Right To Vibe

Once upon a time, "female hysteria" was a commonly used medical diagnosis. It was diagnosed and treated in Europe for hundreds of years. Symptoms of hysteria included faintness, shortness of breath, insomnia, and "causing trouble." One of the common treatments for this "condition" was pelvic massage, a digital massage of the anterior wall of the vagina. The desired result was known as "hysterical paroxysm". We know it as a G-Spot orgasm. Cases of "hysteria" doubled every week. Treatments were given weekly or more, each session lasting an hour or longer. (anyone ever attempting to digitally effect a g-spot orgasm knows this can be difficult) Hence, the invention of massage devices. The first vibrator was used in a French asylum in 1873, to treat "hysteria". Physicians at the time eluded to the fact that "hysteria" had it's roots in sexual dissatisfaction, however they would never link the use of electromechanical vibrators to a sexual purpose.

"Hysteria" is no longer recognized as a true medical condition. With the appearance of anxiety neuroses, "hysteria" has been replaced by a class of different neurological disorders. However, vibrators were now a commodity. Hamilton Beach patented the very first vibe available for sale to the public. Vibrators were the fifth home appliance to be electrified, preceded by the fan, sewing machine, tea kettle, and toaster. "Home Massagers" as they were called, were available for purchase through many of the mainstream home catalogs.

Then someone put two and two together.

"These things are getting people off! Women are using these to.....MASTURBATE!! Relax muscles, MY REAR END!!! Women aren't meant to have SEXUAL PLEASURE!! We have to do something about this!!"

Vibrators were pulled from the catalogs, and became taboo.

Historically, it has been said that women's sole purpose in the sex act is to be receptive to her partner's needs, and to pro-create. Female sexuality is said to be subordinate to male sexuality, and more restricted in form and function. Modesty, chastity, morality, and purity have been burdens that women bear alone. Men are never expected to adhere to a sociological standard when it comes to sex. Society simply dictates to men that they not be homosexual, and that's about it. (not to take away from the repression this represents-however that is a topic for another day) Women are expected to remain chaste until marriage, submit to the one partner for her lifetime, have as many children as he sees fit, and place his needs above her own.

"Lie back and think of England" That was was English daughters were told of their wedding night.

I say BOLLOCKS.

So did some others.

Freud, Grafenburg, Sander, and Kinsey to name a few.

"I can COME. Harder, faster, longer, stronger, and MORE than a man. I can SQUIRT like a man."

So, it was the job of repressive male dominated society to ensure that women were not allowed access to any items that would "dirty" them, "pervert" them, or otherwise sully their modesty. Once someone discovered that women were "coming" with vibrators, they were labeled as inappropriate.

Someone, somewhere said "fuck that" and changed it all. Was it the women's rights movement? Or was it women all "coming" (pardon the pun) together as consumers and giving the companies the balls to produce these items for us to purchase? I can't seem to pinpoint the one reason, but something happened. So now I can masturbate freely.

I can buy as many rabbits, pocket rockets, strokers, dildos, beads, triple stimulators, and flavored lubes as I please.

Thank God for the doctors who risked it all to tell the truth. Thank God for the sexual revolution and the swinging seventies. Thank God for the Civil Rights movement. Thank God for the LBGT movement. Thank God for Jenna Jameson and Tera Patrick. Without their hard work, some concepts and truths in sexuality would still lie undiscovered and unrecognized. And when it all comes full circle, without those landmark people, I would not be a sexually positive woman.