Sex toys give off the right vibe at workshop

Author: Dina Magaril

Sex is as ubiquitous on a college campus as are midterms and winter break, but Middlebury added a little spice to its Sexual Awareness Lecture Series this past Sunday by hosting sex toy extraordinaire and independent consultant, Kristin Lawson of Passion Parties. Lawson, a self-employed wife and mother of three, came prepared with a show and tell array of lubricants, sex toys and manuals that would make even a sex connoisseur blush, or at least admit that this woman had something to offer.

Passion Parties has been a supplier of sensual products throughout the United States and Canada for over 14 years, ranging from edible lubricants to battery operated toys. The company prides itself on being "founded by women for women," and encourages "sexual intimacy between two partners," and it is this message that convinced Morgane Richardson '08, an organizer of the event, that Lawson would be a great contributor to the college's ongoing campaign on sexual awareness. "People are having sex, students are connecting with one another in that emotional and physical way which is great....We are not saying, 'hey, stop having sex,' but 'yes, sex is good, do it if it feels right, but most importantly be safe'," Richardson said.

"This here is a get laid insurance policy," Lawson proclaimed as she exhibited one of her bestselling items - a pheromone-inducing oil for both men and women. She then proceeded to test the product out on the first row of the packed auditorium, joking that two students sitting next to each other might not be able to contain themselves in a few minutes.

Lawson's vivacious personality, frequent demonstrations and bawdy language created a comfortable and tight-knit environment in a crowd that reached nearly 100 students. Lawson shared some stories of her own sexual peaks and lows as well as those of satisfied customers. One story involved 500 dollars worth of vibrators and an airport security officer in Burlington International Airport, an event that Lawson shamelessly laughed at. "My children were horrified and people were covering their kids' eyes," she recalled.

Perhaps the most relatable aspect of Lawson's demonstrations involved the all-too-accurate descriptions of the often mundane college sex life she described, an experience Lawson herself laments. Though her passion parties and collections were originally marketed for the 30-and-up crowd, Lawson said college students would find her toys more than useful in "trying to speed up the good sex part."

To prove this end, Lawson passed around her line of edible lotions and some "nipple nibblers," a strawberry cream that could be used to initiate foreplay and even gave a "hand job" to two girls in the first row using an edible lubricant and heated hand massager.

The Passion Parties company has expanded to 45 women and is growing every day, said Lawson. The best part about her job, she said, is that she "gets to work a few days out of the month and have fun while doing it."

Though the turnout included a good mix of both men and women, many of Lawson's products are geared towards women, including a variety of G-spot sex toys like "Jelly Clitorific," an anatomically correct bright pink dildo, and "The Velvet Curve," a multifunctional battery-operated toy that Lawson warned was "not for beginners."

The boys were not all forgotten in the demonstration and were even the topic of Lawson's main event, packaged in a popular toy: "Gigi," a neon yellow "masturbation sleeve" that users claim induced an orgasm in "under two minutes."

"Best of all, it swallows for you," said Lawson as she demonstrated how to seal the top of the elastic tube to avoid unnecessary clean up.

Lawson strongly recommended the strawberry and vanilla edible lubes which recharged in water, expanding one's options of sexual activities to include "showers and baths."

"Wetter is better," she said, "and water is not a lubricant, so use one," she advised.

Above all, Lawson stressed the importance of feeling comfortable with your partner and practicing safe sex. Richardson could not agree more. "The safest sex is with your velvet ripples vibrator!" Richardson joked.

Aside from providing entertainment for a couple of hours, Lawson succeeded in signing on new and enthusiastic customers, judging from the crowd that assaulted the order forms after her demonstration was complete. All of Lawson's products can be bought online, under a discreet heading for those who share their parents' accounts.

And while Lawson's solution to Middlebury's often-stagnant sex scene - two AA batteries- might be oversimplified, there did not seem too be many complaints.

"People tend to be shy about issues around sex, especially about sex toys. With the turn out, it was clear that students wanted to talk about it and learn more," said Maegan North '08. "She was really funny and personable. She made the workshop comfortable and candid."

Lizzie Quinn '09, was another pleased customers who agreed with Lawson's mission. "People need to get more play and be more happy with the play they're getting," she said. To shop online or host your own passion party visit www.vibrantpassion.com.