I've been a vibrator enthusiast since high school, when my boyfriend introduced me to his mother's plug-in model. (How's that for salacious?)
Believe it or not, vibrators have been around since 1869 when an American doctor named George Taylor invented a steam-powered massager for use in the treatment of female hysteria, a condition described as "the womb's revolt against sexual deprivation." (If I were having sex and not getting off, I'd get hysterical too.) The standard treatment was "genital massage to induce hysterical paroxysm" -- in other words, the doctor manually stimulated her to orgasm. And we know how long that can sometimes take. Vibrators saved time and effort. Of course, as a "medical instrument" they were only to be used under supervision to prevent "over indulgence." (Today, this kind of treatment would more likely succeed in landing your doctor in jail!)
By 1900, more portable battery-operated models made house calls a whole lot easier. Eventually, consumer models showed up and were advertised in women's magazines as an "aid to health" promising "health, vigour and beauty" or that "all the pleasures of youth will throb within you." By the 1920s, the psychiatrists took over and just started locking "hysterical women" up in nut houses. But that's another story.
While vibrators started to appear as sex toys in stag films of the '20s, they weren't sold explicitly for sexual use until the early '70s. Vibrators now have become "a way for women to take control of and enhance her sexuality," says the Good Vibrations Guide to Vibrators.
While I'm all for this vibrator function, I think we have to be careful not to give the vibrator too much power. It's gotten to the point these days that you feel like a sex nerd if you don't own at least six vibrators in your bedside table drawer. Still, there is no denying that, for some of us, getting over our resistance to sex toys can be liberating. It just shouldn't mean that if you don't use them you're not liberated -- that somehow you're more sexually uninhibited or adventurous if you come with attachments.
Some of us do just fine on our own. I have a friend who practically has an orgasm when she sneezes. She says she's never felt the need for a vibrator. On the other hand, vibrators are great if you're a woman who has a hard time reaching orgasm. It's a bit like having a one-night stand when you're going through a dry spell. It restores your faith and let's you know there's hope.
They're also a great tool to show your guy what you like and what it takes to get you there. Plenty of guys are even more intimidated by vibrators than women. But usually it's because they worry that a vibrator will put him out of business and she'll ride off into the sunset with her Hitachi Magic Wand. Or that he's a bad lover because he can't get there on his own. Relax guys, vibrators are not a substitute for The Real Thing. They're a "thing" all on their own. Rather than treat them as a rival, consider all the wear and tear they can save on your tongue and fingers.
Another concern about vibrators is that they're addictive. First of all -- even if it were true -- I can think of worse addictions. Usually, however, you only become addicted to things that are bad for you. Last time I checked, orgasms were a good thing. Sure, some of us may get a little attached to our vibrating friend, but so what? If you do worry you're spending too much time together, take a break and have sex without it. Think how wild that could be.
I don't think vibrators are the be all and end all. I just think they're a nice alternative once in awhile -- especially when you're feeling a bit sexually deprived.
How do you feel about vibrators? Do you own one? Do you use them as a couple?
Believe it or not, vibrators have been around since 1869 when an American doctor named George Taylor invented a steam-powered massager for use in the treatment of female hysteria, a condition described as "the womb's revolt against sexual deprivation." (If I were having sex and not getting off, I'd get hysterical too.) The standard treatment was "genital massage to induce hysterical paroxysm" -- in other words, the doctor manually stimulated her to orgasm. And we know how long that can sometimes take. Vibrators saved time and effort. Of course, as a "medical instrument" they were only to be used under supervision to prevent "over indulgence." (Today, this kind of treatment would more likely succeed in landing your doctor in jail!)
By 1900, more portable battery-operated models made house calls a whole lot easier. Eventually, consumer models showed up and were advertised in women's magazines as an "aid to health" promising "health, vigour and beauty" or that "all the pleasures of youth will throb within you." By the 1920s, the psychiatrists took over and just started locking "hysterical women" up in nut houses. But that's another story.
While vibrators started to appear as sex toys in stag films of the '20s, they weren't sold explicitly for sexual use until the early '70s. Vibrators now have become "a way for women to take control of and enhance her sexuality," says the Good Vibrations Guide to Vibrators.
While I'm all for this vibrator function, I think we have to be careful not to give the vibrator too much power. It's gotten to the point these days that you feel like a sex nerd if you don't own at least six vibrators in your bedside table drawer. Still, there is no denying that, for some of us, getting over our resistance to sex toys can be liberating. It just shouldn't mean that if you don't use them you're not liberated -- that somehow you're more sexually uninhibited or adventurous if you come with attachments.
Some of us do just fine on our own. I have a friend who practically has an orgasm when she sneezes. She says she's never felt the need for a vibrator. On the other hand, vibrators are great if you're a woman who has a hard time reaching orgasm. It's a bit like having a one-night stand when you're going through a dry spell. It restores your faith and let's you know there's hope.
They're also a great tool to show your guy what you like and what it takes to get you there. Plenty of guys are even more intimidated by vibrators than women. But usually it's because they worry that a vibrator will put him out of business and she'll ride off into the sunset with her Hitachi Magic Wand. Or that he's a bad lover because he can't get there on his own. Relax guys, vibrators are not a substitute for The Real Thing. They're a "thing" all on their own. Rather than treat them as a rival, consider all the wear and tear they can save on your tongue and fingers.
Another concern about vibrators is that they're addictive. First of all -- even if it were true -- I can think of worse addictions. Usually, however, you only become addicted to things that are bad for you. Last time I checked, orgasms were a good thing. Sure, some of us may get a little attached to our vibrating friend, but so what? If you do worry you're spending too much time together, take a break and have sex without it. Think how wild that could be.
I don't think vibrators are the be all and end all. I just think they're a nice alternative once in awhile -- especially when you're feeling a bit sexually deprived.
How do you feel about vibrators? Do you own one? Do you use them as a couple?
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