Why Nigerian women hate these robots and men are talking about them

There's a common trope that Nigerian men only care
about sex and this appears to validate that point.
So maybe she's not harmless. But since she
was unveiled, a new generation sex doll, named
"Shakira" and sold by an online vendor,
@sexyrealdolls has gathered so much shade and
hate from Nigerian Twitter that she must be
wondering what She ever did to anybody.
Let us give credit where it is due.
The conversation about sex dolls started when photos
of this new, sex doll named Shakira that finally made a
splash on social media over the weekend and most
notably, early Monday morning.
Photos of her first in suggestive poses have been
circulated since then
The doll is visibly voluptuous with accentuated body
parts and a deliberate alluring appearance.
Naturally, men have begun to whet their appetites. On
Twitter, users have explored the full range of what the
malleable doll can do.
The spate of insensitive jokes has also been endless.
This is not particularly suprising.
Are we surprised that men like sex?
Even though one can make the case that the doll is
made of rubber, the design is made to arouse the basic
instinct in most men.
There's a reason why since they became a thing, sex
dolls have grown into a major market in their own right.
Men are inclined to talk about these sex dolls because,
frankly, they will talk about anything that is even
closely related to sex.
In a way, Nigerian Twitter has been waiting for this
day.
Recently, social media has always been an agora for
confrontations over what men and women can and
should not do in relationships.
It has spurred numerous narratives and questions such
as whether good sex is enough to sustain a relationship
or whether a woman who doesn’t know how to cook
fried rice on a Sunday afternoon is a true Nigerian
woman (whatever that means).
Most of these conversations have put men and women
on either side of the fence as to what it takes to satisfy
a Nigerian man and maintain a relationship.
The sex doll presents a unique twist; an object whose
only purpose is sex.
Is sex all that matters?
Understandably, the humour in the situation is
completely lost on most female commentators on social
media.
Since the photos of the doll came out, the reactions
have been a mixture of outrage, disgust and downright
‘What is wrong with you people’?
And while it’s easy to see how a well-crafted doll
that’s capable of having sex might raise a few issues,
there really shouldn’t be any comparisons between the
doll and actual women.
When the average Nigerian man talks about what is
required of women in relationships, a lot of emphasis is
placed on sex, as well as other issues like managing
the home, cooking, financial prudence, respect and
others.
However, there is a common trope that Nigerian men
are insatiable and that their appetite for sex is what
truly matters to them.
While there is nothing to grant this any credence, the
narrative usually rears its ugly head when a couple
breaks up over the man's infidelity or two people in
relationships are caught cheating
With a sex doll (valued at around 2,000 dollars in case
you were wondering) now in the picture and Nigerian
men tweeting in happiness like lottery winners, it makes
it seem like sex is all the men really care about.
In a way, the love that Shakira has gotten may seem
like another point scored against Nigerian men.
In reality, it exposes the fickle nature of the
relationships between young men and woman and the
lack of understanding and context that shows so
evidently today.
We need to do better, people
It is why it is worrying that some of the tweets come
off as extremely insecure. Some of the tweets imply
that there is something wrong with any man who feels
comfortable having intercourse with a ‘rubber doll’.
Well, hello, women have been using dildos for ages and
nobody died.
Some users have also asked if the sex doll will be
capable of cooking fried rice or doing some of the
household chores that were issues of contention on
previous Twitter conversations.
At this stage, the whole thing seems like a series of
questions about whether Nigerian men actually see
these sex dolls as alternatives.
The thing is, it’s not that serious
Except for changes in mood and face, sex dolls are only
useful for one thing sex.
They can’t sweet-talk you out of your woes, they can’t
solve your pressing issues with you. If you leave them
uncharged for too long, they’re dead.
A sex doll cannot replace a woman, even at sex.
You’d think we would have figured these things out by
now. But as it stands, the conversation is still ongoing,
twitter users are throwing fried rice jokes and sex doll
memes at each other on either side of the
#MenAreScum fence.
We’re yet to see anyone’s personal first-hand review of
the sex dolls. But if there’s one thing, it is clear that
these conversations are not an indication of what
Nigerian couples are discussing in real life.
Because if it is, then we may all just need to get sex
dolls.