What’s This About Dick Soap?
So maybe you logged on to Twitter and saw all of your book people talking about dick soap, but you were too afraid to do that search. We’re here to help and save your search history dignity.
Why is book Twitter talking about soap-
*searches*
Oh. Oh dear.
— Eric Smith (@ericsmithrocks) August 15, 2018
On Tuesday, Bookish Stuff posted an Instagram Story unboxing their subscription box, the Illyian Book Boyfriend Box. The fandom box includes lip balm, a pillow case, a book sleeve, a print, buttons, some smutty fan fiction, and…dick-shaped soap. We’ll keep things safe for work here, but if you want to see it, here’s a screenshot.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmcQ42kFYwi
The box is intended for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, a young adult/new adult fantasy series. From what I’ve gathered, it’s a pretty smutty series, and definitely leans more toward new adult than young adult.
The box’s description: Have you ever wished you could attend Starfall with Rhysand, train with Cassian, or stroll through a Velaris night with Azriel? Unfortunately, we can’t make those things happen, but this box is the next best thing! You’ll be able to choose from three Book Boyfriend Boxes, themed around the most impressive Illyrian males: Rhysand, Azriel and Cassian.
The box is not associated with Bloomsbury, Maas’s publisher.
People are up in arms about this box for the dick soap, but you know what? It’s a fun fandom box. And the box’s description page gives a content warning: “if Illyrian wingspans, smut and sexual innuendos isn’t why you love the Night Court’s Illyrian males, this isn’t the box for you.” So the argument of “this is for teenagers!” doesn’t really work here.
Anyway. Here are some good tweets about the dick soap:
Me: [feelin' good, checkin' twitter]Twitter: dick-shaped soap for a YA book???
Me: [feelin' scared, leavin' twitter]— Sarah Hollowell 🐋 (@sarahhollowell) August 14, 2018
My thoughts and prayers go out to the Bloomsbury employee who has to manage the YA dick soap crisis of 2018.
— Margot Wood (@margotwood) August 15, 2018
https://twitter.com/VictoriaAveyard/status/1029555290990145537
Soap is canceled
— ADAM (@AdamSilvera) August 15, 2018
https://twitter.com/veronikellymars/status/1029547170104528896
Oh, and before we go—one important tip:
i could have a much longer discussion about the over-sexualization of male characters in books marketed as YA but first PSA Y’ALL I DON’T CARE IF IT COMES WITH SUCTION CUPS DO NOT PUT SOAP IN YOUR VAG THIS IS SO IMPORTANT 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
— Amanda Foody (@AmandaFoody) August 15, 2018
