What Do Straight Women Want? – A Mystery for Sex Dolls Designers or?
Zach is just one of a new generation of male sex dolls and robots — sometimes with elaborate backstories . Designed to appeal to the elusive straight female market. Recent high-profile launches have fueled speculation about the potential demand for male dolls. In 2016, sex columnist Karley Sciortino made a video for Vice about “Making the World’s First Male Sex Doll”. In which she takes “Gabriel” for a road test and reports that the sex feels “absolutely indistinguishable from a real person — except that I’m completely in control.” Last year, Realbotix announced an A.I.-enabled prototype named “Henry.” And some sex doll brothels are introducing male models to their roster.
But that hype hasn’t translated into sales, and options remain extremely limited. With manufacturers typically offering two or three male dolls in a sea of dozens (or even hundreds) of highly varied female dolls. Matt McMullen, founder of RealDoll and Realbotix, says that he sells about 40 male dolls a year, 10 percent of his overall business. For all of the stubble on chiseled silicon cheeks. The penises (circumcised and uncircumcised) cast from live models. And the promotional images of dolls smoking cigarettes or strumming guitars, male sex dolls aren’t flying off the shelves. And that has designers, marketers, and manufacturers itching to figure out what women want.
While there are options for individual customization, it’s possible that women haven’t shown a lot of interest in sex dolls.Because they haven’t been involved in process or assumptions about female sexuality. Rick*.Who sells sex dolls in Toronto and asked for anonymity for this article. Explained that he wasn’t selling many male dolls because they don’t meet the tastes of straight female consumers. Questionably noting that he “would love to make something like The Rock, because that’s every woman’s fantasy.”
Sinthetics is one of the few sex doll manufacturers with a female owner, which might help explain. Why their the male doll business has been steadily catching up. Last year, Sinthetics sold an equal number of male and female dolls.
The male-dominated market inevitably projects the male gaze, says Julie Carpenter. A Research Fellow with the Ethics and Emerging Sciences Group at California Polytechnic State University. In turn, a very narrow idea gets replicated over and over again based on exaggerated Western ideals. “We’ve mostly seen mostly straight presenting men who are having a Pygmalion experience.Of building a Frankenstein thing that appeals to them” she says. “I have yet to hear any of these men explain how they made their design choices.”
While some doll makers will be content to continue selling mostly to men. There’s a broad and growing consensus that the sex industry needs the participation and feedback of more women. It’s possible that advancing technology and the addition of artificial intelligence will hasten the appeal of sex dolls and robots to straight women. But there’s no question that greater diversity, of all kind, is necessary. “For decades, sex tech has been concentrated in the hands of a few,” says Cole. She says Future of Sex runs regular hackathons around the globe to encourage people. From varied backgrounds, genders, cultures, and levels of physical ability to enter the industry.
