Hot Octopuss, makes of the Pulse II Solo male masturbation toy (and Pulse II Duo couples’ version), picked up enviable mainstream media coverage in January after announcing the installation of a ‘GuyFi’ male stress relief booth in Manhattan.
The company explained that 80% of Americans say they suffer from workplace stress, and cited a Time Out report that 39% of Americans masturbate in the workplace in an attempt at alleviating this stress.
Hot Octopuss created the GuyFi booth, which offers a high-speed internet connection and a privacy curtain, so office workers could de-stress in a ‘more suitable’ environment, away from their colleagues. The company, which has long advocated the health benefits of masturbation and also has an impressive track record in PR stunts designed to reduce the stigma around male sex toys, added that scientists believe that male ‘alone time’ reduces depression and stress, as well as increasing self-esteem – all undeniably beneficial for staying healthy in today’s fast paced and stressful work environment – and a break for as little as 15 minutes can seriously enhance productivity in the work place .
Adam Lewis, Hot Octopuss co-founder and designer of the Pulse range, said: “There’s no denying that working a nine to five job can be stressful on both your mind and body, especially in a non-stop city like Manhattan. It’s really important for guys to look after themselves so that they can stay healthy and focus properly on the task in hand. We’re told time and time again how beneficial it is to have a break away from your desk.
“At Hot Octopuss we are all about looking for new solutions to improve everyday life and we feel we’ve done just that with the new GuyFi booth. We hope the city’s men enjoy using the space we’ve created in whatever way they want. It’s completely free of charge – all that we ask is they thank us when they get their promotion!”
The story was covered by a plethora of media from Mashabale to Metro – the former’s report said “The company simply put a cloth over a phone booth in what amounted to a marketing gimmick. Inside was a chair and a laptop…” while Metro was more enthusiastic, ending with a poll which asked if its readers would use it. 34% chose “I sure would, where is it again?” while 66% clicked the less permissive “No, this is as depraved as it gets and I want more than a curtain before I do depraved things.”
Cosmopolitan concluded its report with the rather brusque: “What’s not reported: How the fuck they clean this bad boy; who the fuck is responsible for cleaning it; how many idiots took this as a cue to start masturbating in other phone booths; how much less stressful life was for all these super-stressed gentlemen after their little field trips. Call me when female masturbation booths exist and all the people who loved this idea hate that one :).”
