I know, I know…You’re saying, “WTF?! This has nothing to do with Art at all!” But it does!

Firstly, I do think that good sex is an art that must be practiced to be attained just as an illustrator must start somewhere. Second, just wait a second and hear me out! Ha-ha!

I specifically wanted to talk about sex toys and props. These things used to be socially taboo. Lately though I’ve noticed a sort of mainstreaming of it all. I mean, bringing it into a more public forum/format. I think we have Oprah and Tyra and maybe even a little Jerry Springer (gasp) to thank for it, but I digress.

Sex toys and props used to be considered dirty little secrets or just for perverts and S&M “freaks.” The classic image of a skeevy guy in a trench coat walking into a porn store comes to mind. But this is a new era and with it comes a more open and refreshing outlook on what sex is and what it should and even could be. Yeah…regular old missionary sex is fine, but is it great? Not so much.

With KY advertising their lubes on national television and radio (have you seen the new “Yours & Mine” lubes? Anyone try it out yet? Could it work for same-sex couples? http://www.ky.com/index_us.jsp# ) I admit I was a little surprised, but pleasantly so. You see, no one ever told me about lube except for in sex education when they spoke ad-naseum about spermicidal lubricant (just make sure she’s not allergic, guys). But for pleasure or for better sex? Never! Without getting too personal on the TMI tip, my husband and I tried lube just to see what it was like and Wee-Ow! It rocked! I felt like I’d been left out of something though. I mean, does everyone use it? Why wasn’t I told about it sooner?

I’m sure it’d been brought up before this, but I realized while watching the movie, “Friends with Money” a specific scene where Jennifer Aniston’s character uses a vibrator (wait, did she use her housecleaning client’s vibrator???  Because, EW! Or was it hers? I can’t remember!) and then grins as she sticks it back in the drawer where she’d grabbed it. I thought to myself, “Wow! A mainstream Hollywood movie actually acknowledging and addressing not only masturbation, but female pleasure?! Rad!” I couldn’t imagine someone like Jennifer Aniston owning or needing or wanting a vibrator. But then I thought about it and realized it’s not about that at all. It’s simply controlling your own pleasure either alone or with a partner. Cool.

I saw Margaret Cho’s stand up live a few years ago and heard her talking about a vibrator not being strong enough for her. And how when she finally found one that was right for her it was a plug-in model (as in it plugs into an outlet in the wall!) that would shake her apartment walls (as well as her sugar walls! Ha-ha!). Ahem, sorry. Later I read an entire article in BUST magazine celebrating the joys and time tested quality of the Hitachi Magic Wand (http://liberator.com/products_toys_hitachi.php ). I believe this to be Margaret Cho’s fave pleasure device.

This last year was the first time I gave any thought to perhaps what’s considered a more serious sex-prop: The Liberator! (http://liberator.com/ ) I’d seen their ads in the back of my Rolling Stone and BUST magazines (oh man, BUST has the best sex ads and advice columns!), but I didn’t fully get what it was exactly. So I looked it up one day.

From the Liberator site:

Liberator Wedge and Ramp nest together to form an angled pedestal upon which to make extraordinary love. Sessions last longer than ever, leading to orgasms of incredible intensity! More than pillows, they’re a means to more foreplay, hotter positions and unlimited creativity. Explore new angles on oral sex, doggie-style and an erotically elevated missionary position.

Woah-Mama! It’s sex furniture! I was a bit scared about this, I mean, furniture to have sex on? Well, at least the sheets will be cleaner! Ha-ha! So I delved deeper and after some research it turns out that the Liberator is a legitimate enhancement to any healthy sex life! It actually makes some positions easier or better due to the new angles it allows. Neat-O! Then I happen to see the Liberator in a mainstream Hollywood movie, “Burn After Reading!” Yep! It’s true. George Clooney’s character uses the Liberator “Ramp”  (http://liberator.com/products.php?id=334&title=Wedge/Ramp-Combo )with his various affairs in the film. (And no, it’s not the crazy, self-made “penetrator” he makes from supplies he purchased at Home Depot!)

With the popularity of smaller personal vibrators (the infamous “pocket rocket”) now available at a Walgreens or other drugstore near you is it any surprise we’re starting to accept the “personal massager” as a normal product for the average person to buy? I don’t think so! Even http://www.drugstore.com/ has an entire section (and quite a selection) of toys and sexual aides.  If you’re seriously considering buying something for your personal or partner relation sexual pleasure, cheaper is not better!

 http://www.babeland.com/ is a great site where you can shop by type of item (ie: dildo, vibrator, etc) and they even have an informative “How To” section (it even has a how to on shaving your stuff!)a blog and more. How cool is that? They also carry LGBT specific toys and props as well as adult DVDs, Lubes, books and lots more. You can even read User Reviews on a specific item that catches your interest. Nice!

http://www.goodvibes.com/main.jhtml?typeFilters offers shopping guides for those who haven’t shopped for this type of thing before. They, too have the run of the mill stuff (ie: dildo, vibrator, etc) as well as a Bachelorette and novelty section.

After poking around these sites I thought I’d seen it all, little did I know I’d come across this by accident: The Cone! http://liberator.com/products.php?id=23&title=The-Cone#  Woah! I don’t even know what to make of it, but okay! Ha-ha!

With the mainstreaming of sex products I think it’s time we all give ourselves a little slack and buy yourself that present you really wanted last month: Pleasure!!! So, sit back, relax (plug it in if you have to) and enjoy the ride. I’m sure we’ll all be in a bit of a better mood if we did.

Your comments, feedback, testimonials, and suggestions are always welcome!  =0)