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The Technology of Orgasm: Hysteria, the Vibrator, and Women's Sexual Satisfaction by Rachel P. Maines In an ironic twist of fate, Rachel Maines proves that good can come from even the worst of desires. Yes, girls, if it wasn't for lazy male doctors who didn't want how to jack women off manually, we wouldn't have the vibrator. Before most home appliances were electrified, the vibrator was offered through mail order catalogues as health aid. Before that, spas were booming from the effects of the ascending douche and most doctors were pleased to finish their patients in less than five or ten minutes (compared to usually a couple of hours unless he was good). Before that? Well, you'll just have to read it as Maines does a wonderful job of demonstrating how men throughout history have pathologized women's sexuality to the point where they needed to be treated by medical professionals instead of finding pleasure in natural heterosexual sex. Not to dismiss a few thousand years of oppression based on sexual fear, but I find the story of the rise of the vibrator a freeing one. Yes, women had to keep these treatments under the aegeis of medical therapy, but some had to understand why they enjoyed manipulation of their vaginas so much more under a machine than under their husband! Groups of women might even share a giggle or two about this before hopping on the ascending douche, a classic means of masturbating, but we'll never know. Women's history is scare, and I get the impression history on marital aids is even more so, but I would like to believe that at least some women were going purely for pleasure and using hysteria merely as an excuse to the establishment. Given the restrictions of the time and an opportunity to relax at any resort with my friends, I'm sure I would fake a simple illness to go too. The premise doesn't seem very far fetched to me; we've just lost the proof. Maines does accomplish her goal of describing her personal research quest and the history of women's marital aids very well. She touches on the use of water, dildos, and finally the mechanized vibrator. She also shows how each recommended treatment coincided with the prevailing theory of women's sexuality. she doesn't delve into long discussions, but I enjoyed her descriptions and pictures of vibrating devices from the 19th Century, and I think you might too. They're silly, but its also interesting to try and figure out how they worked. Some I'd like to to try, but others, I'm not so sure. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ In other news, I'm working morning shift today so my time is really killed. I also have to work out an abstract or two for the 4S submission as that's due by May 1st. So is my application for grad school, though I'm considering staying out another year. Jewboy told me last night they're moving to L.A. in a month so I probably won't be able to see him too many times before he takes off. That's gonna suck. I know we'll still chat a little on the phone, but I expect him to get busy and drop out of my life. It happens a lot with moving. It just sucks cause I don't have too many friends right now near me. I know I need the time to pay off my loans though so another year won't kill me. I might be starting behind in terms of relearning how to be in school, but I think I can pick that up easily. I just need to keep on myself about writing papers, articles, etc. so I don't lose my grammer entirely. Anyway, should go try to eat something before taking off. Daphne |