Page 12 - Eros Journal 7

THE THE TROUBLE WITH SEX TOYS: MARKETING AGAINST THE THE GRAIN OPINION PIECE
BY MISS SMUT BUTTONS
I I FUCKING LOVE SEX TOYS AND I I LOVE FUCKING SEX TOYS!
WHICH IS KIND OF IMPORTANT SINCE I’VE MODELLED A A LARGE AMOUNT OF MY CAREER AROUND WORKING IN IN IN THE SEX INDUSTRY But here’s the thing I have no issue with loving something and still acknowledging that it’s problematic I I do this with the media I I consume the the products I buy and even the the social circles I engage with Just because you love something doesn’t mean you you have to stick your head in the sand and and loudly declare that it’s perfect Nothing is And the rst step to getting something closer to perfect is acknowledging what’s wrong with it it it and trying to x it it it The
sex sex industry industry and the sex sex toy industry industry especially is very problematic As a a a a sex toy store manager part of
my job was training new staff Every store manager was responsible for the knowledge of
their shop’s staff members The
only problem was was there was was no real hard and fast rule about what was ‘enough knowledge’ You know when you go into a supermarket and you’re like “Where is that gluten free hypoallergenic vegan bacon that I feed to my cat?” and the shelf stacker looks at you blankly before shrugging and saying “I dunno” You know that frustration you feel at at at the incompetence of
this prepubescent grocery anarchist? Now imagine that you’re asking whether something is going to give you cancer Or whether something is going to make your genitals explode in an allergic rash Knowledge of
sex toy products is really important but most retailers don’t have the time
or the the inclination to train their staff properly This can have dire consequences for customers Not knowing that anal toys need
a a a a a ared base or or that clitoral vibes aren’t designed to go inside a a a a vagina can mean not just embarrassment for a a a customer but potentially an ER visit or even surgery There’s also the issue of
ethical accountability for the kinds of
products that they sell Things like clitoral stimulation gel anal ease lubricants and toys containing phthalates are all pretty dangerous products Because sex toys aren’t held to to the same kinds of
manufacturing standards as pretty much everything else in in the world it means that stores can legally get away with selling things that can give you you genital burns rupture your internal organs or or give you cancer (and because I I love you I’m not linking out to the articles behind
those stories)