As more and more of our communication happens via text, we have all turned to emojis to help us express exactly what we mean. Thanks to Kris Fretz and Joe Vela, you can now use emojis to express some other things, too. Introducting Emojibator: the world’s first emoji-themed line of sex toys. Currently, you can purchase the classic eggplant, the playful banana, and the spicy red pepper. The 💦part is up to you.

For Fretz and Vela, Emojibators are a lot more than a cute set of vibrators. The products are vegan, totally waterproof, and 100% body safe. They are also designed specifically with the orgasm gap in mind. Their website contains this statement, in bold.

“Today, women experience 30% fewer orgasms than men. Emojibator empowers women to close the climax gap, starting with our video campaign here.”

They sat down with us and discussed their personal sexual histories, the origins of Emojibator, and their philosophies for its future.

NSFW: What was sex education like in your household? In your school?

KF - Virtually not existent at all. My school taught us about periods, condoms on bananas = no babies, and visually nauseating and British-narrated live birth videos. At home, my loving mother unfortunately failed to bring up safe sex until she dropped me off at college. I loved my upbringing and am so grateful, but I am disappointed in my ecosystem for not telling me that I was born to orgasm and that it’s normal.

JV - I had the birds and bees talk with my parents, but I was already prepared for it having grown up on MTV Real World. I wouldn’t say my parents were shy about telling me to use condoms or sharing anything, but the topics didn’t often come up. I’d get the scoop from older friends and my friend’s older brothers as well, which probably wasn’t always the best advice, and there was a brief sex education portion of middle school health class.

NSFW: How did that affect your view of sex and sexuality growing up and in adulthood?

KF - It took me several years of heartbreak and uncomfortable situations to believe that I deserve to orgasm from sex just as much as men do. My college friends were the first to call me shy when it came to talking about sex or even being casually naked in the apartment. Just two years after graduation, Joe and I launched Emojibator and we traveled from San Francisco to Berlin talking about the orgasm gap to both the emoji and sex industry leaders. That evolution does not happen on it’s own, so I owe my beautiful journey to my lifelong friends, despite society’s negative stigma towards female masturbation.

JV - Pornography greatly influenced my pubescent years, but I was lucky to have girlfriend’s that were comfortable with their bodies in high school and college, so I was educated hands-on along the way. I’m a naturally open person and I know what I like, but only recently have I truly been excited about exploring sexuality and pleasure more. I’ve always been comfortable talking about sex in a positive and open way, but I think it’s important to keep opening up as I evolve.

NSFW: What have been some of the contributing factors to the most successful conversations you've had about sex with your friends and family?

KF - Knowing that I’m in a safe space makes conversations flow more naturally with trust and open mindedness. My family has not been my go-to source for sex talks, but now that I force them to think about it every time I mention Emojibator, it feels like we are that much more connected and understanding of one another. Breaking down these unnecessary barriers was the ultimate goal, so I love to see it in my own home.

JV - My best tip for having successful conversations is not to have expectations or judge people for their desires and pleasures.

NSFW: When did you first recognize the importance of having a sense of humor when discussing sex?

KF - On my 19th birthday, my college roommates taught me to laugh about sex with the gift of my first sex toy: The Candy Cane Vibrator. Large and in charge, this vibrator aligned with both my almost-Christmas birthday and the need for me to understand what the heck masturbation was and why I needed it in my life.

JV - I think early on I realized humor is a way to connect people and break down their guard. It’s no coincidence that comedians are often the first ones to talk about hard to discuss topics. For guys, it’s always been easy to be silly about sex too.

NSFW: As a sex toy engineer, can you speak a little about the orgasm gap?

KF - The orgasm gap was discovered from surveys of women saying about 30% do not experience orgasms from sex with a male partner. These women clearly are human and capable of orgasms, but we are not encouraging healthy orgasms or teaching them how. I’ve faked my fair share of orgasms, and discussed this challenge with my girlfriends, but it wasn’t until I started a sex toy business that I connected the dots between my life and the global orgasm gap crisis.

