A sex doll (also love doll or blowup doll ) is a type of sex
toy in the size and shape of a sexual partner for aid in
masturbation . The sex doll may consist of an entire body
with face, or just a head, pelvis or other partial body, with
the accessories (vagina , anus , mouth, penis ) for sexual
stimulation . The parts are sometimes vibrating and may be
removable or interchangeable.
History
Painting of a Mughal man copulating
with a sex doll and dildos mounted on
a board.
Some of the first sex dolls were invented by Dutch sailors in
the seventeenth century who would be isolated at sea
during long voyages. These masturbatory dolls, referred to
by the French as dame de voyage and by the Spanish as
dama de viaje, were made of sewn cloth or old clothes and
were a direct predecessor to today's sex dolls. The Dutch
sold some of these dolls to Japanese people during the
Rangaku period, and the term "Dutch wives" is still
sometimes used in Japan to refer to sex dolls. [1][2]
One of the earliest recorded appearances of manufactured
sex dolls dates to 1908, in Iwan Bloch 's The Sexual Life of
Our Time . Bloch wrote:
A report that, as part of the Borghild Project , Nazi Germany
made sex dolls for soldiers during World War II has not
been verified by reliable sources and is now considered to
be a hoax. [4]
The production of human simulacra to substitute for human
sexual partners took several technological leaps forward in
the late twentieth century. By the 1970s, vinyl , latex and
silicone had become the materials most frequently used in
the manufacture of sex dolls; silicone in particular allowed
a greater degree of realism. [5]
A 1982 attempt to import a consignment of sex dolls into
Britain had the unintended consequence of ending the law
against importing "obscene or indecent" items that were not
illegal to sell within the UK. Having had the dolls seized by
Her Majesty's Customs and Excise officers, David Sullivan 's
Conegate Ltd. took the case all the way to the European
Court of Justice , and won in 1987. [6] Britain was forced to
lift its stringent import prohibitions dating from 1876,
because for imports from within the European Community
they constituted a barrier to free trade under the terms of
the Treaty of Rome.
Shin Takagi, founder of the company Trottla, manufactures
lifelike child sex dolls in the belief that doing so provides a
safe and legal outlet for men expressing pedophilic
desires. [7][8] This has been disputed by paraphilia
researcher Dr. Peter J. Fagan, who argues that contact with
the products would likely have a reinforcing effect,
increasing the risk of pedophilic action being taken. [8] Since
2013, Australian officials have confiscated imported
shipments of juvenile sex dolls legally classified as child
exploitation material. [9]
Commercial forms
Simple inflatable vinyl sex doll
Cheaper sex dolls are inflatable, using air. These dolls,
representing the lowest price-range (less than US $75), are
usually made of welded vinyl and bear only a passing
resemblance to actual people. They have an artificial and
typically crudely designed vagina or penis , but due to their
affordability many users are willing to overlook their
shortcomings. They often burst at the seams after a few
uses, although they are commonly given as gag gifts and
therefore many may not be used at all. In Russia for some
years the Bubble Baba Challenge humorously featured
participants river rafting on blowup dolls as a matter of
entertainment but in 2013 the race was cancelled on "health
and safety" grounds. [10]
At the middle market price-range ($100 to approximately
$1,000), dolls are made of thicker vinyl or heavy latex
without welded seams or a polyurethane and silicone
mixture, typically surrounding a foam core. Most have
plastic mannequin -style heads and styled wigs, plastic or
glass eyes, and occasionally properly moulded hands and
feet. Some vinyl dolls can contain water-filled body areas
such as the breasts or buttocks . Latex dolls were made in
Hungary, China and France but only the French
manufacturer Domax now remains in
production. [citation needed ]
The manufacturing process causes most latex dolls to be
delivered with a fine coating of zinc oxide covering the
skin, which is usually removed by the consumer by placing
the doll under the shower . Otherwise, latex is an inert and
non-toxic natural material; although a small percentage of
users may discover a latex allergy .
The most expensive sex dolls (approximately $1,200 and
up) are usually made from silicone (usually above $3,000 at
2016 prices) or thermoplastic elastomer known as TPE
(below $3,000). Dolls made of either material can be very
lifelike, with faces and bodies modeled on real people in
some instances, with realistic skin material (similar to that
used for movie special effects), and with realistic (or even
real) hair . These dolls usually have an articulated PVC or
metal skeleton with flexible joints that allows them to be
positioned in a variety of positions for display and for
sexual acts. Silicone or TPE dolls are much heavier than
vinyl or latex inflatable ones (which consist mostly of air),
but are roughly half the weight of a real human being of
comparable size.
