View source for OneTaste

{{Short description|Defunct sexual health business}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox company
| name = OneTaste
| logo = Onetaste logo.png
| logo_caption =
| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
| industry =
| founded =
| founder = [[Nicole Daedone]] and Robert Kandell
| defunct = {{End date|2018}}
| fate = Closed after controversy and investigation
| hq_location_city = San Francisco, California
| hq_location_country = United States
| num_locations = 8
| num_locations_year = 2016
| area_served = {{Unbulleted list|[[Los Angeles]]|[[Lower Manhattan]]|[[London]]}}
| key_people =
| products =
| brands =
| production =
| production_year = <!-- Year of production data (when known) -->
| services =
| revenue = $6.5 M<ref name="Inc.com on OneTaste">{{cite web |url=http://www.inc.com/profile/onetaste |title=OneTaste - San Francisco, CA |newspaper=Inc.com |year=2015 |access-date= February 29, 2016 |quote=Inc. 5000 #537 2015}}</ref>
| revenue_year = 2014
| operating_income =
| income_year = <!-- Year of operating_income data (when known) -->
| net_income = <!-- or: | profit = -->
| net_income_year = <!-- or: | profit_year = --><!-- Year of net_income/profit data (when known) -->
| aum = <!-- Only for financial-service companies -->
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| equity_year = <!-- Year of equity data (when known) -->
| owner = <!-- or: | owners = -->
| members =
| members_year = <!-- Year of members data (when known) -->
| num_employees = 28<ref name="Inc.com on OneTaste" />
| num_employees_year = 2014
| parent =
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}}
'''OneTaste Incorporated''' was a business primarily dedicated to teaching the practices of ''orgasmic meditation'' (OM) and ''slow sex''. Though it embraced ideas based in [[Eastern philosophy]], the central focus was a [[meditation]] practice around the sensation of a man touching a woman's genitalia.<ref name="salon">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/2009/03/17/slow_sex/|title= All hail the female orgasm|magazine=Salon|first=Tracy |last=Clark-Flory|date= March 17, 2009|access-date=2009-03-20}}</ref> It was founded by [[Nicole Daedone]] and Robert Kandell in [[San Francisco]].<ref name="GT Weekly" /> The company started to receive more widespread attention around 2007.<ref name="SF Weekly: Sex and Sensuality" />
As OneTaste grew and received more media attention, the organization was accused of [[Cult|cult-like operations]], similar to [[Lafayette Morehouse]], an [[intentional community]] of which Daedone was formerly a member.<ref name="PleasurePrinciple"/><ref name=":4" /><ref name="GT Weekly" /> An  [[Exposé (journalism)|exposé]] by [[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]] in 2018 led to OneTaste being investigated by the FBI for [[sex trafficking]], [[prostitution]], and violations of [[Labour law|labor law]].<ref name="FBI">{{Cite news|first=Ellen|last=Huet|date=November 13, 2018|title=FBI Is Probing OneTaste, a Sexuality Wellness Company|language=en|work=Bloomberg.com|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-13/fbi-is-probing-onetaste-a-sexuality-wellness-company|access-date=2021-04-24}}</ref> Shortly thereafter, OneTaste closed all of their U.S. locations and stopped hosting in-person classes.<ref name="Huet 2018"/> The FBI investigation resulted in an indictment in 2023 of Daedone and her former head of sales on forced labor charges.<ref name="Meko">{{cite news |last1=Meko |first1=Hurubie |title=Founder of Sexual Wellness Company Indicted On Forced Labor Charges |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/06/nyregion/one-taste-commune-nicole-daedone-indicted.html |access-date=July 29, 2024 |publisher=The New York Times |date=June 6, 2023}}</ref>
== Mission statement ==
The organization's stated goal is "to create a clean, well-lit place where sexuality, relationship, and intimacy could be discussed openly and honestly."<ref name="auto"/>  Daedone draws parallels between slow sex and the [[Slow Food]] movement associated with chef Alice Waters.<ref name="SF Weekly: Sex and Sensuality" /> With sex as with food, she says, people can overindulge without getting nourishment, or go from one extreme of consuming mindlessly to the other extreme of self-denial.<ref name="Grazia" />
== Orgasmic meditation ==
