A female startup, Lora Di Carlo, had presented in 2018 at the Innovation Award of CES2019 (Consumer Electronics Show that recently closed in Las Vegas) a sex toy, Osé, which was selected and awarded in October for the requirements of innovation and originality due - clearly stated - to its particular and highly effective "performances". Some hypocritical organizers – as he points out lacasadipaola.it – not only had they managed immediately afterwards to cancel the prize but also to illegally cancel the company's participation in the CES to which it was entitled as awarded.
Why “illegally”? Because CES is a privately owned fair, open to private and public operators as long as they have an obviously clean criminal record. Thing that Lora Haddock - beautiful and witty founder and CEO of the company - could boast of having. The company had even organized a pre-show in October which was attended by several of the 6500 journalists usually present at CES.
Osé had been selected by a highly qualified jury of engineers, scientists, journalists, because it uses micro-robotics to create a "biomimetic" effect judged superior as...an effect to a vibrator. Not only: it is the world's first hands-free product designed for “mixed” orgasms, the combined clitoral and g-spot (vaginal) orgasm. Through the use of advanced micro-robotic technology, the massage therapist mimics the movements and sensations of a human partner, avoiding "buzzing and desensitizing" vibrations.
The press and Lora Haddock have rightly accused the CES and its organizers – among other things caryatids now belonging to a technologically backward world – of sexism. Osé is the subject of eight pending patents for robotics, biomimicry and engineering feats and was designed in collaboration with Oregon State University's top-ranking robotics engineering laboratory. That is: it is an object that – regardless of its purpose – presents important scientific contents. And then, what's immoral – Lora wondered – about pleasure and female orgasm?
Strongly criticized and above all made fun of by journalists, scientists, visitors and exhibitors at CES, the organizers of the fair and of the CTA (the association of consumer electronics industries, managed by reactionary bigwigs) have promised to extend the composition to women of the jury of the prize and of the management of the fair. Statements of principle only. "We believe that society - comments Lora - must abandon the taboo on sex and sexuality because it is part of life and health that should absolutely be part of the mainstream discourse".
