Making Magic – Details, episodes & analysis

We’ve reached the end of our Making Magic journey, but the Magic Wand is still going strong and shows no signs of stopping! In this episode, we cover creative ways people have used their Wands, chat with Vibratex about their stewardship of this industry stalwart, and offer some tips for newbies picking up a Magic Wand for the first time.

Guests this episode:

• BDSM educator, former Kink University director, & Two Knotty Boys co-founder Danarama (he/him)
• Education director for Good Vibrations & Babeland Andy Duran (he/him)
• Spectrum Boutique CEO/founder, author, & adult content creator Zoë Ligon (she/her)
• Vibratex owner Shay Martin (she/her)
• Vibratex general manager Dan Martin (he/him)
• Writer, sex educator, & retired adult filmmaker Tristan Taormino (she/her)
• Sex toy reviewer & blogger Epiphora (she/her)
• Come As You Are worker-owner Jack Lamon (he/him)
• Illustrator & tattoo artist Addison Finch (he/him)
• Sexologist, sex educator, & Curvy Girl Sex author Elle Chase (she/her)
• Sex educator, porn performer/creator, & Dildorks cohost Billy Lore (he/him)
• Writer, kink educator, & erotica editor Sinclair Sexsmith (they/them)
• Blogger & sex/dating coach Lorrae Bradbury (she/her)
• Sex educator & Sex Ed with DB host/creator Danielle Bezalel (she/her)
• Writer, speaker, & mental health advocate JoEllen Notte (she/her)
• Crash Pad Series director Ava LaPrima (she/her)
• Author, speaker, & ageless sexuality advocate Joan Price (she/her)
• Dominatrix & Kneeling Room founder Lady Pim (she/her)
• Blogger & pleasure educator Carly S (she/they)
• Good Vibrations staff sexologist & Antique Vibrator Museum curator Dr. Carol Queen (she/they)
• Vibratex CEO Ken Herskovitz (he/him)
• Author, sex therapist, & psychology

Given that the Magic Wand was originally marketed as a body massager, it’s no surprise that many people use it in therapeutic ways. This episode discusses the Wand’s beneficial effects on physical and mental health, and the ways it can be helpful for people with depression, people dealing with mobility issues or chronic pain, and even people recovering from a traumatic event.

Guests this episode:

• Sex educator & Sex Ed with DB host/creator Danielle Bezalel (she/her)
• Writer, speaker, & mental health advocate JoEllen Notte (she/her)
• Dating coach, matchmaker, & burlesque teacher Claire AH (she/they)
• Author, speaker, & ageless sexuality advocate Joan Price (she/her)
• Sexologist, sex educator, & Curvy Girl Sex author Elle Chase (she/her)
• Sex educator & porn creator Alice Lovegood (she/her)
• Sexual health professor & researcher Dr. Debby Herbenick (she/her)

Making Magic is hosted and created by Kate Sloan, edited and co-produced by Jamie Pityinger, and made possible by the generous support of Vibratex. Our podcast art is by Addison Finch.

For more information about Magic Wand, please visit TrueMagicWand.com or join Magic Wand on Instagram at @truemagicwand! #TrueMagicWand

Created and hosted by Kate Sloan, Making Magic: How Magic Wand Became the World's Most Famous Vibrator is a limited series featuring interviews with over 30 sex experts, sex educators, shop owners as well as fans of the brand, including Dr. Carol Queen, Zoe Ligon, Hallie Lieberman, Dr. Laurie Mintz, Lynn Comella, Danielle Bezalel, Lorrae Bradbury, Sinclair Sexsmith, Danarama, Stoya, and more. The series tells the unique story of a brand that has over the course of 55+ years, quietly challenged the stigma and shame that society has assigned to female pleasure and connects listeners to the stories of people whose lives have been changed by Magic Wand. 

Throughout the series, Sloan explores numerous themes with guests including why Magic Wand is so beloved, Betty Dodson’s impact on the popularity of the wand, the sex-positive feminist movement, Magic Wand inspired art, the wand’s importance to the LGBTQ+ community, and what's next for wand vibrators, among other topics. 

Tune in May 30th for Episode 1 of Making Magic.

Although people of any gender and sexuality can use the Magic Wand, it holds a special place in the hearts (and nightstand drawers) of many queer and trans people. This episode examines the LGBTQIA+ community’s relationship to the Magic Wand, and the ways it can enable sexual creativity, ease gender dysphoria, and amplify queer joy.

Guests this episode:

• Sex toy reviewer & blogger Epiphora (she/her)
• Writer, sex educator, & retired adult filmmaker Tristan Taormino (she/her)
• Crash Pad Series director Ava LaPrima (she/her)
• Illustrator & tattoo artist Addison Finch (he/him)
• Sex educator, porn performer/creator, & Dildorks cohost Billy Lore (he/him)
• Sexual health professor & researcher Dr. Debby Herbenick (she/her)
• Journalist & VTuber Ana Valens (she/her)
• Student Margaret Russell (she/they)

Making Magic is hosted and created by Kate Sloan, edited and co-produced by Jamie Pityinger, and made possible by the generous support of Vibratex. Our podcast art is by Addison Finch.

For more information about Magic Wand, please visit TrueMagicWand.com or join Magic Wand on Instagram at @truemagicwand! #TrueMagicWand

The iconic aesthetic and symbolic meanings of the Magic Wand have led it to inspire many artists around the world. This episode examines video art, sculpture, music, tattoos, and even a tarot deck that have featured the Magic Wand.

