When Politics Became a Butt Plug:
The Art Project That Turned Polling Data Into Sex Toys
The concept of using sex toys as art often pushes boundaries, but few projects do it as boldly as this one.
Every once in a while, you stumble across something online that makes you stop, stare, and ask, "Wait...someone actually made this?"
Artist, designer, and technologist Matthew Epler absolutely did.
His project, Grand Old Party, took political polling data and transformed it into something unexpected.
He turned cable-news charts and graphs into physical objects.
Specifically, he created butt plugs.
Yes, really.
The political data is now a piece of history. However, the idea remains a fascinating example of sex toys as art.
It shows what happens when technology, politics, data, and sexuality collide.
What Was the Grand Old Party Project?
Created during the 2012 Republican presidential primary, Grand Old Party was a data visualization project.
It transformed presidential candidate polling numbers into three-dimensional objects.
Epler avoided standard line graphs showing popularity. Instead, he turned those changes into physical shapes.
Those shapes became anal toys.
The objects were based on Gallup polling among registered Republican voters.
Time determined the height of each object. A candidate's percentage of support determined its width.
As a candidate's popularity changed, so did the shape of the resulting sculpture.
Suddenly, polling data had curves.
When Data Gets... Interesting
The project featured candidates like Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum.
Each candidate had different rises and falls in popularity. This meant every finished piece had a unique shape.
Some looked similar to conventional butt plugs.
Others became wider or more dramatic as polling numbers changed. Some were even top-heavy.
This approach is why the project remains interesting years later.
The artist didn't just name existing toys after politicians. The data itself created the designs.
It turned "18% voter support" into something you could physically hold.
This is a literal take on data visualization and sex toys as art.
Wait, Were They Actually Functional?
That is where the project became even more provocative.
These weren't just digital renderings on a screen. Epler used 3D modeling and digital fabrication.
He turned the data into physical objects.
At the time, individual pieces and complete collections were offered for sale.
The mix of statistical data and sexual objects was deliberately absurd and memorable.
More than a decade later, we are still talking about it.
Mission accomplished.
Exploring Sex Toys as Art and Design
If we remove the political joke, Grand Old Party raises a deep question:
Where does a functional object end and art begin?
Sex toys are interesting from a design perspective because shape is everything.
Designers must consider ergonomics, materials, and dimensions. They study curves, texture, and safety.
They must understand how an object interacts with the human body.
Modern pleasure products have pushed these boundaries even further.
Today's industry uses sophisticated silicone and app-connected tech.
We see remote-controlled products and pressure-wave technology.
Many of these items would look at home in a contemporary design exhibition.
Some are playful. Some are luxurious. Some are intentionally provocative.
And some represent Republican presidential polling data.
Matthew Epler's Other Experiments With Data and Technology
Grand Old Party was just one example of Epler's work with physical design.
His other projects transformed movement and digital info into objects.
This context shows that the toys weren't just for shock value.
They explored how information can become physical.
Normally, we consume data through screens, charts, and graphs.
But what happens when data becomes tangible?
What happens when that object is funny, political, or sexual?
Suddenly, the audience starts paying attention.
The Technology Has Changed, but the Idea Feels Current
The project belongs to the 2012 political landscape.
However, the technology behind the concept is more relevant than ever.
3D printing is now widely accessible. Digital modeling is far more sophisticated.
We now see the rise of ai art to generate complex forms and interpret data.
Consumer products can be customized in ways that once seemed futuristic.
Pleasure products have also become more technological.
We use Bluetooth toys and long-distance partner products.
Customizable vibration patterns are now common.
The intersection of pleasure and technology is becoming normal.
This makes us wonder what a modern artist would do today using sex toys as art.
Maybe a toy shaped by your Spotify history?
Or a vibrator that changes patterns based on your heart rate?
A 3D-printed sculpture based on dating-app activity?
Actually, maybe don't answer that last one.
From Political Polls to Pleasure
Grand Old Party was an unconventional experiment. It also illustrates a key belief at MyPleasure:
Pleasure doesn't always have to be serious.
Sexual wellness can be educational and intimate. It can be technological and artistic.
Sometimes, it can be downright ridiculous.
There is room for all of it.
We may not have toys modeled after historic polls in our store.
However, you can explore modern butt plugs, anal toys, prostate massagers, app-controlled toys, and other pleasure products at MyPleasure.com.
No Gallup poll required.
With Pleasure,
MyPleasure