The community is centered around a practice known as Orgasmic Meditation (OM), which is a [[Mindfulness (Buddhism)|mindfulness]] practice in which the object of meditation is finger-to-genital contact, specifically stimulation of the female clitoris.{{r|PleasurePrinciple}} OM is practiced in pairs, with one practitioner stroking the female's genitals, while both focus their attention on the sensation with the stated goal of developing "connective resonance" between pairs. Daedone described her own work as "one that places a near-exclusive emphasis on women's pleasure — in which love, romance and even flirtation are not required."<ref name="PleasurePrinciple">{{cite news |first1=Patricia Leigh |last1=Brown |first2=Carol |last2=Pogash |title=The Pleasure Principle |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 15, 2009 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/fashion/15commune.html |access-date=2009-05-05}}</ref> After, both partners discuss their experiences verbally.<ref name="PleasurePrinciple" /><ref name="NY Post" /> Orgasmic Meditation borrows from other traditions including [[yoga]] and [[meditation]].<ref name="Grazia">{{cite magazine |last=Cometto |first=Maria Teresa |title=Vuoi fare OMing con me? |date=April 20, 2008 |magazine=Grazia |pages=93–94 |lang=it}}</ref>
Proponents state that orgasmic meditation encompasses more than just [[orgasm]] and that it encourages greater emotional awareness, connected relationships, and sense of fulfillment.<ref name="Toronto Star: Sex">{{cite news |first=Daphne |last=Gordon |title=More to sex than intercourse |date=6 May 2008 |url=https://www.thestar.com/article/421601 |newspaper=The Toronto Star |access-date=2009-09-21}}</ref> Others describe the sensation as "a heady buzz, mixed with equal parts wooziness and intensity of focus."<ref name="NY Post">{{cite news|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/03312009/entertainment/touch_and_go_situation_162212.htm|title=Touch-and-Go Situation|newspaper=The New York Post|date=March 31, 2009|first=Justin |last=Silverman|access-date=2009-04-14}}</ref> Practitioners of orgasmic meditation claim the practice nourishes the [[limbic system]], the area of the mammalian brain responsible for emotion, empathy, and motivation but these claims are unsubstantiated by any source outside their organization.<ref name="SF Weekly: Sex and Sensuality">{{cite web |first=Mary |last=Spicuzza |date=April 4, 2007 |title=Sex and Sensuality |url=http://www.sfweekly.com/2007-04-04/news/sex-and-sensuality/ |access-date=April 14, 2009 |publisher=San Francisco Weekly}}</ref>
== History ==
OneTaste was cofounded in [[San Francisco]] by Robert Kandell and [[Nicole Daedone]]. Daedone stated that a [[Buddhist monk]] introduced her to orgasmic meditation before she started OneTaste, though she did not name the [[monk]] nor the [[Types of buddhism|lineage]] the monk studied under.<ref name="Weiss 2016">{{cite web|last=Weiss|first=Suzannah|date=2016-08-23|title=Can You Orgasm Your Way to Enlightenment?|url=http://www.complex.com/life/2016/08/orgasmic-meditation-nicole-daedone|access-date=2018-03-08|website=Complex}}</ref>
OneTaste originally operated two [[Communal living|communal]]-style "urban retreat" centers, one in [[South of Market, San Francisco|San Francisco's Soma District]] and another in [[Lower Manhattan]].<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.onetaste.us|title=OneTaste|publisher=OneTaste Incorporated |access-date=2011-02-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202182236/http://www.onetaste.us/ |archive-date=2011-02-02 |url-status=dead}}</ref> OneTaste then expanded to Los Angeles and London.<ref name="Huet 2018">{{Cite news|last=Huet|first=Ellen |website=Bloomberg News|date=2018-10-19|title=OneTaste Stops 'Orgasmic Meditation' Classes, All Locations Set to Close|url=https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/onetaste-stops-orgasmic-meditation-classes-all-locations-set-to-close-1.1155427|access-date=2021-04-24}}</ref> The company produced media, workshops, weekend retreats, and a coach training program. In 2014, OneTaste was listed as an [[Inc.com|Inc.]] 5000 fastest growing company.<ref>{{Cite web|title=OneTaste - San Francisco, CA|url=https://www.inc.com/profile/onetaste|access-date=2021-04-24|website=Inc.com|language=en}}</ref>  In 2018, OneTaste closed all of their U.S. locations and stopped hosting in-person classes.<ref name="Huet 2018"/>
Another organization, the ''Unconditional Freedom Project'', shares "key personnel, a website, and a mailing address".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reith |first=Sarah |date=October 6, 2022 |title='Prison Monastery' Linked to Multi-Million Dollar Orgasmic Meditation Cult Suspended from County Jail |work=MendoFever: Mendocino County News |url=https://mendofever.com/2022/10/06/prison-monastery-linked-to-multi-million-dollar-orgasmic-meditation-cult-suspended-from-county-jail/ |access-date=2022-12-27 |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Controversy and indictment  ==
