LOS ANGELES—Ronda Rousey’s recent attempts at providing sex tips have people in the pleasure product industry riled up and ready to armbar her.
The UFC champ recently penned a column for Maxim magazine in which she dispensed sex, dating and relationship advice. But her first tip—no lube in the bedroom—has plenty of lubricant manufacturers and sex educators up in arms.
“What should a guy always do? Take his time,” Rousey suggested to men. “In general, a girl takes a minute. He needs to get her ready. You should never need lube in your life. If you need lube, then you’re being lazy … and you’re not taking your time.”
The reaction to her comments was swift.
“Oh hell the F no,” said sexual health and wellness expert Sunny Megatron. “‘You should never need lube in your life. If you need lube, then you’re being lazy.’ WHAT!?!?!
“A vagina's level of wetness is NOT dependent on how turned on someone is or isn’t,” Megatron added. “Yes, ‘sometimes’ it's an indication, however, self lubrication relies on a number of variables we can't control—where you are in your cycle, what medications you are on, estrogen levels, personal variation, hydration, etc etc etc. On the flip side someone can be super wet and not turned on at all.”
The creators of Wicked Sensual Care, a manufacturer of lubricants and personal care products, also joined the conversation, wanting to publicly educate Rousey about the many benefits of lubricants—from health to pleasure—and offer Rousey a lifetime supply of Wicked Sensual Care products, so she may experience them first hand.
Carrie Smith, head of product development for Wicked Sensual Care, offered the following words for Rousey:
“Ms. Rousey, on behalf of everyone at Wicked Sensual Care, I’d like to tell you how big of fans we are in regards to everything you continue to achieve as an athlete and woman. You stand for beauty in strength, as well as changing body images and gender stereotypes. Your success provides you with a great platform to reach people, which is why I was concerned to hear your thoughts on lube when addressing Maxim readers.
“Lubricant is perhaps one of the most essential elements of a healthy and enjoyable sexual experience, regardless of age or gender. Some of the reasons include: its ability to reduce friction, whether natural or from a condom; decrease in the odds a condom will break; assist with sex after menopause; help those with Sexual Arousal Disorder and vaginal dryness; and in the case of Wicked Sensual Care, act as a natural biostatic due to our use of olive leaf extract.
“In addition, flavored lubes, like our own Salted Carmel and Candy Apple flavors, make oral pleasures even tastier, while lubes with heating and cooling elements provide added sensations. And of course, lubricant is imperative for anyone engaging in anal sex.
“There is no normal when it comes to sex, and everyone is different. If we perpetuate the idea a woman can become naturally lubricated by her partner simply doing the necessary work, then we are ignoring the many women unable to self lubricate due to a number of medical and psychological reasons. We are also putting pressure on the men and women trying to help them become lubricated.
“Ideally, sex is fun and pleasurable, which is where lubricants come in to help create the most stress-free environment possible. I welcome any questions you may have, and if you’re so inclined, I am happy to offer you a lifetime supply of Wicked Sensual Care’s products because I believe you may change your mind once you experience the many different types of lubricants now available, from water-based and silicone-based, to our wide range of flavored and PETA-approved lubes demonstrating how far we’ve progressed with sexual health and wellness products.”
Sex educator and sex-positive consultant at Hodder Media Anne Hodder expressed concern over Rousey offering sex advice at all.
“It's disappointing to see prominent figures publicly deem what should and shouldn't happen in the bedroom, as though their opinions and judgments are the exclusive key to enjoying satisfying and pleasurable sex,” she said. “It's almost more of a shame to see popular media outlets with loyal followings seek sex advice from famous people, as though fame transforms their opinions and judgments into fact. Rousey's feelings regarding lube are actually not uncommon—many men and women share the belief that lube is for old people, kinky sex freaks, broken women, or women with sub-par sexual partners. One of the missions of the sex-education community is to eradicate these kinds of shame-inducing misconceptions and instead help people discover their own personal paths to sexual fulfillment without relying on the advice of celebrities along the way.”
Sliquid, a female-focused lubricant manufacturer, also made a public offer to Rousey following the publication of her “Help Me Ronda!” sex advice column.
“It’s a common misconception that the female body should produce a constant and adequate supply of its own lubricant and if it doesn’t, there’s something wrong with her—or her partner,” Sliquid CEO Dean Elliott said. “While Rousey is right about women needing time to get aroused, lubrication is never an accurate measure of how aroused she might feel. Lubrication is essential for having safe, satisfying and pleasurable sex, which is why Sliquid exists—to supplement women’s own lubrication with natural, vegan and chemical-free formulas. And we want Ronda to feel the incredible effects first-hand with a year’s supply of our best lube.”
Megatron also suggested Rousey might not be the best person to pen a column for Maxim.
“This type of advice appearing in a major publication is extremely irresponsible. Ronda Rousey is not a sexuality educator nor does she know what's she's talking about in this instance,” she said. “Is any major publication ready to give me a regular MMA column? Of course not. That would be preposterous because I don't know the first thing about MMA fighting.
“People need to stick with what they know or get proper training/research/learn before they move on to something else,” she said. “This is as ridiculous as Brody Jenner having a sex advice show.”
For more information, visit WickedSensualCare.com or Sliquid.com.