JV - When we started Emojibator, we know there was an imbalance of orgasms between men and women, but we didn’t realize how large this gap was until we did some research for our Let’s Close The Climax Gap campaign. For a female to reach climax, it often requires more than just intercourse, like massage, fingering, and most importantly a comfortable state of being. Approx 1 in 3 women also claim they have trouble reaching orgasm in bed compared to 1 in 20 men. Anecdotally, it’s not uncommon for women to have never reached orgasm. That being said, that’s okay too, and there are plenty way to find pleasure and arousal without orgasm.

NSFW: Who are your products primarily marketed towards, and what are the cultural implications of the emojibators?

KF - We primarily market Emojibator to millennial-aged women and men for a variety of purposes: first time vibrator owners, gifting to girlfriends, adding to collections, and progressive mothers educating their 18-year-old on masturbation. Emojibator’s cultural implications are overwhelmingly positive. People email us from around the world sharing their emoji sex toy wish lists, their sexual wellness community events, or their personal stories of how perfect Emojibator is for one or many of their loved ones.

NSFW: What do you wish people knew about the impact of abstinence only sex education?

KF - Personally I was not taught abstinence only, but I imagine it has the same impact that never acknowledging sexuality had on me: Being taught one-sided information is never enough education. One strict view of sexuality and how to behave will result in poor judgement and a lack of empathy for what your body needs. We all deserve a sex education that is based on science and healthy habits, instead of the fear and shame-driven narratives being told in America.

JV - If we don’t reach kids about safe sex, they are going to figure it out on their own, which means a lot of mistakes are going to be made which leads to the spread of STDs and unexpected pregnancies. Sex is a healthy and fundamental part of life. It’s unrealistic to teach abstinence-only sex education in today’s society where everyone has access to the Internet. Ironically, vibrators can be used in abstinence-only sex education, but they are not.

NSFW: How do you see the emojibator influencing the way couples play? Feel free to advocate for their desires?

KF - Receiving gifts is one of the five human love languages. Our customers tell us Emojibator is the perfect gift for anyone in any relationship, be it lover to lover, bachelorette surprise, or mother-daughter education. Emojibator helps people discuss their desires and learn about their bodies with humor at the forefront. It’s our unique way of empowering individuals to collectively advance America’s sexual awareness for the better.

NSFW: What's your favorite thing about the product?

KF - Our products are adorable as fuck. You can’t help but laugh and smile in their presence, so the orgasms they support naturally feel less intimidating (& more exciting!). We’re helping people try new things, explore their sexuality and not feel ashamed of the human masturbation experience. I absolutely love our product’s sex and wellness positive impact.

JV - First, they’ve enabled us to start conversations like these about sex and disrupt a billion dollar industry. They’ve also opened the door to so many first-time vibrator owners because they are so fun, innocent, and relieve the discomfort of buying a fleshy floppy dildo.

NSFW: What's the funniest thing to ever happen to you during sex?

KF - My ex’s nose starting bleeding and landed on top of my contact lense! So gross yet so hilarious and was an immediate mood killer. Thank god I had a layer of protection on my eyes 😂

JV - I wanted to be cute one Valentine’s Day, so I bought chocolate flavored Whipped Cream. It looked like we were covered in poop.

As Frantz and Vela speak so frankly to use about their sexual pasts, it becomes clear that the two really do live by their intention. Emojibator is designed to bridge a gap-- not just the orgasm gap itself, but the gap in communication and transparency that allows us all to feel seen and understood. We all want to know we’re not alone in our sexual peaks and valleys… not just the funny ones, but the difficult ones, too. With an emoji-shaped vibrator, we expect you'll have more funny ones.

Visit Emojibator and enter code NSFW15 at checkout for 15% off your purchase.