Because of their ability to be posed in different positions
silicone dolls are popular with artists and photographers as
models. [11][12]
In Japan, sex dolls are known as "Dutch wives" (ダッチワイ
フ datchi waifu ), which now refers to relatively inexpensive
dolls. Their name originates from the term, possibly English,
for the thick rattan or bamboo bolster , used to aid sleep in
humid countries by keeping one's limbs lifted above sweaty
sheets. Orient Industry is considered to be the leading
manufacturer of high-end silicone dolls in Japan, [13] which
started using another term "love dolls" ( ラブドール rabu
dōru ) around 1998 to distinguish their dolls from the image
of inflatable dolls associated with the term "Dutch wife". [14]
The term has stuck and is now used generally to refer to
any high-end product. There is a business, Doru no Mori
(Doll Forest) in Tokyo, that rents love dolls and rooms to
male customers. [15][16] In March 2007 the Japanese daily
Mainichi Shimbun newspaper reported that there are also
rental businesses that bring the dolls to the customer's
home, and that the specialist love-doll magazine i-doloid
has a print-run of 10,000 copies per issue. [17]
The middle market and high-end market emerged in the
USA around 1992. The market has grown for two main
reasons. Firstly, the last twenty years have seen huge
improvements over earlier types of sex dolls, and
customers come to realize this through using the web.
Secondly, the method of retail purchase has also improved,
now showing customers what the actual doll, seams, hair,
and even orifices look like.
In China the market has mushroomed on account of the
demographic effects of the one child policy and accordingly
numerous new Chinese manufacturers have appeared in
recent years. [18]
There are now sites that do not sell dolls, but just show
them so that customers can make informed decisions on
the aesthetics prior to purchase—then the customers select
online from stores instead of having to take "pot luck" in a
sex shop , and a possible purchase can be discussed first in
anonymous online forums with existing owners. Extras to
customize a doll to one's personal taste (wigs, clothes,
perfumes, etc.) can also be purchased online. [19]
Non-standard forms
In Japan one can purchase inflatable love pillows or
" dakimakura " that are printed with a life-size picture of a
porn star or anime character. Other less common novelty
love dolls include overweight, intersex, elderly and alien
dolls, which are usable for pleasure but also tend to be
given as gag gifts. Some inflatable dolls even have the form
of children.
Some companies manufacture cloth sex dolls using the
same technology that is used to create plush toys. With
widespread cultural use of the internet amongst younger
generations, numerous forums exist for amateurs who
create their own sex dolls from fabric or other materials.
There are even mailing lists for discussing techniques and
experiences with MLDs (material love dolls) [citation needed ].
Some inflatable sex dolls are made in the form of animals,
most notably sheep and cows. These dolls are more of a
joke gift or party novelty, and are often not suitable for
sexual use.
New materials and
technologies
Silicone dolls were at first made from tin-cure silicone but
platinum technology has better longevity, less prone to
tears and compression marks. For this reason the " RealDoll "
manufacturer reported switching from the tin to the
platinum material in June 2009 and all other manufacturers
have followed suit. [citation needed ]
Since 2012 or so a thermoplastic elastomer alternative
known as TPE has come into common use particularly by
Chinese manufacturers which has enabled realistic dolls to
be made which are cheaper than those composed of the
high quality expensive platinum cure
silicone .[ citation needed]
CybOrgasMatrix dolls used an elastic gel, which they
claimed to be superior to silicone in elasticity, shape
memory, and durability. Both this company and the
company "First Androids" once offered pelvic thruster
motor, audio capability and heated orifices, though these
options are no longer available. Several modern doll
manufacturers now offer the last option on their silicone
dolls, with the addition of an internal heating system.
Ban on importation and sales
in Botswana
The importation of sex dolls for men has been banned in
Botswana according to Section 178 of the Botswana Penal
Code. The law further abolishes the right to “possess, lend,
trade in, export, import, and or exhibit obscene objects or
any objects tending to corrupt morals in Botswana,” which
includes sex dolls. [20]
Sex robots
Main article: Sex robot
In June 2006, Henrik Christensen of the European Robotics
Research Network told the UK's Sunday Times that "people
are going to be having sex with robots within five years." [21]
Reacting to the ongoing development of "sex robots" or
"sexbots", [22] in September 2015, Kathleen Richardson of
De Montfort University and Erik Billing of the University of
Skövde created the Campaign Against Sex Robots , calling
for a ban on the creation of anthropomorphic sex
robots. [23][24][25][26] They argue that the introduction of
such devices would be socially harmful, and demeaning to
women and children.[24]
See also
Agalmatophilia
Artificial vagina
CandyGirl
RealDoll
Doll fetish
Gynoid
List of inflatable manufactured goods
Robot fetishism
Uncanny valley
Sex-machine
Object sexuality
References
Notes
- ^ 9 Insane Facts About Sex Dolls , Cosmopolitan
- ^ Ferguson, Anthony. The Sex Doll: A History . McFarland,
- p 16. ISBN 978-0-7864-4794-7
- ^ Bloch, Iwan (2015) [1910]. The Sexual Life of Our Time
in its Relations to Modern Civilization . p. 660.
ISBN 1-4510-0357-9 . - ^ "Nazi sex doll story: das ist bogus - Boing Boing" .
