The Power of Pleasure Devices: Sex Toys and Dominance in Society and Pop Culture

Abstract

Sexual intercourse as a source of physical and consequently also mental comfort and satisfaction nowadays is not necessarily a matter handled by the human body exclusively. As shown here, various artefacts are adapted in creative ways to either simulate interpersonal sexual acts or to enhance single or joint sexual experiences. Sex toys, as these devices are commonly labelled today, have a solid position in the sex industry, indicating not only their high popularity but also a fundamental demand for these products. By introducing such devices into one’s own sexual life, sex toys become relevant for the discourse created around the distribution of power relations regarding sexuality. Nevertheless, this discourse is also shaped by the depictions and representations of sex toy use in cultural productions. The following paper argues that the role of sex toys in the construction of hierarchy and distribution of power ultimately depends on the user’s subjective perception of pleasure. However, there are numerous factors that have an impact on building this subjectivity. Those are, among others, perceptions of sex toy usage shaped by the dominance of heteronormativity and further, particular attitudes towards sex toys reflected in society and text productions in popular culture.