by the early 1900s, however, the vibrator was sold for at-home use for one’s health and personal pleasure and was even featured in advertisements — targeted at men
and
women. but of course,
public ads
could never be so shameless, and so pitched the vibrator only as offering cures “for all disease of the mid-quarters from neck to knee.” another ad, in 1910, read, “vibration promotes life and vigour, strength and beauty…vibrate your body and make it well. you have no right to be sick.” these sicknesses supposedly included wrinkles, acne, and even malaria. the occasional one would offer a hint at its true use, for example,
a 1908 bebout ad
that read, “invented by a woman who knows a woman’s needs.” insert wink.
hysteria, by the way, wasn’t declassified as a mental health disorder until the 1950s by the american psychiatric association. meanwhile, the sexual implications of the vibrator and pleasure itself were slowly becoming more acceptable, largely due to pornography and the
well-publicized research on female sexuality by dr. alfred kinsey
, the american sexologist who founded the kinsey institute for research in sex, gender, and reproduction in 1947.
by the 1960s and 1970s, during the sexual revolution, vibrators became portable, colourful and much more complex with so many more settings, sensations and speeds. now, they can be found in various shapes and are even usb rechargeable, putting an end to tv’s beloved dead-battery syndrome.