If I had one complaint about the Oscar-nominated film The Shape Of Water, it's that we didn't get to see the fish penis. It's not that I wanted to see it, per se, but I also...kind of wanted to see it? Wouldn't you be curious about the genitalia that convinced Sally Hawkins to give up human life and dive into the ocean and grow gills? Regardless, the wondering is over. Ere, the 23-year-old creator behind XenoCat Artifacts, has made a dildo inspired by the fish penis we never got to see — in case you needed ideas for how to celebrate come (pun intended) Oscars night.
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The full-time sex toy creator was just as disappointed as I was that we didn't get to see the real deal on screen, even though she loved the movie.
"I thought the movie itself was beautifully done and the fact that they embraced something as intimate as the pairing in the movie between a fictional creature/man like they did was wonderful," she told Refinery29 over email. "I had definitely expressed interest in offering something to compliment the film, whether it was a new sculpt or a toy coloration on a pre-existing model."
In the end, Ere and co-owner Inq decided to customize their Prince model, made of 100% silicone, to pair with the movie.
"Once we had experimented on a prototype, the human and inhuman qualities of the Prince, mixed with the colors, were too beautiful to turn away!" she explained.
Specifically, the toy comes will gill-like ruffles and a wavy base to reflect the aquatic qualities of the creature, and the bioluminescence of the Fish Man inspired the glow-in-the-dark nature of the whole toy. All these aspects combined make for an effective dildo that Ere says is more pleasant and gentler than anticipated — kind of like the Fish Man himself.
"I believe that we are in a time where there’s a more open culture to acceptance of things different from us, and a natural curiosity to defer away from the Fifty Shades or Twilight sort of vibe that’s been thrown at us for a long time as far as romance films or films that embody fantasy love interests," she said of the love story that inspired the toy. "[The Shape Of Water] decided to increase the fantasy vibe with the introduction of a very different and very intimate portrayal of the love interest."
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XenoCat Artifacts, co-owned by Ere and her partner Inq, has been open for less than a year, so they haven't branched out into other movie-inspired toys, but it's safe to say their first foray into the art has been a success. The first 20 Shape Of Water-inspired toys sold out in the first three days (with extremely positive feedback), but they're planning on releasing just 20 more during Oscars season. Premade small toys go for $50, while large are $70, and custom orders run from $70 to $90. The best way to stay updated on the shop is to follow @XenoCatArtifact on Twitter.
As for the actual awards, Ere knows who she's rooting for:
"From the intricacy of the prosthetics used for [The Shape Of Water], and the direction it went to the fabulous acting, in every way I think it deserves that honor. They covered a lot of important topics and kept to being historically accurate and the character development was top notch. I have only the highest praises."