Filed under: Comment
So what the hell am I going on about now?
Well basically I can’t help but feel we’re living through the biggest sexual revolution we’ve ever seen.
Sure the 60’s was known as the time for sexual liberation … but when you factor in that people didn’t really appreciate the implications regarding STD’s or even pregnancy, you can safely say we are far more involved, interested and engaged in sex than at any other point in our history.
Hell, when anal sex is discussed on Oprah, you know there’s pretty much no more sexual taboo’s left in the World, ha!
And what this frankness has all led to, is the explosion in sexual marketing … no, I don’t mean interms of using sex as a marketing device [I think we all know that’s been around for years] …I mean interms of the explosion of marketing for sexual products.
This isn’t about things like Viagra, because the marketing for that product was handled in a very ‘proper’ manner, this is about the blatant marketing for blatantly sexual devices/products.
Above is an ad for Ann Summers ‘iGASM’ device … a vibrator that you plug into your iPOD which then ‘stimulates’ you in time with the song that you’re playing.
Sure that’s rather an ‘interesting’ concept … and sure Apple are suing them for the parody of their iconic ads … but the really interesting thing is that this product is being openly sold/advertised through a national chain of sex shops when just 10 years ago, this sort of thing was only available either by ordering it through a catalogue or by going into a shop with blacked out windows, probably located in a less then salubrious part of town.
Thanks to film, television, magazines, internet [please look at this site I’ve found, it’s freaky!], newspapers [if that’s what you can call the News Of The World] … we have become so de-sensitized to the issue of sex that even when more bizarre products come out, our first impression is not of shock, but more of being inquisitive.
Take the Vortex device for example [below]
This is a bloody vacuum cleaner attachment that acts as an ‘ultimate clitoral stimulator’. I mean … isn’t that the sort of thing we used to associate with Dirty Old Men? Hell, now it’s a product supposedly for Horny Young Women!
However, rather than be shocked … I found myself laughing, but not as much as when I saw the ‘video demonstration‘ of the thing!
Sure sex – doing it, talking about it and promoting it – is very healthy for society … however as we’re living through a time of increased sexual illness, teenage pregnancy and abortion/unwanted babies, companies should not forget the importance of approaching their marketing with sensitivity and education, or they could be held liable for future issues like Macca’s was for obesity.
[Which is why I think Durex would find it far more effective if they stopped doing ads and started promoting sex education in schools – a subject that is having less coverage in educational institutions, at a time when it should be having more]
Right, I’m off to Melbourne now … and it’s probably a good thing because this post has made me feel very awkward indeed, ha!
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this is the greatest fucking blog post in the history of perverts. sure course george will never let you anywhere near his kids and ill never let you vacuum my house, but this is just fucking brilliant and i have new found respect for you campbell. well done.
Comment by andy@cynic July 2, 2007 @ 11:01 amOn one hand I really like the way you have identified we’re living in the “sexual revolution age”, on the other hand this post makes me feel very uncomfortable, mainly because its making Andy so happy. 🙂
Comment by Pete July 2, 2007 @ 11:04 amWhat would be more interesting: Where from did you know about Vortex? What google-search actually got you there? Something to associate with a “dirty old man”?
Comment by Seb July 2, 2007 @ 2:20 pmAre you trying to say life was better when all you had was Viz? 😉
Comment by Will July 2, 2007 @ 3:04 pmyes
Comment by NP July 2, 2007 @ 4:00 pmYes actually
Comment by NP July 2, 2007 @ 4:01 pmI knew this post would cause some interesting debate … however let me put some minds at rest [but not Andy’s]
1. I am not a pervert, it is a serious comment.
2. I found the Vortex via gadget bible T3
[So maybe we should ask THEM how they found it]
3. Viz does make life better – but I would say that as they wrote the cynic website, ha!
Hope that clears things up … and George, I am no ‘Gary Glitter’ so you can feel safe having me babysit.
Comment by Rob July 2, 2007 @ 4:15 pmIf Mary sees this post Rob, you won’t be allowed to even mention the girls names, let alone babysit for them. Mind you, as long as you don’t use the Vortex thing, you are welcome to come and do the hoovering 🙂
Comment by George July 2, 2007 @ 4:32 pmSoon to be Mrs Cynic, I hope you’re reading all this
Comment by NP July 2, 2007 @ 4:46 pmCan someone please remind me why I like NP!!!
Comment by Rob July 2, 2007 @ 4:52 pmI like Viz?
Comment by NP July 2, 2007 @ 4:54 pmAll the best people do NP, all the best people do.
Though I’ve noticed you aren’t as friendly and nice on Rob’s blog. Actually, neither am I.. wonder why? 🙂
Comment by Will July 2, 2007 @ 4:55 pmThat must be it … though I am still trying to work out whether you wanted to know if Jill was reading this post because …
1 You think I’m a sicko perv who she should run from.
OR
2 Being a woman, she’d be interested in vacuuming George’s house.
Comment by Rob July 2, 2007 @ 4:55 pmThanks Will … that makes me happy in a really confusing-kinda-way.
