On some level, I suppose this rip off of the Twilight is harmless. It's a dildo designed for Twilight fans. As there has been so much pop culture criticism directed toward the vamp craze and what it means in terms of women's sexuality, though, I thought that it was interesting to see that this market has moved from the sexless fantasy it was claimed to be (because Bella and Edward are abstinent for a while) to one in which the sexualization of the vampire and the erotic capacity of the market is being recognized.
This dildo also has the special option of being available hot or cold, with the cold option intended to give you "that authentic experience." Uh, the authentic experience of doing a corpse.
The description of the product is full of language about how it will "seduce" you and how you will be "tantalized by the Vamp" with their promise that it "won't be the only thing coming for you in the night."
Let it be said, I am pro-vamp erotica. I think that the vamp appeal for women is primarily an erotic fantasy. Sure, it may be based in some desires and social influences that we wouldn't herald as feminist, but sexual desire is supposed to be about just that, not about agendas and critiquing what it would mean in the public sphere. (I once knew a girl who refused to have sex in any position other than woman on top because she thought it was degrading to women. I always thought it was worse for women to choose sexual positions for that reason rather than their own satisfaction.)
I'm also pro-sex toy. So I don't really have any qualms with this product, but rather I find it interesting that a sex toy which is very much about women satisfying themselves still reiterates the idea (which seems pretty integral to the fantasy) that they are being overtaken by a vampy seducer. I can't quite work out the power dynamics that are going on there.
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I think it's harmless but hilarious. Particularly the "authentic experience" bit.
I don't think that pleasuring yourself means that the fantasies you're going to have are going to necessarily fit with that. There are lots of women who masturbate -- with and without sex toys -- to rape fantasies, submissive fantasies, and so on and so forth. I really don't see a contradiction there.
This made me laugh.
The fact that it sparkles is cracking me up, but you do raise some good questions about sexual fantasy and violence. I do think, though, that this particular product doesn't do the things I hate Twilight for doing. It doesn't target adolescent girls, as far as I can figure (I can't imagine having the wherewithal to buy myself a big sparkly dildo at that age, and if you're going to help a young girl get her first vibrator I'd go for function over form). It doesn't normalize any of the fetish aspects of Twilight, like the dead and coldness or the creepy stalking- it just presents them as one fantasy among many, since it's just one product among many. I do think the ad copy involves a lot of power play, but it seems like actual *play*, whereas the Twilight books seem like they're trivializing dating violence. Interesting topic though.
I love the music in the little video where they show it sparkling.
I have been waiting for this ever since my best friend from high school started I only read Breaking Dawn to find out if it was like banging a popsicle.. I have been disappointed with Twilight fandom in general for not making this issue a bigger point of ridicule.
I'm pretty sure the description is 99.9% tongue-in-cheek.
The owner of the company, Metis Black, is totally sex-positive and dedicated to making high-quality, body-safe products. Read some of her sex ed articles to see evidence of this.
I own several of her other creations (sadly, I've got no interest in sparkling) and can vouch that they're some of the best on the market.