The history of the vibrator is a good indicator of how the Western world has evolved from a patriarchal society that once undermined the value of women. Given that the official diagnosis of hysteria was only abolished 60 years ago (during the Civil Rights Movement) the West has come a long way in implementing gender equity, however, because of the sudden paradigm shift in the treatment of women, it has also led to another institutionalization of women steeped in our understanding of sex and beauty and there is no greater culprit and prescription than media’s portrayal of women.

On a much lighter note, at least now husbands don’t have to spend hours trying to …you know what. =P Although it does beckon the question, the men back then were probably only fixated on receiving pleasure and the least bit interested in reciprocating it.