Episode 226: What It’s Like To Work In A Sex Shop

It’s one thing to visit a sex shop, but it’s quite another to stand behind the counter! Working in one of these stores can be a very fulfilling and rewarding experience, but it can also be challenging due to the wide range of customers. A lot of the people walking through the door might be feeling embarrassed. Some might have a complicated relationship with their own sexuality. And others will be rude or immature. So what’s it actually like to work in a sex shop? In today’s show, we’re going to explore the good, bad, and ugly of it all.

I am joined once again by Fancy Feast, a Brooklyn-based burlesque performer, writer, and sex educator whose work has been profiled on NPR, Refinery29, and The Huffington Post. Her new book, Naked: On Sex, Work, and Other Burlesques, was the focus of the previous episode.

Some of the topics we explore include:

• How is working in a sex shop like being an amateur sex therapist?
• What kind of training and sex ed do these shops provide to employees?
• What are some of the most fun and rewarding aspects of working at a sex shop?
• How does a lack of sex ed contribute to poor customer behavior in these shops?
• How can selling sex toys be a liberating experience, both for the seller and customer?
• How did the arrival of 50 Shades of Grey change what it’s like to work in a sex shop?

To learn more, you can check out Fancy Feast’s website, and stay connected on Instagram and Twitter.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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