October 16, 2015

"Do you need vulva emoji? Or do you want to keep typing ({|})?"

"Feministing has done an article on Flirtmoji's recent release of 15 vulva emoji, realistically asymmetrical and in a variety of pleasant colors. Designer Katy McCarthy did an interview on her work on these sexually explicit emoji and the necessity of inclusivity."

So says Metafilter. The linked Feministing article is "THESE NEW VAGINA EMOJIS ARE THE BEST." So you've got Metafilter subtly prodding the feminist blog to be a tad more accurate with the genitalia terminology.

Here's the interview with McCarthy, going into the depth of why people need sexy emoji:
What’s really beautiful about sex, and emoji, is that sex is really playful and also really difficult. And at the core of good sex is good communication. So to that end, I think that whatever it takes for you to be able to communicate what you want or need, or what you don’t want and don’t need is fine... I think with sex there are things that are really hard to say and hard to ask for, and that’s such a beautiful window to be able to provide someone with language....
This takes me back to something we were talking about yesterday, the "yes means yes" movement and how it privileges those who are language oriented. 

25 comments:

Ignorance is Bliss said...

What was wrong with o?

JAORE said...

"... privileges those who are language oriented. "

And, as we all know, emoji's are the highest, most precise form of communication.....

Roughcoat said...

Sex sex sex sex.

Ann Althouse said...

"And, as we all know, emoji's are the highest, most precise form of communication....."

What I'm saying is that some people aren't that good with language and emojis fill a need for them. Those people are also poorly served by complicating the language skill required to engage in sex.

Nichevo said...

What? What need? To enable one to say, Tpu are a ({|}) in 15 colors? Really?

Nichevo said...

YOU are

Anonymous said...

[S]ex is...really difficult.

Try not texting while you're at it. It's a lot easier that way.

Wilbur said...

The middle symbol should be a small i. More anatomically correct.

JAORE said...

"
What I'm saying is that some people aren't that good with language and emojis fill a need for them. Those people are also poorly served by complicating the language skill required to engage in sex."

So would you suggest the use of Emoji Flash Cards(tm) during sex?

In a serious note, I suppose emojis could "fill a need". But many of the uses I have seen (eg: three hearts, what appears to be a stove, a lightning bolt, a sad face and a tree) doesn't fill a need with anything approaching clarity.

Sebastian said...

"sex is really playful"

But some people are trying hard to make it less so.

"and also really difficult"

??

"And at the core of good sex is good communication"

Sure, lady. But sometimes it's good to just, you know, shut up and focus on the task at hand.

Clayton Hennesey said...

People interested in vulva emojis are not enjoying enough vulvas.

Laslo Spatula said...

Each Vulva is its Own Special Snowflake.

I am Laslo.

rhhardin said...

From the official artistic point of view, Picasso used ! for vulva and asshole.

Asterisk for asshole alone.

rhhardin said...

Vulvas in detail are not much interesting to guys; at that level of detail they find it seeks not further detailed investigation -- apparently there's nothing further to be discovered -- but fucking.

Only in the distance does it seem to pass over existence itself.

Emoji creators ought to know that, but they're women and don't know the deal.



lgv said...

Is a vagina emoji the same as "yes"?

rhhardin said...

The point of labia is to keep infection away from the cervix, forming a sort of clean interior, not to attract males.

The point of the penis is to go right past them, which they are designed for.

That physical and evolutionary biology is also the psychological one, at least for guys.

Attraction-wise, pubic hair has lead to no advantaged design underneath. Anything works.

It's like tails on Dobermans. There's quite a variety if you don't dock them, the breed standard having been set by docked tails.

Noton Yalife said...

If there were a penis emoji would it be viewed the same way?

If a man used a vulva emoji would it be a perpetuation of the patriarchy/heteronormativity/appropriation/rape culture?

If the penis and vulva emoji are placed next to each other would it constitute sexual violence/rape?

Would it under the rubric of "yes means yes"?

Smilin' Jack said...

""Do you need vulva emoji? Or do you want to keep typing ({|})?""

I'm going to take that as an inclusive "or", and just answer "no".

Joe said...

Why do feminists keep doing things which make them look insane?

Rae said...

What a stupid time to be alive.

Yes, I stole that from John Ekdahl via Ace of Spades.

Sigivald said...

Can't say I've ever had reason to see OR type a vulva emoji or ASCII equivalent.

I mean, there's a perfectly good WORD for vulva that's the same length as the ASCII version and less work than finding an emoji, right?

David said...

Next: scratch and sniff.

It can always get even more stupid, I believe.

averagejoe said...

(.)(.) Boobies!!

Unknown said...

When do these start to show up on Facebook? Because I'm really interested in what my FB friends labia look like before I hit on them.

Fred Drinkwater said...

I'm strangely intrigued by the italicized version in Smilin' Jack's comment at 1:04.