Diving Into History’s Hole: The Birth of the Butt Plug with AJ Sloan

April 21, 2023
AJ SLOAN

The History Behind the Butt Plug

Just the other day, I was sinking deep into some self-care of the anal variety. Let’s be honest, sometimes we want to fill ourselves with the silicon joy of prostate play riding solo. Table for one, please, and thank you. This fine afternoon I indulged in some butt-plug action with one of my favorite pieces by SquarePegToys. Fun story, the day that it entered my life it also entered my ass by the hands of the sexy salesman that sold it to me, and it had me smiling with every step I took home. And thus, my butt plug cherry popped harder than a gender reveal balloon.

Anyhow, back to the present day, while I lay back into my post-nut bliss, the clarity rushed back to my brain and I wondered who to thank for this fine contribution to human history. I mean, let's not take butt plugs for granted. If you’re reading this while in bed, I’m sure at least half of you have one in arm's reach from where you're situated. But have you ever wondered how this handy little booty tool evolved into the perfect little prostate pal that it’s come to be?

Like many things that end up f*cking us, the butt plug was invented right here in the good ol’ U.S. Only, when they came on the scene they were not yet called butt plugs and were not yet directly marketed for sexual pleasure. Back in 1892, Dr. Young invented a rectal dilator so ideal he marketed it as Dr. Young’s Ideal Rectal Dilators, and they were distributed and sold from the late 19th century well into the 1940s. Like an interracial Barbie gift set, these “medical devices” came in a set of four. These anal-play ancestors vary in size to… work your way up? Unlike an interracial Barbie gift set, Dr. Young’s butt dilators were sold at the coy price of two dollars and fifty cents in 1904, equitable the price of a round of drinks in NYC today.

Unfortunately for Dr. Young, The Food and Drug Administration begins to sniff out Dr. Young’s dialators’ not-so-medical uses. Cure’s constipation? … too literal. Cure’s insomnia? For some, I can see that. Cure’s acne? Okay, Dr. Young, stop while you’re ahead. We’ve got to hand it to him for trying, though. Ambition’s a hell of a drug. The FDA shut him down harder than Gwyneth Paltrow and, well, anyone skiing in front of her.

For a decade or two, sexy time gadgets were still seen as taboo enough to only be sold in the back pages of adult publications and shipped in suspiciously blank packaging. This was until 1962 when the world’s first sex shop opened Germany (because, where else). The owner, Beate Uhse, openly provided folks with her stock of merchandise which was marketed for purposes of “marital hygiene.” Her business flourished, and her collection of merchandise grew over the years and included toys, porn, lingerie, and other sexy sh*t. Let’s all pause to imagine 1960s lingerie.

With the '90s came Alanis Morisette, Clueless, and the mass use of silicon. The sex toy industry pranced on this affordable material for the same reasons we put it in our asses: it’s smooth, durable, and simple to clean. And with that, the modern-day butt plug was born.

Today, we have all shapes, sizes, and designs. I’m pretty partial to the remote control butt plugs. Give that remote to that special someone and head to a dinner party. The app-controlled Hush 2 makes you feel like you’re being f*cked by James Bond, which is always a good time. Today, there are more types of butt plugs than there are dog breeds. You just need to find that special one that makes you and your butt feel the warm fuzzies. Have a great day, and go f*ck yourself ;)