Episode 195: Inside a Sex Doll Brothel

In 2017, the world’s first sex doll brothel opened its doors. Since then, several others have opened up in major cities around the world.  These brothels exist in a gray legal zone and a lot of governments don’t want them around, which makes it tricky not just to set up shop, but to actually stay in business. So what is a sex doll brothel actually like? Who visits these establishments, what are they looking for, and how much does it cost? Let’s take an inside look at Cybrothel, a very unique sex doll brothel in Berlin where customers pay to have sex with a doll while a human sex worker provides the doll’s voice to make the client’s fantasies come to life.

I am joined once again by Dr. Kenneth Hanson, an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Wyoming in the Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology. Using qualitative and mixed methods, his work has examined social issues related to artificial intelligence, sexuality, emotions, and sex toys. He has published papers about dating apps, the sex tech industry, Reddit, and sex doll owners.

Some of the topics we discuss include:

• How is a sex doll brothel different from a traditional brothel?
• How common are sex doll brothels around the world? Where are they located?
• What is it like to serve as the voice for a sex doll?
• Who is the clientele for these brothels?
• What does it cost to visit a sex doll brothel? How does this compare to rates for in-person sex work?
• Will sex doll brothels eventually replace in-person sex work, or are they serving different audiences?

Be sure to check out Kenneth’s website to learn more, and follow him on Twitter to stay connected.

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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.