Introducing Mr. Will’s House of Thrills
I was already familiar with Will’s truly thrilling (web) house when I requested his help with an article on male sex bloggers. His insights were invaluable—just as his perspective on his site is. I greatly appreciate his presence in the world of sex blogging.
- How did you get into sex blogging?
- One hundred percent honest here? I wanted a Fleshlight, and I saw a link on Tumblr talking about a program with Eden Fantasys that gave toys to reviewers. I started with a few reviews, and before long I was getting positive attention. A straight, single (at the time), guy that could use sex toys and write more than just “Grumble Grumble good, Grumble Grumble mmm”? My reviews were helping guys make informed choices. Time went by and Eden made some decisions that caused an exodus of reviewers… I’d already written several sex pieces for SexIs magazine, so I dove into sex blogging on my own (I really considered just walking away, but Property of Potter pushed me to keep trying). I haven’t looked back since.
- There aren’t many straight, male sex bloggers out there. Why not?
- The stigma around sex, to be honest. At least that’s why I think there aren’t many. I mean it’s pretty common to hear guys bragging like crazy about their “sexual conquests”, but to openly and honestly discuss sex and sex toys, to accept that there is more than just the world that affects their penis? In a society where “man up” is an acceptable way to tell men to shut up and be manly, we won’t see a lot of the openness it takes to talk about sex without it being a macho dick measuring contest. We need more male sex bloggers, and I don’t feel like the sexual orientation matters at all. We need true conversation and discussion on male sexuality.
- Do you think men are embracing sex toys more now?
- I think more and more are, yes. It’s just the times changing, coupled with the realization that for the most part the world isn’t getting any happier. I think folks embrace things that bring them pleasure, and sex toys can certainly be an avenue to pleasure. Jon Millward: The Ideas Detective, studied a HUGE load of Lovehoney’s data and found that 1 in 5 men are buying sex toys where only 1 in 20 women are. I’m still going through the whole post (Down The Rabbit Hole: What One Million Sex Toy Sales Reveal About Our Erotic Tastes, Kinks, and Desires) and there is a lot of fascinating information…. For instance: Single straight men buy more butt plugs than attached straight men or ANY female demographic. Just looking at that post alone and the information (some of the infographics are AMAZING) says a lot, and the feeling I’m getting? Guys love toys, most just aren’t ready to talk about it with other people yet.
- What is the most challenging part of sex writing and sex toy reviews?
- Honestly, trying to make sure to convey information that’s going to help the people. I can let thousands and thousands of words pour out of my head onto paper or into a post, and if they don’t help anyone I’ve just wasted my time and that of anyone reading. What’s the point of wasting people’s time?
- Who are your sex blogging inspirations?
- Inspirations… Hmmm. Can I say me? Like… Is saying I want to be better than I was yesterday a valid answer? Really though, I look up to a few people. Dangerous Lilly is a big one. She’s different, and she busts her ass to be helpful when and where she can. Rayne from Insatiable Desire too, but for a different reason. Rayne is just a no-holds barred, if-you-don’t-like-me-go-fuck-yourself personality. Bloggers that bring depth and breadth of knowledge to the table inspire me. I like the little feel-good stories, but I go nuts for displays of intellectual power. Real people inspire me… Folks that are unapologetic about who they are and just throw it out there? Those are the people I look up to, because I struggle with letting myself be that vulnerable about stuff. I get little bits of inspiration from lots of folks though (check the folks I follow on Twitter… WAY too many to list!)
- What types of art do you create?
- I’m a photographer and digital artist… I do a lot of mixed media stuff… This first picture started as a pencil sketch (in Sketchbook Pro, actually):
- And this “painting” was done for Epiphora’s big Lelo Mona extravaganza:
- My photography has been virtually non-existent lately, but I still occasionally get to set up and take a few good pics. This is my favorite lately:
- What inspired your planned Prostate Pleasures erotica anthology?
- I feel like there just isn’t enough prostate centered erotica, and I know there is an audience that would love an anthology of it. I was sitting and thinking one day and just had the idea. I mean, why not publish an anthology that gives readers something smutty to enjoy AND give the doctors and scientists money to work on prostate cancer research? Any smut writers that would like to check it out (and maybe submit) can read more here: Call For Submissions For “Prostate Pleasures: An Erotic Anthology”
- Who are your sex inspirations?
- That’s hard for me to think about, really. I don’t think of any particular person and think “You know, I want to have sex like them!”. I like having sex the way I have sex, and I don’t want to be all cookie-cutter similar to someone else. What other realm do folks get to be 100% entirely their own, entirely free and vulnerable? Sex is a place to be entirely yourself, to show someone the you that the rest of the world doesn’t get to see. Why copy someone else’s “style”, so to speak?
- What can we look forward to from you in the future?
- Heh… Most of the time I don’t know what I’m going to be doing in ten minutes. That makes calling anything beyond maybe tomorrow a crapshoot. Ideally, I’d like to be writing some more helpful and relevant stuff, contributing more to the world in whatever manner happens to make itself available to me. I’ve got ideas for a few sex toys, but can’t afford to even try prototyping at the moment. Maybe I’ll stick with writing for a few years… Who really knows?
