Episode 143: Boy Toys – Women Who Buy Male Sex Dolls

Although the modern sex doll industry largely caters to straight men, a growing number of heterosexual women are getting in on the action by purchasing male sex dolls. Sex dolls for women have actually been around for more than a half-century, but they’ve changed quite a bit over the years. So who are the women buying male sex dolls? What are their reasons for purchasing them, and are they meeting women’s needs? And why is there so much stigma around sex doll ownership? Let’s talk about it!

I am joined once again by Hallie Lieberman, a sex historian and journalist. She is also author of the book Buzz: A Stimulating History of the Sex Toy, which we discussed back in episode 21 of this show. Some of the topics we discuss include:

• The history of male sex dolls (it all started with “Big John!”).
• How many women have ever used a sex doll, and how much these dolls cost.
• What male sex dolls tend to look like.
• Women’s reasons for buying sex dolls and how they’re similar/different compared to men.
• Whether sex dolls are effective at satisfying sexual and other needs.
• Why sex dolls are more stigmatized than vibrators and dildos.
• The future of sex dolls for women.

To learn more about Hallie, follow her on the socials @hallielieberman and be sure to pick up a copy of her book, Buzz.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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The Kinsey Institute’s (kinseyinstitute.org) 75th anniversary is underway and you are invited to join in the celebration! Follow @kinseyinstitute on social media to learn more about upcoming events. Also, please consider a gift or donation to the Institute to support sex research and education. Click here to donate.

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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.