When an episode of Sex and the City showed Samantha (Kim Cattrall) attempting to return a “neck massager” because it failed to “get her off”, the ripple effect was astounding. This was 2002 and, although such sex toys had existed for decades, it was one of the first times we’d seen them, shamelessly, in popular culture.
As a result, sales of The Magic Wand – the microphone-shaped massager that Samantha appeared to be using – went through the roof. A similar product placement for The Rampant Rabbit would see sales jump by a claimed 700 per cent annually.
It’s been more than 50 years since The Magic Wand launched in America, initially marketed as a massager before word spread that it had other uses. To this day, the brand reports half a million sales a year. Now it’s available to buy in Australia – but it has some stiff competition.
In Australia, our sex toy trends tell us more about our country than the Census, with our shopping habits linked to our relationship status and even the state of the economy.
We buy more sex toys once we’re married, according to research. We also buy more sex toys in a recession. During lockdown, sales surged by 350 per cent (clearly, we were all masturbating and making banana bread).
Australia’s “sexual happiness” retailer Lovehoney fills more than half a million orders a year (that’s an average of 10,000 a week), and tastes are changing to reflect sexual fluidity and feedback from the LGBTQI+ community, including “gender-neutral toys” for every body.
Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av Marie Claire Australia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av Marie Claire Australia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
SHANNEN DOHERTY
The rebellious actor died in July after a nine-year battle with cancer. Zara Wong looks back at the legacy of a woman who always lived on her own terms
IN THE WILDS OF ALASKA
Nature served up a spectacular array of delights, while cruising the majestic waters of the far north.
Back to EARTH
In its earliest days, the farm bred draught horses for export. Now Tasmania's 1840 cottage Leighton House has been restored as a glorious getaway
ODE to LIGHT
Created by master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian in 2011, Elie Saab's Le Parfum has since gained a cult following and become an industry icon. Here, Sally Hunwick uncovers the origins of the stunning chypre floral scent
JEN ATKIN
The Ouai beauty guru is regularly called on by the Kardashians and a host of other A-listers. Here, she talks about hair, her beauty cupboard and how she keeps up her energy levels
A NEW DIRECTION
When she was 16, Jordan Lambropoulos told her surgeon she'd rather die than wake up with a colostomy bag. Today - 10 years, countless operations and 14,000 Instagram followers later - she's proof that a colostomy bag is not the end. In fact, it can be the beginning of a whole new life
LADY LUCK
Rosalía takes her accessories as seriously as she takes her art. The Spanish musician spent three years working on her much-lauded album Motomami, finessing the details and perfecting the finishing touches. And when it comes to her outfits, she's no less specific
Wait... superhero movies are cool now?
Who had Emma Corrin and Juno Temple as supervillians on their 2024 bingo card?
CURTAIN CALLING
Brisbane-born star Vidya Makan steps into the shoes of America's founding mother in the long-awaited return of Hamilton
LEIGH-ANNE
The English singer on colourism, freedom and reuniting Little Mix