OneTaste drew international media attention, controversy, and then an FBI investigation and indictment of Daedone and  former head of sales Rachel Cherwitz  on forced labor charges.<ref name="FBI"/><ref name="guard-6jun2023">{{cite news |title=US founder of 'orgasmic meditation' startup indicted on forced labor charges |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/06/onetaste-nicole-daedone-sex-abuse-cult-charged |access-date=June 6, 2023 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 6, 2023}}</ref>
Several journalists have compared OneTaste to a [[cult]] and [[pyramid scheme]].<ref name="PleasurePrinciple"/><ref name="GT Weekly">{{cite news |first=J. D. |last=Ramey |url=http://www.gtweekly.com/index.php/santa-cruz-blogs-commentary/88-culture-beat/5208-the-big-om.html | title=The Big OM |work=Good Times | date=November 14, 2013 | access-date=13 May 2015}}</ref><ref name="The Frisky">{{cite web |first=Lana |last=Vrzic |date=January 26, 2020 |title=7 Things To Know About Orgasmic Meditation |url=http://www.thefrisky.com/2013-10-17/7-things-to-know-about-orgasmic-meditation/ |work=The Frisky | access-date=13 May 2015}}</ref> "As with many a commune before it, the leader of One Taste, Ms. Daedone, is a polarizing personality, whom admirers venerate as a sex diva, although some former members say she has cult like powers over her followers... Much of the community’s tone revolves around Ms. Daedone, a woman of considerable charm, although detractors regard her as a master manipulator."<ref name="PleasurePrinciple" /> In a ''New York Times'' interview, Ms. Daedone insists she does not aspire to guru status, while acknowledging that "there’s a high potential for this to be a cult."<ref name="PleasurePrinciple" />
A ''New York Times'' article led to several critical blog and opinion columns. A 2013 Gawker article referenced online cult accusations, which documented the reporter's experience at a weekend conference hosted by OneTaste.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |title=My Life With the Thrill-Clit Cult |first=Nitasha |last=Tiku |url=https://gawker.com/my-life-with-the-thrill-clit-cult-1445204953 |newspaper=Gawker |date=October 16, 2013 |access-date=2021-04-23}}</ref> An article in ''GoodTimes Weekly'', "The Big OM", refers to "cult allegations" by posters on Yelp.com,<ref name="GT Weekly"/> as did one on ''[[Vice Media|Vice]]'',<ref>{{Cite news|author=Vice staff|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/wd48yq/apparently-orgasmic-meditation-will-awaken-your-vagina|title=Orgasmic Meditation Is a Whole New Way to Stroke Pussy|date=2013-10-29|work=Vice|access-date=2017-10-10|language=en-us}}</ref> and on ''Salon''.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Gummow |first=Jodie|magazine=Salon|url=https://www.salon.com/2014/03/26/orgasmic_meditation_the_latest_craze_for_a_holistic_sexual_awakening_partner/|title=The sexy new fad for mindful living: Orgasmic meditation|access-date=2017-10-10|language=en}}</ref> A 2016 episode of the podcast [[Love and Radio|Love + Radio]] is dedicated to the experience of a woman who had increasingly fraught relations with OneTaste.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://loveandradio.org/2016/10/upper-left/|title=Upper Left {{!}} Love + Radio {{!}} Listen with headphones on|website=loveandradio.org|language=en-US|access-date=2017-10-10}}</ref> An article in ''The Cut'' stated that "some cult experts have linked Daedone with Victor Baranco," the cult leader who ran Lafayette Morehouse, and also suggest that it may be a [[pyramid scheme]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|last=Stoeffel|first=Kat|date=October 16, 2013|url=https://www.thecut.com/2013/10/techies-predictably-love-orgasmic-meditation.html|title=Techies Predictably Eat Up Orgasmic Meditation Lifestyle|work=The Cut|access-date=2017-10-10|language=en}}</ref> Similarly, an article in The Frisky described OneTaste as "Landmark Forum for the clitoris."<ref name="The Frisky"/> A ''Refinery29'' article cited the organization's "potentially aggressive sales tactics."<ref>{{Cite news|first=Laura |last=Barcella |date=March 1, 2014|url=http://www.refinery29.com/2014/03/63548/meditation-cult#page-5|title=The Strange Truth About Orgasmic Meditation|work=Refinery29|access-date=2017-10-10|language=en}}</ref> ''[[Playboy magazine|Playboy Magazine]]'' compared OneTaste to [[Scientology]] and [[Landmark Forum]], saying it had a "pyramidal pricing structure". For example, a week-long training with Nicole Daedone was advertised at $36,000. The Playboy writer noted behaviors that were 'cultish', for example,  "the way the volunteers serve the leaders, jumping at their every demand to "get me water” and “move that stool”... the full-court sales pitch from the minute you walk in... I leave early and I'm furious". The author implies she was [[Gaslighting|gaslighted]] when she disagreed with the leaders. She writes that she was re-traumatized "for weeks" as memories of her past sexual trauma were triggered by a business promising female empowerment but "people probably just want your money."