WHY'S MY SEX TOY LOOK LIKE A SMILING ANIMAL ANYWAY?

The last time you were in a sex shop, or perusing some online catalogs you may have noticed a significant amount of vibrators that were reminiscent of a wide variety of animals. Perhaps you saw a beaver, a hummingbird, a dolphin, or even the infamous Rabbit. For those that don’t know the “Rabbit” was made famous by now legendary episode of Sex and the City when Miranda gifts Charlotte one, and she subsequently becomes addicted to its buzzing and twirling pleasures. Now, you may ask yourself how did I get a little rabbit, or any other animal for that matter pressed up against my clit, or penetrating my vagina? I mean I’m not complaining if feels really good, but just curious why the funny shape?

Well for the answer we’ll take a little trip to across the pond to Japan. These animal shaped vibrators came to be from a rather antiquated Japanese obscenity law that essentially outlawed the penis being manufactured for purposes of a sexual nature. So what did Japanese manufacturers like Vibratex do? They not only subverted the system they turned the sex toy industry on its head. Being Japanese they installed some really good electronics, then worked around the law by themeing their vibrators into animals. The most important aspect of their toys was the fact they paid attention to the clitoris by putting a powerful vibrator right at the base of the shaft. An intelligent blend of form, and function, mixed with the spirit of subversion had these toys creating a global phenomenon in no time.
What happened next? As with anything wildly successful everybody wants to rip off your idea, and before you knew it the mainstream toy providers were riding the wave minus the body safe materials, and quality electronics and churning out carbon copies at such a rate that something designed out of a cultural taboo merely became the norm.

In the mid 90’s the German company Funfactory came to the table and took things to

the next level. By riding what the market place was familiar with and fusing it with the best body-safe materials Funfactory essentially began the next generation of sex toy. One that wasn’t only interested in pleasure, but also was built well, and with materials that didn’t leach toxins into vagina’s, anus’s, or mouths like the lower end Rabbit like knock offs were doing.

These days the popularity of the animal is starting to fade, and toys are trending towards more ergonomic features, and sleek designs that veritably scream sexy. It’s

encouraging to see how our societal attitudes towards sex have evolved. What was the creative yet entertaining reaction towards a fear based law about sexuality that allowed us to laugh at ourselves, has morphed an industry, and a world into a place where not only can we laugh about sex toys and sexuality, but we can become inspired to create sophisticated designs, and features that truly celebrate the beauty of sexuality not only in our toys, but in ourselves as well.