lady bits

In my life I’ve had an influx of folks selling me gal parts. Many have seen the ingenious vagina (vulva) couch on craigslist. In case you haven’t, here it is:

I’ve also been sent a vulva cake that looks a little something like this:

On etsy you can buy an ungodly amount of boob products and vagina/vulva products – I’m particularly fond of happy uterus:

I think there is something fun and subversive about the commodification of lady bits as a counterpoint to all the ways that sex is used to sell products. Maybe beer manufacturers need to reach this etsy/crafty/feminist/hipster target market by using a happy uterus to sell beer?

I do have beef with all these gals selling vulvas and referring to them as vaginas – vaginas inside, vulvas outside. It’s a lost teachable moment for the youngsters who are buying up all the “vagina” pendants. I also think the lack of hair on most of these goods gives everything a mildly pornographic kind of feel. Just a couple of hairs to suggest that women actually do HAVE hair on their junk would be nice.
I’m curious as to how informed the makers of these products are about their own anatomy. Is it just irony for sale and display? In your face-ism and all that. Or is it that they really want to infuse a little awareness and education into their goods? I would think there is a little of both, but the educator in me wants more vulva, less vagina (although I happily trade breast for boob).