Why does everyone think sex robots are toxic?

95 per cent of men admit to masturbating, and it’s no secret men like to use toys. In a recent Love Honey study, they found that cock rings and vibrators were the second most bought item on their site. That's not to say that the thought of a man using a sex toy alone still grosses people out. Why are women empowered when they proclaim they masturbate with a toy, when men are still being called 'toxic' for it?

Photo credit: Wikimedia, a variety of dildos that are available.

But with new technologies becoming popular in sex toys, there’s one toy that’s seen a sudden boom in the market, and it’s AI sex dolls. Although sex doll sales are coming in floods, there are still many misconceptions and moral questions surrounding them. Sex worker Kit said: “I don’t see sticking a dildo to a wall and fucking myself as inherently problematic, yet sometimes fleshlights creep me out. Why? Because I have felt threatened by men and made to feel unsafe so sometimes I generalise my experience and assume the worst. But then I remember I know lots of men who use fleshlights because they feel good – just like me and my dildos.”

Sex toys have been around for centuries, one of the earliest examples dates back to 28,000 B.C. where 8 inch dildos were created with siltstone and polished for smooth insertion. Sex toys vastly improved over the next few centuries, for women that is. But it was the Twentieth century that really got a buzz out of making innovative sex toys. In the 1920’s, the metal Polar Club Electric Vibrator was created, the device was marketed as a ‘beauty aid’ and used by doctors to treat ‘hysteria’ in women. The Hitachi Magic Wand was created during the 70’s, and is to this day, one of the most popular vibrator wands. Rachel Venning and Claire Cavanah founders of the erotic store, Babeland, called the massager “the Rolls-Royce of vibrators” in their 2003 book, Sex Toys 101.

Photo credit: Wikimedia, one of the best selling vibrators.

Eventually, the sex toy market for men got a boost in 1995, when Steve Shubin decided to create a sex toy which we all know as… the flesh light. Although blow-up sex dolls existed at this point, they were not popular, poorly made and frankly, not very realistic. Shubin knew there was a market for male sex toys and told Vice “As a man, you know this: If something doesn't feel real, we're not going to be excited about the physical contact with it. So that was a first priority."

Photo credit: Wikimedia, the famous flesh light created by Steve Shubin.

Despite sex toys being around a long time, the recorded history of male sex toys is limited compared to the history of female sex toys. The earliest evidence of a sexual fantasy with an inanimate object is the Greek myth of Pygmalion and Galatea. Pygmalion was a sculptor who fell in love with one of his pieces of work, Galatea. When the goddess of love, Aphrodite’s festival came, Pygmalion made offerings at the alter to Aphrodite, who in return, turned his beloved Galatea into a living being.

Photo credit: Wikimedia, Pygmalion and Galatea.

The invention of sex dolls was created by Dutch sailors in the Seventeenth century. The sailors sold the dolls to Japanese people during the Rangaku period, this is where the term “Dutch wives” came from, in Japan the term is still used to refer to sex dolls.

Radio host, Howard Stern, is seen as solely responsible for the rising popularity of modern sex dolls. In the 90’s he allegedly bought a sex doll and had sex with it live on air, orders for the dolls flourished and continue to reach a wider audience as technology improves.

“Undoubtedly sex dolls would become problematic for some people – name one invention that humans haven’t used in a problematic way.” Kit, sex worker.

Public opinion on sex dolls or male sex toys has never been particularly positive. From the “it’s plain weird” to “they’re trying to get rid of real women”, sex dolls have constantly come under fire for the ethical issues they possess. These ethical issues come in many forms, from the issues of customisation of dolls to look like real people, allowing men to not practice in consent and men using them for rape or paedophilia fantasies. But the main reason many men seem to be turning to dolls, is loneliness. Real Love Sex Dolls, Randi Ragsdale said: “We often hear that these dolls help with loneliness, provide comfort after the loss of a significant other, provide companionship, or help with performance just to name a few.” Sex worker, Kit, claims: “women should be careful not to project toxic ideas onto these people just because their fantasies don’t fit within their definition of normal.” In a Twitter poll, over 50 per cent thought that sex dolls were separate from sex toys.

Photo credit: Leanne Hall.

Why?

“A vibrator doesn’t look like a human, it’s a toy, a sex doll is trying to be humanised.” Cameraman, Daniel Williams said.

Randi also commented “Many of our customers feel the need to tell us why they are making a purchase, because of the stigma surrounding sex dolls.” I have spoken to many women who would be grossed out if they found their boyfriend had a fleshlight or sex doll, whilst they sleep next to a drawer full of vibrators. Student, Stefan Dean, said that “the view of heterosexual males using toys for masturbation to me, is because of gender stereotypes. If a man wants to buy a toy instead of picking up a girl, which he should do because he’s ‘a man’, it makes him look less masculine.”

“The idea of a robot that looks like a woman and exists for male sexual pleasure makes me feel squicky too. But, I have to make sure that I don’t make assumptions that deny the autonomy and humanity of other people.” Said sex worker, Kit.

Photo credit: Bordoll, a picture of one of the dolls featured in their brothel.

Although views on sex dolls are still taboo, male sex toy sales have risen by 1,000 per cent in the last ten years, and sex dolls are becoming increasingly popular. With new AI (artificial intelligence) technology being installed into dolls, prices lowering as demand increases and new-found media attention, it looks like the sex doll taboo may be finally fading.