Guests this episode:

• Illustrator & tattoo artist Addison Finch (he/him)
• Blogger & pleasure educator Carly S (she/they)
• Blogger & sex/dating coach Lorrae Bradbury (she/her)
• Artist, graphic designer, & Vibrating Tarot creator Frank Lawrence (he/they)
• Writer & former pornographer Stoya (she/her)

Making Magic is hosted and created by Kate Sloan, edited and co-produced by Jamie Pityinger, and made possible by the generous support of Vibratex. Our podcast art is by Addison Finch.

For more information about Magic Wand, please visit TrueMagicWand.com or join Magic Wand on Instagram at @truemagicwand! #TrueMagicWand

Many kinksters, fetishists, pro dommes and kinky porn creators love the Magic Wand, and in this episode we aim to figure out why. Kink experts explain how they pair the Wand with orgasm control, bondage, humiliation play, and more, giving tips on safety and technique for anyone interested in expanding their horizons.

Guests this episode:

• Dominatrix & Kneeling Room founder Lady Pim (she/her)
• Sex educator, porn performer/creator, & Dildorks cohost Billy Lore (he/him)
• BDSM educator, former Kink University director, & Two Knotty Boys co-founder Danarama (he/him)
• Crash Pad Series director Ava LaPrima (she/her)
• Writer, kink educator, & erotica editor Sinclair Sexsmith (they/them)
• Writer, educatrix, pornographer & podcaster Tina Horn (she/her)

Making Magic is hosted and created by Kate Sloan, edited and co-produced by Jamie Pityinger, and made possible by the generous support of Vibratex. Our podcast art is by Addison Finch.

For more information about Magic Wand, please visit TrueMagicWand.com or join Magic Wand on Instagram at @truemagicwand! #TrueMagicWand

Porn is one of the most common ways people find out about the Magic Wand and get excited to try it themselves. In this episode, we hear from porn performers and directors about why the Magic Wand works so well in on-screen sex – and why filming with it can sometimes be challenging.

Guests this episode:

• Writer, sex educator, & retired adult filmmaker Tristan Taormino (she/her)
• BDSM educator, former Kink University director, & Two Knotty Boys co-founder Danarama (he/him)
• Crash Pad Series director Ava La Prima (she/her)
• Spectrum Boutique CEO/founder, author, & adult content creator Zoë Ligon (she/her)
• Writer & former pornographer Stoya (she/her)
• Writer, educatrix, pornographer & podcaster Tina Horn (she/her)

Making Magic is hosted and created by Kate Sloan, edited and co-produced by Jamie Pityinger, and made possible by the generous support of Vibratex. Our podcast art is by Addison Finch.

We will be taking a break next week for the holiday, but will resume episodes on July 11th!

Despite the Magic Wand’s decades of success, the Hitachi corporation nearly pulled the plug on it altogether, due to concerns about how such a high-profile sex toy could reflect on their brand. This episode tells the surprisingly dramatic story of how American distributor Vibratex saved the Wand from extinction, and also does a deep dive on how the Wand itself has changed over the years.

Guests this episode:

• Independent researcher & geek Pet Emily (she/they)
• Vibratex owner Shay Martin (she/her)
• Vibratex general manager Dan Martin (he/him)
• Vibratex CEO Ken Herskovitz (he/him)
• Sex toy historian & author Hallie Lieberman (she/her)
• Author & professor of gender & sexuality studies Lynn Comella (she/her)

Making Magic is hosted and created by Kate Sloan, edited and co-produced by Jamie Pityinger, and made possible by the generous support of Vibratex. Our podcast art is by Addison Finch.

For as long as feminist sex toy stores have existed, they’ve carried the Magic Wand. This episode honors two trailblazers who founded feminist sex shops in the 1970s, Dell Williams (Eve’s Garden in New York City) and Joani Blank (Good Vibrations in San Francisco), and discusses the Magic Wand’s pride of place in feminist sex shops to this day.

Guests this episode:

• Author & professor of gender & sexuality studies Lynn Comella (she/her)
• Sex toy historian & author Hallie Lieberman (she/her)
• Good Vibrations staff sexologist & Antique Vibrator Museum curator Dr. Carol Queen (she/they)
• Come As You Are worker-owner Jack Lamon (he/him)
• Blogger & pleasure educator Carly S (she/they)
• Education director for Good Vibrations & Babeland Andy Duran (he/him)

Making Magic is hosted and created by Kate Sloan, edited and co-produced by Jamie Pityinger, and made possible by the generous support of Vibratex. Our podcast art is by Addison Finch.

Who made the Magic Wand famous? Although it’s a worldwide sensation now, in the beginning the Magic Wand was largely popularized by one person, Betty Dodson. This episode tells the story of how Betty overcame a sexually repressed upbringing, left a sexually unsatisfying marriage, and changed countless people’s lives by leading all-nude masturbation workshops in her New York City apartment.

Guests this episode:

• Author & professor of gender & sexuality studies Lynn Comella (she/her)
• Sex toy historian & author Hallie Lieberman (she/her)
• Good Vibrations staff sexologist & Antique Vibrator Museum curator Dr. Carol Queen (she/they)
• Somatic sex educator & sexological bodyworker Casia Sobolewski (she/her)
• Writer, sex educator, & retired adult filmmaker Tristan Taormino (she/her)
• Author, sex therapist, & psychology professor Dr. Laurie Mintz (she/her)

Making Magic is hosted and created by Kate Sloan, edited and co-produced by Jamie Pityinger, and made possible by the generous support of Vibratex. Our podcast art is by Addison Finch.