A Puzzle for Sex Doll Designers: What Do Straight Women Want?
More dad bods, fewer plastic abs
Zach is new to Kamloops, British Columbia, but he is having trouble making friends. On his new website, he outlines his love of sports, the outdoors and going to the gym. With his brown hair, blue eyes, pouty lips, hairless body, completely impassive expression, and 8.5-inch penis, he is probably someone’s fantasy. All he really wants is to show someone a really good time — ideally while lying down. Because Zach can’t actually do much without the help of a human companion.
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…
