| Sense and Sensuality - The Sex Industry Steps Out Into The Light - Fall 07 |
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| Written by Sarah Stefanson | |||||||
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The adult industry used to be relegated to seedy back alley porn shops and strip clubs. These days it's a multi-billion dollar business stepping out into the light and women may be playing a more significant role in normalizing it than many would think. From sex toys featured on popular television shows to the popularity of the Pussycat Dolls, it has never been truer that "sex sells."To what can we credit the upsurge in sex-related products reaching the mainstream? In my opinion, it has a lot to do with women. Not so long ago, it was men who supported the adult industry almost entirely. Women were not seen entering sex toy shops, let alone owning and working in them, as is the case today. When my mother was a young woman, if you owned a vibrator it was most likely originally intended to be a "back massager" or even an electric shaver with detachable massaging heads. The more pleasurable purposes of these tools were happened upon either by accident or by very secretive suggestion. In the 17th century, "hysteria" was the second most diagnosed medical condition amongst women. The symptoms of hysteria included anxiety, fainting, heaviness in the lower abdomen, loss of appetite, disinterest in sex, and insomnia. The treatment for the condition usually included manual stimulation of the woman's genitals by a doctor resulting in "hysterical paroxysm," also known in modern times as orgasm. Soon doctors grew tired of the tedious task of bringing women to climax and relegated it to female midwives and other underlings. However, this transfer of treatment meant a reduction in income for the doctors, so another solution was needed. Enter the vibrator. An asylum in France in 1873 saw the first use of an electric vibrator to treat hysteria. Doctors were pleased that it reduced the time spent on the treatment from hours to minutes. By the early 1900s, vibrators were available for use in "home treatments" and were promoted by such mainstream sources as the Sears catalogue. This blatant advertising may seem surprising for the time, but these tools were not thought of as sexual devices then. They were promoted as medical appliances for the treatment of a serious health problem. Hysteria has ceased to be a legitimate diagnosis in the medical industry with most of the symptoms being explained in modern times as anxiety disorders. The vibrator, however, has continued to be a useful tool for women everywhere. Many women still try to disguise the true purpose of vibrators by calling them back massagers or buying them in the shape of rubber duckies, but the movement has taken hold of the mainstream. Sex shops are no longer scary places for many women. Some are even women-centric boutique-style stores where open communication about sexuality is happily encouraged. Sex toys are also being brought to the masses through the increasingly popular home party. So if a woman is still wary of parking her car in front of an adult shop for fear of her neighbour driving by and recognizing it, she can simply invite a friendly and knowledgeable saleswoman into her home and do her toy purchasing in private. The internet has also greatly increased the sales of sex products. No one would suspect that the discreet package shipped to your front door wrapped in brown paper holds your new best vibrating friend. Not only are sex toys more easily available, they are also more accepted by the average citizen. Samantha Jones tries to exchange her "vibrator" on Sex and the City only to be told, "Shaper Image doesn't sell vibrators." Okay, so some people still need to call them neck massagers, but these days if a woman doesn't have a toy of her very own, it is considered unusual. Even middle of the road department stores like London Drugs now offer "personal massagers" in their family planning aisles. The move to include such products was apparently due to the requests of doctors who wanted to be able to refer their patients to a reputable retailer to purchase sexual aids. It is this newfound comfort with sexual products in women that have led to the astronomical sales in the adult industry. Of course, pornography still drives the industry, but even this aspect of the sex business is more and more being focussed on female customers. Female directed and women-friendly storyline movies are becoming very popular. With the range of opportunities available for women to explore and enjoy their sexuality, it is no wonder that the topic is peeking out of bedroom doors to enjoy its time in the sun. I, for one, am all for the emergence and hope it continues until the words "taboo" and "sex" are no longer used in the same sentence. Comments (0)
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