The Myth, The Legend, The Rabbit by Victoria Fleming
Whether you’re a newcomer to the land of dildos and vibrators or you’ve pitched a tent long ago, set up house, and refuse to leave, the odds are high you’ve heard of the infamous toy, the Rabbit Vibrator.
The Rabbit saturated pop culture after season one of Sex and the City, in the episode, “The Turtle and the Hare.” “Hare” being a euphemism for our current object of awe and desire. While Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha are out for drinks talking about men, Miranda ecstatically proclaims she doesn’t need a boyfriend or sexual partner because she has a special friend at home who satisfies her in every way possible, the Rabbit. With her secret out in the world, Miranda takes the clan to a toy shop to show them the piece de resistance of toys. Charlotte screams with delight, “it’s pink, for girls!” As mentioned in my post about Men and Sex Toys, the episode ends with the Miranda and Carrie breaking into Charlotte’s apartment and grabbing the Rabbit out of her hands.
But what makes the Rabbit such an addictively satisfying toy? Are the rumors true? Is the Rabbit really that good?
Invented in 1984 by the Japanese sex toy company, Vibratex, the Rabbit Pearl was the first dual vibrator (with external and internal stimulating components) with rotating pearls and a vibrating shaft for additional stimulation. Meaning, the Rabbit targets not one, not two, but three different aspects of a female orgasm: clitoral stimulation, the elusive g-spot, and, of course, regular intercourse. It hit the trifecta of female pleasure, changing sex toys forever.
After hearing this, Charlotte’s voracious appetite for the Rabbit comes as no surprise.
Only a year before the Rabbit’s debut, Vibratex revealed the first ever dual vibrator, sending a disruptive shockwave through the sex toy industry. Within two years Vibratex completely revolutionized the nature of masturbatory toys. Prior to this, women had two choices: a straight or cylinder dildo or vibrator, internal or external stimulation, picking between the g-spot or the clitoris.
Interestingly, when the Rabbit was first released in Japan, sales plateaued and petered out soon after its debut.
Fast-forwarding to the 1990’s, the next generation of the Rabbit Vibrator’s hit the scene. Developed by the iconic American Sex Shop, Babeland, in 1997, this friendly silicone bedroom pet came fully equipped with a battery pack and a new name: the Rabbit Habit. In the same year Babeland, originally stationed in Seattle, opened up a store in New York.
For those who are used to cordless toys (including myself), it might be difficult to grasp just how revolutionary a battery-operated magical vibrator was. Imagine you’ve come home from a frustratingly long day; you’re looking to unwind with your under-the-cover pal, so you go to plug in the vibrator but the cord is too short for the only outlet in the room. Or, the Rabbit is plugged in, you lie down on your bed, you pull the rabbit towards your vagina, but the cord can’t reach your pleasure spot because it’s endlessly tangled in knots. Talk about a mood killer.
So, cue the following year, 1998; the Rabbit Pearl makes its first onscreen appearance in Sex and the City. While a burgeoning demand for the vibrator already existed before the episode aired, with this new widespread publicity, the Rabbit quickly transformed into a sex toy legend.
Copycat toys flooded the market with companies trying to capitalize on the insatiable demand. Coupled with the dotcom boom, according to Cosmo, “UK-based adult toy store Ann Summers reported that it sold one million Rabbits in just 12 months.”
In 2006, O Magazine called the Rabbit, “the Rolls Royce of sex toys”. With several celebrity endorsements later, the Rabbit reached a level of fame most people, let alone toys, dream of. For the staunch Rabbit supporters, there’s even an International Day of the Rabbit so pull out your favorite toy on September 22nd to celebrate.
By 2017, the Rabbit has taken on a multitude of shapes, sizes, and colors, it can be challenging to figure out which one is right for you. Luckily, we’ve created a guide to help you find the Rabbit of your dreams. For now, here’s a useful breakdown of the different types available: Classic, Slim Line, G-spot, Large, Mini, Luxury, Rabbit Thruster, Triple Stimulators, and, one important one not on the list for the horny jet setters out there, the portable rabbit.
Here’s what you need to know about the different shapes and sizes:
Classic: The standard Rabbit design. It has the rotating beads, the cute clitoral stimulator and the rotating shaft you expect in a rabbit vibe.
Slim: Perfect for beginners or for women who need slimmer toys. Narrower than your average bunny while still giving you the dual stimulation.
G-Spot: Equipped with a special curve to reach the tantalizing g-spot. Look for the distinctive bulbous end which is made to target the g-spot.
Mini: Similar to the portable rabbit, this one’s perfect for the woman who’s constantly on the go with only a few minutes to spare for pleasure.
Luxury: For the fancy masturbators, treat yourself with this premium toy for premium pleasure. Rabbits like this have all the bells and whistles you expect from their price tags: waterproof, rechargeable, silicone, and powerful.
Thruster: Craving a more realistic penetrative feeling? Say goodbye to rotation and vibration and hello to the manual, self-thrusting rabbit! Just lay back and let it do all the work.
Triple Stimulator: If you’re looking to hit the four-fecta, the third “ear” on this rabbit is perfect for anal stimulation. A third shaft will tease the anus while you play.
So, with the media hysteria aside, the rumours are true, the Rabbit really is the pinnacle of masturbatory toys. With an estimate of over 6 million Rabbit Vibrators selling each year it’s unsurprising Rabbits are flying off proverbial shelves at rapid speed. Clearly, there’s a reason why Vibratex named the vibrator after Japan’s lucky charm, the Rabbit.
Have you ever tried the infamous Rabbit? Let us know what you’re favorite type is in the comments below!
Shop Betty's extensive rabbit collection at the link below