<ref>{{Cite news |first=Bridget |last=Phetasy|url=http://www.playboy.com/articles/orgasmic-meditation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110192708/http://www.playboy.com/articles/orgasmic-meditation|archive-date=January 10, 2018|title=The Cost of Healing: What Everyone Ignores About Orgasmic Meditation|date=2017-03-24|work=Playboy|access-date=2018-01-15}}</ref>
The book ''Sensation'' by [[Isabel Losada]] ends with a "Warning" about "'hard sell" techniques... 'One Taste' (like many businesses) offer a wide range of courses which are outside the price range of most bank accounts. I'll say it again. Please don't spend money that you don't have."<ref>{{Cite book|title=Sensation : adventures in sex, love and laughter|first=Isabel|last=Losada|year=2017|isbn=978-1786780935|location=London, UK|publisher=Watkins Media|pages=313|oclc=970027456}}</ref>
In 2015, a former employee received a 6-figure settlement for sexual assault and harassment.<ref name="bloomberg 2018-06-18">{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-06-18/the-dark-side-of-onetaste-the-orgasmic-meditation-company|title=The Dark Side of the Orgasmic Meditation Company|website=Bloomberg.com|date=18 June 2018|first=Ellen |last=Huet|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref> Around universities, students are drawn to free OneTaste events with ad boards such as "Tired of Swiping Left? Let’s Talk Real Intimacy!" or "You Do Yoga. You Meditate. Now try #OrgasmicMeditation". A year-long, $60,000 premium membership is sold by the company since 2014.<ref name="bloomberg 2018-06-18" /> OneTaste teaches their members that money is just an emotional obstacle, which led some of them down to thousands of dollars in credit card debts.<ref name="bloomberg 2018-06-18" /> In June 2018, ''[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]'' published an article chronicling recent training changes and that was critical of how the company treated its employees and consultants, often pressuring them to take expensive courses, programs, and retreats that drove them into debt.{{cn|date=July 2024}}
After the 2018 Bloomberg article, the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] opened a probe into OneTaste for prostitution, sex trafficking, and violations of labor law.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rosenberg|first=Rebecca|date=2020-11-20|title=A look inside a bizarre and controversial 'orgasmic meditation' program for women|url=https://nypost.com/2020/11/19/a-look-inside-controversial-orgasmic-meditation-program-for-women/|access-date=2020-12-17|website=New York Post|language=en-US}}</ref> In June 2023, Daedone and former head of sales Rachel Cherwitz were indicted on charges of forced labor.<ref name="guard-6jun2023">{{cite news |title=US founder of 'orgasmic meditation' startup indicted on forced labor charges |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/06/onetaste-nicole-daedone-sex-abuse-cult-charged |access-date=June 6, 2023 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 6, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Peltz |first=Jennifer |date=2023-06-13 |title=Founder, ex-executive of edgy sexual wellness company OneTaste charged with forced labor conspiracy |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/founder-executive-edgy-sexual-wellness-company-onetaste-charged-99882895 |access-date=2023-06-13 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref> {{As of|2024|02}}, a federal judge in Brooklyn set a tentative trial date for January 2025.<ref name="Scharf 2024">{{cite web |last=Scharf |first=Rachel |title=OneTaste Forced-Labor Trial Unlikely To Start Before 2025 |website=Law360 |date=2024-02-01 |url=https://www.law360.com/articles/1792919/onetaste-forced-labor-trial-unlikely-to-start-before-2025 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-03-16}}</ref>
In November 2020, BBC Radio 4 released a 10-part investigative podcast entitled ''The Orgasm Cult'' that spoke to former workers of the company, detailing allegations of emotional, financial and sexual abuse, with some saying that OneTaste’s teachings and practices gaslit many women, leaving them with symptoms of PTSD. The podcast also spoke to experts about how the medical establishment’s dismissal of women’s health concerns pushes many women towards the growing and unregulated wellness industry and companies like OneTaste.<ref name="BBC 2020">{{cite web |title=The Orgasm Cult |website=BBC |date=2020-12-16 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08xzk5h/episodes/player |access-date=2021-09-11}}</ref>
