If you’ve read pretty much any article about sex on The Everygirl, you’ll know I (ya know, our sex writer, my name is Beth, hello) love recommending people to watch porn. It’s a great way to learn about sex, find out what you’re into, and encourage yourself to try new things. It’s also just super hot sometimes, IDK. But I do have a moral/ethical dilemma in recommending porn. A lot of the porn that’s out there (especially free porn) isn’t made in a way that I would want to recommend to people. Women aren’t paid fair wages, it’s not diverse (and when it is, it’s to fuel a fetish rather than just showcase people of different races, ethnicities, sizes, cultures, or sexual orientations), and there are many accounts of women not being treated fairly. Not to mention, it’s just not made with women in mind—almost every video is made to turn on men instead.
So, how exactly do I fight this dilemma? Well, a friend told me about Dipsea: an app of erotic audio stories for women that is diverse, interesting (no bad, creepy acting here), and ethical. I downloaded the app as soon as I got home, and now I feel as comfortable as ever recommending porn to women—particularly if it’s from this app.
In an article for Vox, Dipsea was explained as a “hornier Headspace,” and I couldn’t agree more. For $8.99 a month (or $5.99/month if you buy the year-long subscription), you get access to 175+ sexy audio stories that range from 5-20 minutes long.
There are options for same-sex, hetero, and group sex stories, and the situations are all actually pretty real. No landlords or weird teacher scenarios here. The stories are about vacations and fancy Airbnbs, your best friend becoming your girlfriend, hooking up after a Hinge date—you know the drill. Everything is tagged, such as hookup or bondage, so you know what you’re getting when you listen. The stories feel adult, with references to stores, restaurants with dim lighting, and hot studio apartments without AC in the summer. And the writing kind of feels like a normal person—none of that awkward stuff you hear in other porn.
I knew Dipsea was for women after I listened to the first audio. It’s more than just kiss, have sex, male gets off, done. Instead, these audios focus even more on the before and after. There’s a pretty long buildup in most of the audios, and a lot of them include the conversations and thoughts on the after as well. It’s a reminder that sex doesn’t have to be about an orgasm; the lead-up or the pillow talk afterward can sometimes be even better than the orgasm (or at least just as good).
As far as how it’s made, Dipsea has a network of freelancers who do the writing and voice acting, and everything is edited in-house.
Another aspect of Dipsea that I love is that the app doesn’t scream “porn.” I mean, yes, I have admitted to watching porn on the Internet several times, but I also don’t particularly want an app called something like “Hot Guys Talking in Sexy Voices That Will Make You Cum” on my phone. Call me crazy. Dipsea is discrete; it looks like any other health or wellness app you’d have on your phone. The fonts are something that would make a graphic designer proud. Oh, and if it wasn’t already obvious by it being inclusive and cool and beautifully-designed, Dipsea was founded by two women.
Obviously, Dipsea doesn’t have the visual component of porn like we’re used to. However, if you’re typically more turned on by the audio of porn or you prefer hefty dialogue (I’m talking to you, 1D fanfic-lovers of the early 2010s), Dipsea has everything you could want in porn and so, so much more.
