"In the world of advertising, there's no such thing as a lie. There's only the expedient exaggeration."
-Cary Gant as Roger Thornhill in North by Northwest
Thanks to the series of tubes called the World Wide Web, we now have access to almost limitless information. As mentioned in this issue's cover story by Jamye Waxman and by Health Matters guest columnist Cory Silverberg, there are numerous reliable sources-in print, on the web, and in person-that provide educational and instructional information on sexuality and the use of sexual products. While we tried to cull the best sites and blogs for you, they represent only a fraction of what's out there. Given the overwhelming amount of data at our fingertips, the problem becomes parsing fact from fiction. For a cautionary tale on the difficulty of doing so, let's turn to that cherished and hoary fable that still pervades the web, the one about our old friend Mr. Phthalate.
The supposed dangers of phthalates in sex toys often are stated as facts, though no study proves harm to humans or even suggests harm to adults, according to Rebecca Goldin at the nonprofit, nonpartisan Statistical Assessment Service. That's what we reported in our January 2007 cover story on the chemicals, and further studies have bolstered our findings. Note that we did not claim that phthalates are safe, since we had no proof of that, either. Nor did we have an agenda. We simply reported the results of our exhaustive research and let readers make their own decisions.
On the other hand, a similar lack of proof has not deterred numerous "sexperts," bloggers, and major media outlets from unequivocally stating that phthalates are hazardous to humans. Instead, they present conjecture as fact, and perpetuate a half-baked theory based on anecdotal evidence, assumptions, and, sometimes, misinformation. In doing so, they muddy the already unclear waters that consumers and retailers must navigate.
While it may seem to be a good thing that so many manufacturers reacted to the hysteria by going "phthalate-free," it also diverted attention, at least for the time being, away from any real dangers that may be lurking in sex toys. Unlike phthalates, there's little room for debate when it comes to arsenic, lead, and cadmium, which, among other toxic substances, have turned up in analyses of some sex toys. In other words, "phthalate-free" doesn't necessarily mean "safe," though that's the intellectual corner that many manufacturers were backed into, thanks to the relentless drumbeat of phthalate propaganda.
In the end, it wasn't that the industry came to the collective realization that phthalates were bad. It simply was easier to remove the chemicals from the equation, rather than attempt to re-educate retailers and consumers already inculcated by half-truths. In a recent email to me, Phil Harvey, founder and president of Adam & Eve and a respected health-conscious philanthropist, put it this way: "The fears and hysteria over phthalates appear to be absolutely groundless. Phthalates are disappearing from sex toys generally, so they are disappearing from ours. We just don't worry about it."
It's very difficult for a company with a modicum of business sense to get into the education business while avoiding the taint of self-interest. In an age when misinformation is considered a viable marketing tool and the internet is rife with as many errors as facts (Wikipedia, anyone?), the lesson here is to question everything you read. While it certainly is easier to accept a single source as gospel in order to get on with your busy life, you won't be doing yourself any favors. By doing your own research and comparing multiple sources, you'll have a much better grasp on the Big Picture. This, in turn, will instill in you a greater sense of confidence about What You Know, and your customers will notice it, too. None of us is infallible, so if you want to start your fact checking with this editorial, I couldn't think of a better place.
