{
  "id": 15419532,
  "title": "Bad Vibes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/bad-vibes",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-18T13:25:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Atlantic",
    "slug": "the-atlantic",
    "url": "https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/10/vibrators-sexuality-intimacy-loneliness/689004/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A year ago, the thought of a replacement rabbit vibrator felt like the climax of a cultural phenomenon. The rabbit, once a battery-operated device with a clunky rotating shaft and bunny ears, had transformed into a sleek, space-age product boasting USB chargers, multiple speed settings, safety locks, and silencers. The quest to find the perfect vibrator had driven the reporter to niche women's websites, which had once been her go-to resource, now replaced by mainstream outlets such as The New York Times' Wirecutter. The reporter found herself frustrated by the excessive features, questioning whether a spatula should also be tasked with dusting. On the day she received her latest model, she struggled to turn it off, ultimately resorting to running down its battery. As she slammed it against her door, a modern portrait emerged: a single woman living alone, with a vibrator that nearly caused a podcast recording to be ruined. Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast featured a sex therapist suggesting to reduce the speed of vibrators, leading the reporter to realize that her issue was not personal, but rather part of a broader societal trend. Vibrators were being marketed in mainstream publications and promoted by influencers, and the reporter questioned whether this consumer frenzy truly mattered. The reporter found herself pondering the implications of an era dominated by self-pleasure, self-love, and self-care, and whether such an obsession would ultimately benefit society as a whole.",
  "summary": "Enough with the sex toys, already.",
  "key_points": [
    "Replacement rabbit vibrator once cultural phenomenon, now sleek tech product",
    "Reporter frustrated by excessive features, questions necessity",
    "Vibrators marketed mainstream, consumer frenzy questioned"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}