Archived from the original on 2011-09-03. Retrieved
2011-09-03. - ^ Ferguson, Anthony. The Sex Doll: A History . McFarland,
- p 31. ISBN 978-0-7864-4794-7
- ^ Conegate v Commissioners of Customs and Excise
(No 121/85) Queen's Bench (1987) 254. - ^ Esposito, Brad (April 15, 2016). "These Child Sex Dolls
Will Not Be Allowed Into Australia" . Buzzfeed . Archived
from the original on May 27, 2017. "Takagi believes the
sex dolls can help aid paedophiles in Australia by stopping
them from acting on their desires." - ^ a b Morin, Roc (January 11, 2016). "Can Child Dolls
Keep Pedophiles from Offending?" . The Atlantic .
Retrieved May 27, 2017. - ^ ‘I am an artist’: Man who makes child sex dolls for
paedophiles Beau Donelly, Sydney Morning Herald, August
14, 2016 - ^ "Home page" . bubblebabachallenge.ru . The Bubble
Baba Challenge. - ^ "Interview with Stacy Leigh" . Acclaim Mag.
- ^ "Home page" . Doll Story (French outlet of Japanese
dolls). "These silicone dolls are sold to passionate clients,
but also to sculptors, painters and even photographers"
Links to examples of photographic work. - ^ Takatsuki Yasushi (2008). 南極1号伝説 ダッチワイフ
からラブドールまで 特殊用途愛玩人形の戦後史 [The
Legend of Antarctica No. 1, from Dutch Wives to Love Dolls:
The Postwar History of Special-Purpose Dolls]. Basilico.
ISBN 978-4862380937 . - ^ "1998" . オリエント工業の歴史 (in Japanese).
Retrieved 2013-01-04. - ^ "Tokyo Times blog" . 17 December 2004.
- ^ Japanorama , BBC Three , Season 3 Episode 2, first
aired 26 March 2007 - ^ "Blow up love-doll business puts boom into boom-
boom" . Mainichi Shimbun ,. 6 March 2006. Archived from
the original on May 11, 2008. - ^ Jiang, Quanbao (September 18, 2012). "The
predicament of bare branches' sexuality" . Electronic
Journal of Human Sexuality . Institute for Advanced Study of
Human Sexuality . 15 . - ^ "Home page" . blowmeupsexdolls.com . Blow Me Up
Sex Dolls. Photos of inflated dolls and detailing. - ^ Ngwira, Robert (5 February 2018). "Sex dolls banned
in Botswana" . Face of Malawi . Retrieved 7 February 2018. - ^ Habershon, Ed; Woods, Richard (2006-06-18). "No
sex please, robot, just clean the floor — Times Online" .
The Times. London. Retrieved 2010-05-23. - ^ Gurley, George. "Is This the Dawn of the Sexbots?
(NSFW)" Vanity Fair (May 2015) - ^ "Campaign launched against 'harmful' sex robots" .
CNBC . - ^ a b "Intelligent machines: Call for a ban on robots
designed as sex toys" . BBC News . - ^ "Campaign Against Sex Robots calls for ban on
human-robot sex (Wired UK)" . Wired UK . - ^ Justin Wm. Moyer (15 September 2015). "Having sex
with robots is really, really bad, Campaign Against Sex
Robots says" . Washington Post.
Further reading
Alexandre, Elisabeth. Des Poupées et des hommes —
enquete sur l'amour Artif . (2005). ISBN 2-84271-252-8
(Book is in French - 'Dolls and Men — Investigation into
Artificial Love').
Dorfman, Elana. Still Lovers (2005). ISBN 0-9766708-1-X .
(Female art/fashion photographer photographs men and
their dolls).
Guys and Dolls: Art, Science, Fashion and relationships .
Royal Pavilion, Libraries and Museums. (2005). (102-
page catalogue of a major exhibition at Brighton
Museum and Art Gallery, England).
Moya, Cynthia Ann. (2006) "Artificial Vaginas and Sex
Dolls: An Erotological Investigation." Dissertation, San
Francisco, CA: Institute for Advanced Study of Human
Sexuality. Available in hardcopy or CD-ROM .
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sex dolls.
"Just Like a Woman" - Salon.com article describing
cultural phenomenon of RealDolls
" "Real Dolls: Love in the Age of Silicone" " .
Archived from the original on 2011-09-27.
Retrieved 2005-10-23. - original, more detailed
version of the Salon article
Sexbot slaves - Thanks to new technology, sex toys are
becoming tools for connection - but will sexbots reverse
that trend? (June 2014), Leah Reich, Aeon
Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless
otherwise noted.
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Sex doll
In this connection we may refer to
fornicatory acts effected with artificial
imitations of the human body, or of
individual parts of that body. There
exist true Vaucansons in this province
of pornographic technology, clever
mechanics who, from rubber and
other plastic materials, prepare entire
male or female bodies, which, as
hommes or dames de voyage , subserve
fornicatory purposes. More especially
are the genital organs represented in a
manner true to nature. Even the
secretion of Bartholin's glans is
imitated, by means of a "pneumatic
tube" filled with oil. Similarly, by
means of fluid and suitable apparatus,
the ejaculation of the semen is
imitated. Such artificial human beings
are actually offered for sale in the
catalogue of certain manufacturers of
"Parisian rubber articles." [3]
