Lonely during lockdown? Well, you’re not alone (I mean, you are, but you’re not). I’ve talked before about the wonders of virtual dating during the pandemic, but even that lacks a certain “physical” touch element. So in the midst of quarantine, I guess it’s no surprise that many lonely souls are turning to sex dolls to fill the role of their lockdown hunny.
What may actually BE a bit of a surprise is that those dolls aren’t just for sex. I read an article recently that talked about how easily we humans develop feelings for what we know are just dumb, unthinking pieces of technology. You can trace this at least as far back as 1966, when a very early and primitive “conversation simulator” called ELIZA was first programmed.
ATTENTION, PEOPLE: Quarantines and lockdowns have dramatically reduced opportunities to get freaky deaky with fellow humans, so sex dolls and innovative new sex toys are now beginning to take up the slack in the bedroom. Of course we’re gonna talk about it.
Now, let’s be clear that this thing was simplistic. Anyone with a smart phone today could download a better “artificial intelligence” to “talk to” in a few seconds. There was definitely no Turing test being passed here.
But at the time, this little bit of software was the bee’s knees, man. People who interacted with ELIZA treated “her” with respect, as they would a human, and many even said they preferred talking to the program over conversing with an actual person.
The article also mentions the robotic “dog” AIBO, which is worth considering as well. Even in its earliest forms, researchers found that users were treating AIBO like an actual dog. They felt as if it had genuine emotions, like a living pet, and they found its behaviors to be planned and intentional. Again, we really can’t overstate that this was a very simple machine, capable of nowhere near the level of sophistication people thought they detected. But this is how they reacted.
The bottom line here is that people don’t seem at all unwilling to attribute the trappings of real consciousness to something that they know darn well has nothing of the sort. In fact, it’s the opposite: Put even the slightest effort into simulating the responses of a human or other animal, and users WANT to believe there’s a living thing there.
Chalk it up to millions of years of evolution, call it the result of boredom and loneliness right now, or peg your explanation anywhere in between. But there’s no denying that people have a strong desire to emotionally interact with things that make the smallest show of being able to interact with them.
I’m old enough to remember the “Pet Rock” of Ye’ Olde days. Believe me, people can bond with just about anything that isn’t toxic or radioactive.
So it’s really no surprise just how far some guys are willing to go with their sex dolls, and not just in quarantine. We’re talking way more than sex, here. people. I’ve heard about men who invest in one of those multi-thousand dollar ultra-realistic dolls and basically treat them like a full-on girlfriend or wife.
We’re talking dinners together, “sleeping” in the same bed, and curling up to watch movies on the sofa. Again, this was before a global pandemic literally took away the ability of many people to even seek human contact. I can only imagine what’s going on now.
And sex dolls aren’t the only pleasure aids that have become super popular during quarantine. Mashable has a really neat video up where staff writer Jess Joho talks about how sales of sex toys in general are skyrocketing right now. Jess mostly talks about options for the ladies, since that’s what she’s equipped to try herself, but I’ve got no trouble with that.
Jess covers the familiar eggs and other vibrators that girls love, along with some affordable options for those who are on a budget (because as she says, ‘Who isn’t right now?’) like Satisfier and Maude’s Vibe. She also recommends Dipsea, an audio erotica app that tells hot stories to get you in the mood.
And speaking of audio, Jess goes over trying out audio-only sexting (which seems like a step down from good old-fashioned phone sex, but OK) for people who experience lag and other interruptions while trying to get busy over video.
Sex Doll Genie
As you can imagine, there are plenty of companies out there making a killing right now offering various sex toys for those in quarantine. I looked at a few websites to prepare for writing this post, and one that stood out to me was Sex Doll Genie. They’re one of those outfits that produces top-tier quality sex dolls. You’re going to pay if you want any of their stuff, but from what I saw on that site, it’s worth every penny.
Something that really gets me about Sex Doll Genie is the huge variety of models they sell. I counted 9 on their front page, but after those you can click through to a listing of nearly 50, and those are just the “new” ones – there’s more beyond them.
While some sex doll manufacturers don’t seem to offer much variety in their selection of silicone companions, Sex Doll Genie definitely covered that issue expertly.
Most are original creations designed by the company itself, or maybe just calling to mind certain sexual stereotypes (think slutty cowgirl, naughty schoolgirl, etc etc). But several are clearly based on popular anime and video game characters, and I’ve got to say I had a lot of fun looking at the listings for those.
One doll that really impressed me is named “Killian” on the site. She’s based on the model for Alita: Battle Angel, from the movie produced by James Cameron (not the manga or series). It’s a very convincing reproduction, complete with the deceptively innocent face, marks under her eyes, and shortish “punk” hair.
She’s a bit bustier than Alita, but I guess that’s to be expected. She even has clothes similar to Alita’s and a sword just like in the movie. When the site shows the doll undressed, you really feel like you’re seeing something that never would’ve made it into the theater.
Chun-Li of Streetfighter fame is also represented, in the model known as “Rosalind.” It’s all about the clothes with that one: She’s got the same blue fighting dress, the bun ties in her hair, and the spiked bracelets that Chun-Li is known for.
I feel like the doll’s precise facial features miss the mark in a few places, and again Rosalind has a much more ample chest than we usually see on Chun-Li. But the illusion is still quite intriguing, and I know gamers will just go nuts over this doll.
If you played Streetfighter till your thumbs bled back in the day, and popped boners spontaneously every time Chun Li appeared, you need to check out Sex Doll Genie.
And certainly the most “unique” offering on the site has to be Rexxa, who has a whole video review dedicated to unboxing and examining her. She’s made with breast sex in mind, but it is so, so not what you’re thinking.
No boob jobs here – well, I guess you COULD do that with her L-cup chest, but her real claim to fame is her nipples. Designed to please fans of some of the more extreme tentacle genres of manga, her nipples have holes in the tips big enough to stick your finger in. Your finger or, you know…something else.
Beyond the huge assortment of pre-designed models though, maybe what stands out most of all to me about Sex Doll Genie is the level of customization they offer. I’m serious, people, it’s like you can change almost anything on the doll to suit your personal tastes.
Some of it is pretty simple and can be ordered for free, like eye color, skin color, and areola size. You can also opt for a different head (Alita’s face on Chun-Li’s body, or vice-versa), or even ask for an easier-to-clean removable vagina rather than a fixed one, at no cost.
The stuff you actually have to pay extra for is a little more involved. This includes options like “stand-up feet” with screw holes in the soles to let you pose the doll in standing positions, an upgraded skeleton, and even “extra heads”.
I’m guessing any additional heads would be shipped separately and not actually built into the doll, but who knows what some people’s fetishes are. You can also purchase additional accessories like a penis to turn your girl into a futa, an irrigation pump to make cleaning her out easier, and a storage case that honestly looks creepily similar to a coffin.
Like I said, merchandise on this level doesn’t come cheap. Prices for these dolls start off at around $1200, and it goes up from there as you add custom mods to your purchase. But really, considering the quality and the fact that you could certainly pay more for sex dolls while in quarantine, I’d call Sex Doll Genie a bargain.