Given that New York Magazine recently featured a cover story on polyamory depicting four cuddly cats, the concept of a “shared girlfriend” may not sound that odd.
But when Chinese startup Taqu (“Touch” in English) attempted to market its Shared Girlfriend doll rental service in 2017 — well, it was a bit odd.
Shared what now?
Taqu sells a variety of adult products, including sex dolls. Recognizing that the price of a high-quality silicone doll could be prohibitive, Taqu announced a service that allowed customers to rent one of five dolls — including one that looked like Wonder Woman — for a mere $46/day.
You might think that, given the nature of the product, Shared Girlfriend failed because people were unwilling to share something they did you-know-what with — though the modular lower half of each doll was to be removed and cleaned in between rentals.
But actually…
… Shared Girlfriend failed because the Chinese government did not like it. A Taqu spokesperson told Motherboard that the police had contacted them, calling the scheme “vulgar.” They’d also been fined ~$340.
Ultimately, Taqu shuttered the service before renting a single doll, but vowed to find other ways to normalize and discuss sexuality.
Today…
… companies are pioneering AI sex dolls, because of course they are. There’s also a burgeoning market for AI chatbots that act as companions and engage in spicy conversation.
Those are simpler and cheaper than dolls, too, and you don’t even have to share.
Why Though
