

I have a tendency to ignore my gut, but as I learn this, I'm working on listening a little closer when it's telling me, "This just ain't workin'. Throw in the towel."
I also know that I need validation and I'm working that out too. Give me a little bit of credit here, ladies. Although, I'm sure you're thinking we're talking about my interpersonal communication skills among other beings, I'm actually talking about the latest toy I reviewed, the Tickling Truman, where I was forced to go read other reviews to tell me what I already knew. THIS. AIN'T. IT.
Sure, the name gives it all away but what can I say? My mother taught me not to judge a book by its cover...or its name.
So, I adamantly sought out this toy after finding out it had an electro-stem feature. Electroplay is a kink of mine that I recently discovered, and it's exactly how it sounds, unless it sounds like I take lightning bolts to the clit, then no I have not worked my way up to that yet (since I'm sure it's a possibility). But I do like the beginner electro-play, typically carried out by toys such as the Neon Wand or the Violet Wand that can feel as light as a static shock and work its way up the intensity scale.
Well, this toy is supposed to have a similar but slightly weaker impact from my understanding. Now, did it actually turn out that way? You'll have to read on to find out the 4 things I learned while trying to shock my kitty-cat out of its coma:
The Tickling Truman Sex Toy Review
No Shocker
There was a lot of hype surrounding this toy among my friends in the kink community because of its electro feature. I went into it wanting to see what it might feel like to have the inside of my vagina receive a static shock, while in reality, it felt more like an intensified vibration. A tingle, I guess. However, let Truman roam and ZAP! You could feel the shock on super sensitive areas like your anus or that weird middle ground between your anus and your vagina.
Level Up
This toy has a total of 6 vibrators and although the symbols provide clarity, I found myself struggling to turn on the toy and clearly see when I was increasing the intensity. The only way that I could truly tell that the e-stem feature was at work was when it shocked my booty hole *Tiffany Haddish voice*.
While there were allegedly five different e-stem modes with up to ten levels of intensity for each, I could barely figure out how to turn the damn thing on. So much so, that I settled for one mode and if I happened to stumble upon another, fine. The buttons are not as intuitive as I would like them to be when I'm trying to get off, as it requires you to tinker with it quite a bit and this probably has a lot to do with there being so many of them. I honestly think that having six buttons is record-breaking for a vibrator, but maybe that's just me.
Big Dick Energy...Not
Truman was like the big dick that couldn't. Standing at 10 inches with a silicone girth (or diameter) of 5 inches, Truman was flexible and eager to please and I was eager to take Truman in but to little avail.
Truman delivered the kind of sex where you stare up at the ceiling waiting for a miracle and much like the other reviewers, I searched high and low for a clitorally focused toy to pair with this hoping to deliver me an orgasm. Since I couldn't find my itty bitty vibrator, this looked like me f*cking myself with a 10-inch vibrator while holding my Hitachi on my clit.
Bow Out
This toy was supposed to have a kegel feature but I'm not sure that I ever found it and I'm almost positive that unless you're just into the toy as a whole, you're better off buying a separate but far superior kegel toy. I was very disappointed with my couple of nights with Truman. However, as always, I have to acknowledge that I'm a clit girl. When my clitoris is being stimulated I'm at my best and most orgasmic – so I suppose it's no surprise that Truman was a miss and not a hit.
Featured image by Getty Images
Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube
Colman Domingo’s Career Advice Is A Reminder That Our Words Shape Our Reality
When it comes to life, we are always here for a good reminder to shift our mindsets, and Colman Domingo just gave us one we didn't know we needed.
In a resurfaced clip from an appearance at NewFest shared as a repost via Micheaux Film Festival, the Emmy award winner dropped a gem on how he has navigated his decades-spanning career in Hollywood. The gem in question? Well, Colman has never identified with "struggle" in his career. Let that sit.
Colman Domingo On Not Claiming Struggle
"I’ve never said that this career was tough. I’ve never said it was difficult. I’ve never said it was hard," Colman said. "Other people would say that—‘oh, you're in a very difficult industry. It's very hard to get work and book work.’ I’m like, I’ve never believed that."
Instead of allowing himself to be defined by other people's projections about their perceptions of what the industry is or was, Colman dared to believe differently even if his reality was playing catch up with his dreams:
"Like Maya Angelou said words are things. And if you believe that, then that's actually what it is. Actually I've just never believed it. Someone told me some years ago, they said, 'I remember you were, you're a struggling actor.' I'm like, 'I don't.'"
"I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living..."
He continued:
"Even when I was bartending and hustling and not having opportunities or anything, I never believed that I was struggling because I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living and creating and being curious."
Colman’s philosophy of attaching to living instead of struggle has blossomed into an enduring career. He first made his mark on stage in acclaimed Broadway productions before transitioning to the screen, where his star began to rise in the 2010s following his role as Victor Strand in Fear The Walking Dead. From there, his presence only grew, landing memorable supporting roles in If Beale Street Could Talk, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and the hit series Euphoria.
In more recent years, Colman has stepped fully into the spotlight with standout leading performances in Rustin and Sing Sing, both of which earned him widespread critical acclaim and Academy Award nominations for Best Actor.
With all that said, Colman's advice is no doubt powerful, especially for those who are chasing their dreams, building something from the ground up, or have question marks about what's next in their careers. Words shape our realities, and how we speak about our journeys even in passing matters.
Words Create Our Reality & Colman Is Living Proof
"I tell young people that. To remember the words that you say about yourself and your career are true. So, I choose to make it full of light and love and it's interesting and every day I'm going to learn something new even if it looks like I don't have what I want but it's important to be in the moment... you really build on the moments moment to moment.
"And you're looking back at your career as I've been in it for what 33 years and you're like, 'Wow, that's what I've been doing.' And I've stayed strong to that so I think that is truly my advice."
Let this be your sign to give your path a reframe. When the path you're on feels uncertain, the journey is still unfolding. Like Colman said: "I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living."
That's a Black king right there.
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Featured image by Soul Brother/Soul B Photos/Shutterstock