French activists call for the closure of ‘degrading’ sex doll brothel

Stories about sex robots have been doing the rounds recently, and their existence has opened a whole new discussion about consent and objectification. 

In Paris, the popularity of the concept led to the opening of a sex doll 'brothel,' where punters can have their way with a selection of life-like feminine dolls. 

There has been massive debate surrounding the pros and cons of the concept, with some feeling it is degrading and promotes the objectification of women, while others feel it is a non-issue. 

XDolls charges customers around €89.00 for one hour of sex doll use, according to The BBC, and political leaders and activists are calling for the establishments shut down. 

The nondescript looking establishment opened on February 1st, and according to it's owner, the business sees both male clients and couples. 

Lorraine Questiaux, spokesperson for a French feminist association, told The BBC:

'In France, every year, there are 86,000 women raped.'

'Xdolls is not a sex shop. It's a place that generates money and where you rape a woman.'

Calls for the establishment, registered as a games centre, to be closed argue that the dolls perpetuate rape culture and promote the perception of women as sex objects. 

When asked whether he felt the service was degrading to women, the owner replied:

'I am neither a sociologist, nor a philosopher, nor a psychologist. I'm not the right person to answer that.'

While the discussion surrounding the implications of the dolls is one that should be encouraged, others have argued that as the dolls are objects, they cannot be raped.