Erika Moen is the guide in the darkest moments, frustrating and lonely of life, the fairy godmother who makes onanism more cheerful and fun – as if you could – and above all tinged with all the shades of pink* and with intersectional feminism.
32-year-old cartoonist, Erika is known to most for her Oh joy, sex toy, a weekly updated blog of comic strips in which she, and occasionally her husband Matt, review for the general public the erotic toys that inhabit or have inhabited their sex life.
The project was created to advise the most inexperienced on what to look for when buying a sex toy of any type, but soon it expanded to include informative/ comic/useful figures on anything that could go through the mind of the dearest perverts, or her fans. On the site we can find reviews of swingers clubs, the Ask a pornstar segment, interviews – in comic strip form – with guests that recount the discovery of their own sexuality, and an incredibly funny section of “How to’s…” which includes tips on cunnilingus, a list of things to do if you think you have HPV, what “consensual sex” means and why non-consensual sex is rape, and how you can make a long distance relationship work. So, practically almost anything.
One of the best things about the website is Erika’s style, very clean and fresh; first commandment is “to feel at ease“. All the reviews are illustrated very explicitly via a group of characters that Erika calls “The Masturbateers” – which already draws a smile – among which it is not uncommon to find people with physical disabilities, a large variety of different body types, representations of all possible ethnicities, gender nonconforming bodies (not conforming to gender expectations), LGBT+ couples and much more. All this, and this is the thing that excites us most, with no declaration of intent with regards to the total “inclusivity” of the site. Let me be clear, it would not in itself be a bad thing, and Moen certainly knows that a decision such as hers has a positive social weight; however, the cartoonist decides to present the Masturbateers not as a political choice, but as an attempt to make the site a comfortable place for everyone, where pretty much anyone can find suitable advice and the security of quite often being able to find what he or she is looking for.
Another commendation is the total honesty and frankness of the two reviewers; over time manufacturers of sex toys have launched partnership with the site sending them products to review. Moen always and in any case reserves the right to tell the truth, and often her pictures are very detailed and critical and full of explanations as to why something worked and why it did not. Sometimes the couple involves other people in the testing sessions to have different opinions on the effectiveness, or lack there of, of a vibrator/dildo/sleeve, under the aegis of “every body is different” – a rule that we would like to see being implemented more often.
It is said, usually, that the best way to buy a sex toy is look for a store that proclaims itself as female friendly or feminist friendly. This is not only down to an ethical issue, but because the clerks tend to be more inclined to give useful advice and help you choose, the environment is more welcoming, and above all it looks like any shoe store: in the light of day and with a clean window overlooking the sidewalk, rather than a sign just after the toll booth. In short, a place that does not make us feel as if we were buying a machine gun on the black market.
It’s a great piece of advice, especially because a salesman who knows the products can help guide in the choice making; however, not everyone feels comfortable talking about their orgasms with a stranger, and this is where Erika Moen comes into play. Her comic is the digital alternative to female friendly sex shops, clean and cheerful, open and sympathetic to any need and inclination – and with direct links to online stores that provide “discreet” shipments directly to your doorstep.
*pun intended