Comment by Rob July 2, 2007 @ 4:56 pmAnger is energy my man – a bit of rage is good for everyone now and again. Personally, I put my behaviour down to being a pent up Midlander. 🙂
Though I’m pleased I’ve uncovered some Viz fans on this blog.
Comment by Will July 2, 2007 @ 5:00 pmI’m with Andy, this post fucking rocks, especially the bit where the guy talks about screwing his BMW 740i. He’s a classy guy, no cheap 318i’s for him.
Comment by Billy Whizz July 2, 2007 @ 5:01 pmQuite Billy … no doubt he/she/it is a friend of Andy so if you ask nicely I’m sure he’ll arrange for you to meet them. Maybe they’d be interested in ‘testing out’ your Japanese offering – fuck a wider nationality of car. [I can’t believe I just wrote that!]
And Will … as far as I am concerned, Viz would be one of the best ad agencies EVER, which is basically why we bribed/blackmailed them into helping us set up the cynic website and creds – far better than the usual ad agency wank. I’ll post some of their/our stuff over the next few weeks … I have a feeling you’ll love it.
Comment by Rob July 2, 2007 @ 5:05 pmAre you in Melbourne? Is jetlag responsible for all this?
Comment by George July 2, 2007 @ 5:08 pmNo I’m not George … I’m getting ready to leave in a few hours. Maybe this post is up there with my stupid ‘Ask Me Any 10 Questions’ post.
When will I learn! Ha!
Comment by Rob July 2, 2007 @ 5:09 pmI wondered why people bought the Hoover Vortex even though it was rubbish compared to the Dyson… oh, wrong one.
Comment by Rob Mortimer July 2, 2007 @ 5:13 pmThat comment sucks
Comment by NP July 2, 2007 @ 5:17 pmRob – good stuff. I look forward to seeing the posts. I was too young for the golden years of Viz, so newer stuff will be interesting to see – especially in collaboration with Cynic.
Comment by Will July 2, 2007 @ 5:17 pmI was too young to read it in its heyday, but the Top Tips book was pure genius.
Comment by Rob Mortimer July 2, 2007 @ 5:28 pmNP … that is officially the OLDEST joke ever.
Well done.
Comment by Rob July 2, 2007 @ 5:39 pmI thank you.
Comment by NP July 2, 2007 @ 5:54 pmWhat an odd post… Rob has raised the bar for angry and weird posts the past few days!
Comment by Rob Mortimer July 2, 2007 @ 7:51 pmwhat the fuck? this has gone from the greatest post ever written to the shittest all because fucking planners have started making shit jokes and references to viz. youre right though mortimer, campbell is back to his weird and angry (and perverted) best so theres hope for this blog yet. campbell, lets hope your plane makes it to melbourne in one piece, this has finally started to get interesting. 🙂
Comment by andy@cynic July 2, 2007 @ 8:08 pmYou are going to hell Mr Boucher and the sad thing is I know you don’t care!
Comment by Pete July 2, 2007 @ 8:11 pmGreat post. I’m going to do a post on the woman at Interesting 2007 who made a sex movie with no screen nudity but unsimulated sex. It was brilliant.
..and yes Will. I do have the DVD she gave me mate 😉
Comment by Charles Frith July 3, 2007 @ 4:57 amI survived Andy and yes, you are going to hell.
And Charles, that sounds a fucking amazing DVD – tell me more, ha!
Comment by Rob July 3, 2007 @ 5:32 amandy, you would have loved the Interesting speakers who did ‘9 tips for making an erotic film’.. but you weren’t there.. sucked in! ha!
rob – there is something really fucking important about this post and despite the schoolboy sniggering, it’s an element of branding that needs to be really checked out. in fact, if more aspects of the sexual ‘industry’ were advertised in a way that was authentic to its purpose, with a sense of fun and respect and education, perhaps it would put a spanner in the works of using tacky sex to sell other things. (ie, why use sex to sell chips, when you can use it to sell sex).
Comment by lauren July 3, 2007 @ 5:45 amHello Lauren … first of all I’m in your home town and it’s freezing, secondly I want to know why you aren’t asleep yet, thirdly – you don’t have to worry about Andy, he knows EXACTLY what goes into making ‘adult movies’ [he’s seen enough, ha] and finally … while this post involves some weirdo things, I did approach it with absolute seriousness – especially given we are in an epidemic regarding STD, unwanted babies etc etc.
It’s great ‘sex’ is more out in the open … but if companies forget the importance of ‘responsibility/education’, then it could end up doing the World more harm than good.
That’s not me being a fuddy-duddy, it’s me being genuinely concerned about our children’s futures – which is why I am about to announce something that I think you will be happy about.
Watch this space.
Comment by Rob July 3, 2007 @ 6:18 amfirstly, i’m in your home town (well, close enough) and it’s freezing, IN SUMMER!. secondly, i’m not asleep because it’s only just past midnight and i’m trying to figure out how to upload an mp3/wav file to blogger (and i wonder why i’m single!ha!) and thirdly, that did absolutely nothing to stop me worrying about andy… 🙂
big kudos for the seriousness about this stuff (that ‘schoolboy snigger’ bit was more the comments than the post)..
Comment by lauren July 3, 2007 @ 7:40 am