Shayne (obviously) loves the gift, calls Amber her best friend and then torments her brother A.J. with a vibrating cockring.

The Screaming O also is part of the cast of “Bad Girls Club” on the Oxygen Channel, which is such a guilty pleasure of mine. A fully stocked The Screaming O vending machine is a fixture in the bitchy girls’ mansion. On last night’s new episode one girl diffused an argument by suggesting they all go masturbate with their selection of toys.

My point is The Screaming O has awesome products — some of which are disposable (not to mention totally affordable) so nobody has an excuse not to give them a chance. Their fun packaging and brilliant colors are super camera-friendly and I’m happy they’re getting the attention they deserve.

Email this post

Commercials hype up products as being available for a limited time only… “while supplies last” to get shoppers to fret at the thought at missing out on a one-time opportunity. When you get a taste of something you like, you want more. When you know this object of your desire is in demand but limited in availability — you want it more … you yearn for it! This is known as the law of scarcity and I’m constantly screwed by it.

Many a time during that delicate, awkward beginning stage of getting to know a person when I know I’m very attracted I’ve just gone for it — physically and verbally expressing exactly what I feel and want. Yeah, well as the buffet of affection, patrons get full and walk away.

Sometimes I’m the object of desire and definitely, the first few times of hearing of someone’s growing interest is endearing, however at some point the doting texts, phone calls and emails lose their appeal. I can get it whenever I want … whatever, no rush.

If I care about the person I’ll kindly tell them to back off. I’ve had that plan backfire and that’s when the law of scarcity royally fucks me. My admirer might obey and make himself really scarce, turning the tables … and now I’m the one standing in line.

The law of scarcity can also affect a lasting relationship. For example, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy have been together for decades. They’re just about sick of each other. At a party, Kermit is spending more time with other female guests. His attention on Miss Piggy is now limited and therefore more valuable to her. She has to fight to get it back.

The truth of the matter is that this method of persuasion is ego-based. Acting on it is done out of fear of not getting enough — or any — of the person you want. It’s best to accept a relationship as it is and be desirable by using self-control to not be so easily obtained.

Email this post

There are mixed reviews when it comes to pets in the bedroom. Some pet owners love their dogs, cats, gerbils, etc. so much they feel turning their backs on them for even a minute is negligent.

A dog-owning, cohabitating friend told me she and her significant other prefer the pooch in the bedroom to make sure it doesn’t fuck things up in the living room while they … um, fuck.

Personally, it totally wierds me out to be in the throws of passion and out of the corner of my eye see Fido sitting on the bed, chewing on my panties (true story), watching – and bouncing along with – all the action. Not because I fear Rover is going to get frisky and stir up some zoophiliac emotions in me. (Eww,) but does the animal really know what’s going on? I’ve heard some dogs whimper or will bark at the sight of their owners having sex … Why?!

Well, I did the research. So before you call The Dog Whisperer, please note:  Dogs (and other pets) are incapable of secondary emotions. And while the barking and whimpering may be a dog’s reaction to the aromas of sex or its tuned-in senses, veterinary behaviorists will tell you it has no idea you’re getting it on. So knick-knack-paddy-whack … give your dog a bone (Really. They like it.) Compromise — do it for the pet-lover on in you.

Email this post