History of the Vibrator

[monk222]

The attempt to desexualize the vibrator played into larger fears men expressed about female sexuality. Masturbation was on the minds of many Americans during the early 20th century. Men such as Theodore Roosevelt worried that “self-pollution” sapped the male of strength, virility and morality and that the practice threatened the future of American manhood. But the specter of female masturbation was far more terrifying. I have read debates between doctors over whether women should be allowed to ride bicycles or whether the pleasure they might induce from the seat made it an unacceptable moral hazard.

-- Erik Loomis at AlterNet.org

Mr. Loomis considers the new Republican movement against female sexuality, and he takes a bit of an historical perspective focusing on the odd and fascinating history of the vibrator.