Fifty Shades Fever At The Pleasure Chest

LOS ANGELES—A few weeks ago, an accountant at adult toy retailer The Pleasure Chest observed a spike in sales for erotic books and kinky products. This coincided with the explosive popularity of E.L. James’s sadomasochistic romance trilogy Fifty Shades and the emergence of a racy literary genre dubbed “mommy porn.” Shortly after this spike, Pleasure Chest Director of Creative Development Kristen Tribby began fielding a flurry of inquiries from the media. Just in the last week, Tribby has spoken to Access Hollywood, been consulted by the Los Angeles Times and appeared on a Nightline news segment, about the rise of mommy porn. Tribby observed, “When Sex and the City introduced the world to the Rabbit vibrator in 1998, it was shot in our store. It helped bring the idea of sex toys into the mainstream. Today, we’re experiencing the first wave of a new sexual revolution in American bedrooms. Kink and erotica are going mainstream and moms are the ones driving this movement.” The Pleasure Chest has seen a large increase in demand for kinky products including rope, handcuffs and whips. For readers seeking the “silver balls” used in the novel, Pleasure Chest staff are recommending Fun Factory Smartballs, specifically designed for promoting vaginal health and strengthening Kegel muscles. They’ve also had a hard time keeping copies of Fifty Shades of Grey on the shelves—the book has already sold more copies in two weeks than any of their top selling erotica titles have in one year. Tribby has noticed that many of the new faces in the company’sWest Hollywoodstore are groups of women, but also men—husbands interested in helping to fulfill their wives’ newfound fantasies of bondage and domination. To meet these increased demands, The Pleasure Chest has announced Fifty Shades of Pleasure, a workshop that lets customers revisit the hottest activities from the books and explore ideas on how to incorporate them into their bedroom adventures. The Pleasure Chest is also offering Fifty Shades of Pleasure as a specialized workshop for private parties and small groups. Fifty Shades of Pleasure is scheduled for 8-10 p.m. Tuesday, May 8, at the Wet Hollywood store (7733 Santa Monica Blvd.); 8-10 p.m. Wednesday, May 9 at theChicagostore (3436 North Lincoln Ave.); and 8-10 p.m. Wednesday, may 15 at thenew Yorkstore (156 Seventh Avenue South). For more information, visit ThePleasureChest.com.