The writer must be really naive if she genuinly believes that the original female 'hysteria' problem was not fully understood by medical practioners of the day as being what it was - sexual frustration in an age when the female orgasm was not considered to be desirable or even achievable - a view espoused even today by much of the controlling church hierachy and others. Although lacking the technological capacity to produce a modern day vibrator, dildos; ersatz penises; clitoral stimulators etc were well known in ancient Egypt, and also in most primitive cultures. Medical practitioners have also traditionaly prescribed various creams etc to be 'thoroughly' rubbed into the clitoris - the rationale being of course that if the doctor prescribed it, the practice of 'inadvertant' masturbation could not be morally wrong. The notion of female 'hysteria' as an illness was I suggest always no more than a then socially acceptable alternative to the genuine description of the problem. The female orgasm has been around as long as the male orgasm. The only ones who didn't know it were the males.

I love this topic as it gives me a chance to repeat my feminist analysis of women's sex aids.

Now many men like to look at porn, and feminists like to present this phenomena as men 'objectifying' women.

So, lets look at the vibrator in this way too.

Shaped like a phallus, a vibrator must then objectify men. You could even say it reduces a man to just a penis. Such hyperbole would not be at all out of place in feminist analysis. So, I think they should be banned, as they spread and support misandry as porn spreads and supports misogyny.

Further, feminists have long complained that the air-brushing of models and performance of porn stars creates unrealistic expectations of women, and affects women's body image.

Well, looking at the speed of vibrators, and the size of some of the phalluses, I think that argument should be equally applied to women's 'Liberation' tools.

If porn is to banned, it makes logical sense that vibrators too. If air brushing be banned, then I think we should ban unrealistic speeds and sizes in women's sex aids.

It's only fair.

Oh well, I was going to avoid this topic, but in for a penny, in for a pound.

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/why-more-and-more-women-are-using-internet-porn-20110408-1d6oe.html

There is this paradox surrounding sex, people want to enjoy it, but then at the same get condemmed for it.

Some young feminist commentators use the phrase "for mens pleasure" rather frequently, yet some how female pleasure seems to exist in some dark void, as far they are concerned.

Now I think I'll pour myself a good wine, open a book and yawn.

>Enter the vibrator. Maines writes that "massage to orgasm of female patients was a staple of medical practice among some (but certainly not all) Western physicians from the time of Hippocrates until the 1920s and mechanizing this task significantly increased the number of patients a doctor could treat in a working day."

Very sensible chappies.

Struggling to find the point of this article...

Before Mr Granville's portable domestic version, American physician George Taylor invented the steam powered massager in 1869.

Another victory for technology.

Houellebecq, that is a wonderful post, just love it, you have totally hit the nail on the head, so to speak.

Am amazed that an article on female hysteria doesn't even mention Freud?
But his take on its causes wouldn't fit in with the sex aids angle I guess

An amusing article, and very interesting indeed :)

I am not surprised about the doctors of the 19th century using these 'aids' to assist their female patients with 'hysteria'.
If they did that today, we would have them stripped of their licence to practice, and jailed for sexual assault.

As for Houellebecq's discussion on banning both pornography and vibrators, because it is 'only fair', I will if you will!

I don't mean to be crude, but what's wrong with a bit of good old cock?

Aleister Crowley

In answer to your question:

You can't keep one in a drawer, I think it may be illegal or something.

:-J