==Documentary==
A [[Netflix]] documentary film, ''Orgasm Inc: The Story of OneTaste'', was released on November 5, 2022. Prior to the release, several people formerly associated with OneTaste filed a lawsuit against Netflix, seeking a temporary restraining order and the removal of certain sexually explicit imagery.<ref name="nbc-2nov2022">{{cite news |last1=Stelloh |first1=Tim |title=Lawsuit asks Netflix to release documentary 'Orgasm Inc.' without 'misappropriated' sexually explicit material |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/lawsuit-asks-netflix-release-film-orgasmic-meditation-misappropriated-rcna55379 |access-date=November 4, 2022 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=November 2, 2022}}</ref> Their request was denied.<ref name="nbc-4nov2022">{{cite news |last1=Stelloh |first1=Tim |title=Judge denies request to block sexually explicit images in Netflix documentary about 'orgasmic meditation' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/judge-denies-request-block-sexually-explicit-images-netflix-documentar-rcna55793 |access-date=November 6, 2022 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=November 4, 2022}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Neotantra]]
* [[One taste]]
* [[Sex cult]]
* [[Sex-positive movement]]
==References==
{{incomplete citations|date=February 2024}}
{{reflist}}
==Further reading==
*{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Mick |title=Inside the multi-million dollar orgasm cult endorsed by Hollywood |website=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/inside-multi-million-dollarorgasm-cult-endorsed-hollywood/ |url-access=subscription |date=2021-04-21 |access-date=2021-04-23 |ref=none}}
*{{cite magazine |last=Dickson |first=EJ |date=November 21, 2023 |title=A Silicon Valley 'Orgasm Cult' Has Been Sued for Sex Trafficking |magazine=Rolling Stone |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/onetaste-orgasm-cult-lawsuit-sex-trafficking-1234890660/ |access-date=2024-02-09 |ref=none}}
*{{cite magazine |last=Madarang |first=Charisma |date=June 6, 2023 |title=Sexual Wellness Company Founder, Ex-Exec Charged With Forced Labor Conspiracy |magazine=Rolling Stone |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/sexual-wellness-company-founder-ex-exec-charged-with-forced-labor-conspiracy-1234764989/ |access-date=2024-02-09 |ref=none}}
*{{cite magazine |last=Mitchell |first=Molli |date=November 8, 2022 |title=What Happened to OneTaste? Inside Female Orgasm Company |magazine=Newsweek |url=https://www.newsweek.com/what-happened-onetaste-nicole-daedone-orgasm-inc-netflix-1757854 |access-date=2024-02-09 |ref=none}}
*{{cite magazine |last=Peltz |first=Jennifer |date=June 14, 2023 |title=Entrepreneur who promoted 'orgasmic meditation' as route to woman's health pleads not guilty in forced labor case |magazine=Fortune |url=https://fortune.com/2023/06/14/nicole-daedone-onetaste-entrepreneur-promoted-orgasmic-meditation-route-woman-health-pleads-not-guilty-forced-labor-case/ |access-date=2024-02-09 |ref=none}}
*{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/magazine/29wwln-safire-t.html |title=On Language: Orgasmic |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 29, 2009 |first=William |last=Safire |author-link=William Safire|access-date=2024-02-09 |ref=none}}
*{{cite news |last=Scarcella |first=Mike |date=September 21, 2023 |title=Lawyers for 'orgasmic meditation' company founder refute prosecutors' ethics concerns |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/lawyers-orgasmic-meditation-company-founder-refute-prosecutors-ethics-concerns-2023-09-21/ |access-date=2024-02-09 |quote=The company itself [...] is not a defendant |ref=none}}
*{{cite news |last=Scharf |first=Rachel |date=February 1, 2024 |title=OneTaste Forced-Labor Trial Unlikely To Start Before 2025 |newspaper=Law360 |url=https://www.law360.com/articles/1792919/onetaste-forced-labor-trial-unlikely-to-start-before-2025 |access-date=2024-02-09 |ref=none}}
==External links==
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20200818211947/https://onetaste.us/ onetaste.us] (archived)
* [https://www.viceland.com/en_us/video/orgasmic-meditators/56f30082b4c6b35109b2cc04 Orgasmic Meditators: Vice Documentary on OneTaste]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Onetaste}}
[[Category:Human sexuality organizations]]
[[Category:Slow movement]]
[[Category:Cults]]