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From caveman porn to dirty-talking blow-up dolls: The history of sex toys

Find out how we’ve been getting it on (and getting off) with the help of gadgets and gizmos throught the ages.

IMAGE CREDITS:

university of tubingen,
h.jensen,
j.liptak,

RELATED:

Caveman porn

Could this buxom beauty be the Pamela Anderson of B.C. times? Science Now describes the 35,000-year-old ivory figurine with inflated breasts and an oversized vulva as evidence of the earliest porn. The statuette, found in a cave near Stuttgart, Germany in 2008, is 'sexually exaggerated to the point of being pornographic,' explained anthropologist Paul Mellars of Stony Brook University in New York. 'There's all this sexual symbolism bubbling up in that period. They were sex-mad.'
- Secrets of multi-orgasmic women
- Find out if you’re boring in bed
Stone sex toys

Apparently sexy prehistoric pinups, such as the Venus of Willendorf, were a dime a dozen, while Ice Age man-candy had been proven to be more elusive - until 2004. That's when researchers discovered this polished phallus buried in southwestern Germany. The eight-inch long, one-and-a-half-inch wide stone 'tool' is about 28,000 years old, and is one of the first homages to manhood uncovered. Because of its somewhat realistic dimensions, scientists believe it was most likely used as a sex aid by its clever - and horny - craftsman.
- Secrets of multi-orgasmic women
- Find out if you’re boring in bed
Wooden dildos

Around 500 B.C., Greek women were spreading the love by giving 'olisboses' (the predecessor of the dildo) to friends whose husbands were headed to war or who had died. The ladies were also known to share their toys. Yikes! The actual word 'dildo' came into use during the 1400s in Renaissance Italy. Back then, the playthings were usually exaggerated in size, included testicles and were made of wood or leather, so lots of olive oil was needed for lube. (K-Y Jelly didn’t come on the scene for another 500 years!)
- Secrets of multi-orgasmic women
- Find out if you’re boring in bed
The first cock ring

During the Jin and Song Dynasties in China, men used the eyelids of goats, complete with lashes, for increased sexual pleasure. (The lids were processed to keep them flexible, but harden the lashes). Tied around the penis, the 'ring' created blood restriction to help a man maintain his erection or make him harder, while the lashes provided stimulation for the gal. And like any serious bling, the pieces soon became a status symbol, with wealthy men choosing rare and exotic materials to adorn their favourite appendages.
- Secrets of multi-orgasmic women
- Find out if you’re boring in bed
Ben-wa balls

Step right up and witness the amazingly strong vagina! Ben-wa balls definitely require a feat of physical skill. Invented in 500 A.D., the silver orbs (also known as geisha balls) were originally intended for male pleasure. They were later discovered to strengthen women’s pelvic floor muscles when used regularly (from a few hours to all day!) and create more intense orgasms for both parties. Think of them as tchotchke-assisted Kegel exercises. Today, modern 'exercisers' are made from silicone and come in a rainbow of colours.
- Secrets of multi-orgasmic women
- Find out if you’re boring in bed
Whips & chains

With its depiction of riding crops, whips, nipple clips and restraints, the Marquis de Sade’s controversial 1791 novel Justine is credited with introducing folks to the idea of bondage and domination in the bedroom. The term 'sadism-masochism,' or S&M, is derived from de Sade and fellow author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, who wrote about male submission. But unlike de Sade's 16th-century erotic torture fantasies, the current BDSM (bondage-domination-sadism-masochism) community follows an established set of rules, and the acts are always consensual.
- Secrets of multi-orgasmic women
- Find out if you’re boring in bed
Steam-powered vibrator

In 1869, Dr. George Taylor invented the first vibrator - a large fearsome-looking steam-powered contraption. The medical device was touted as a treatment for 'hysteria,' a condition believed to afflict Victorian-era women that caused anxiety, irritability, sexual fantasies and 'pelvic heaviness.' Doctors originally relieved patients’ suffering by bringing them to climax - by hand. But because of the increased demand and repeat visits physicians grew arm weary! The vibrator claimed to put an end to this occupational hazard.
- Secrets of multi-orgasmic women
- Find out if you’re boring in bed
Electric vibrator

As electricity entered more American homes at the turn of the 20th century, so did plug-in vibrators. They were advertised in plenty of women’s magazines and sold through the Sears & Roebuck catalogue, but were marketed as relaxation aids - with a knowing wink. But as Rachel Venning and Claire Cavanah explain in Sex Toys 101: A Playfully Uninhibited Guide, the gadget’s real purpose was exposed in the first pornographic movies of the 1910s and ‘20s, eliciting some public backlash. Vibrators remained taboo until their triumphant return in the 1960s and ‘70s, thanks in part to the women's movement, says Dr. Carol Queen, staff sexologist at Good Vibrations, a sex toy retailer in San Francisco.
- Secrets of multi-orgasmic women
- Find out if you’re boring in bed
Sex and the city introduces 'the rabbit'

The groundbreaking HBO series ignited our love of Manolo Blahniks, Cosmos and… the Rabbit vibrator. In a 1998 episode, prudish Charlotte forms a special relationship with her new toy, which eventually leads to an intervention. The storyline sent sales of Vibratex’s Rabbit vibrator (the dual-action vibe features ears that tickle the clitoris and a rotating shaft) soaring. 'It was probably the most mainstream mention these adult toys had received to date, and it definitely sent women into Good Vibrations asking for them by name,' says Queen.
- Secrets of multi-orgasmic women
- Find out if you’re boring in bed
A victory for sex toys in America

In 2008, a Texas statute making it illegal to sell or advertise obscene devices (a.k.a. sex toys) was overturned; the court ruled that it violated a person’s right to privacy. Similar laws in Louisiana, Kansas and Colorado were also deemed unconstitutional. But Alabama and Georgia’s Coweta County continue to be buzz kills, with obscenity ordinances outlawing 'any device designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs.' Offenders, such as sex shop owners, could face heavy fines and possible jail time.
- Secrets of multi-orgasmic women
- Find out if you’re boring in bed
Now there’s an app for that

In 2009, Apple began approving adult applications, with MyPleasure.com's MyVibe believed to be the first X-rated iPhone add-on. It allows you to control your cell’s vibrations (from short, quick pulses to longer, slower ones), but the iPhone’s oomph may not be powerful enough to produce an orgasm. As for the future of sex toys, Queen predicts the coming of a computer-connected vibrator for long-distance lovers, while Venning, Babeland’s co-founder and co-author of Moregasm: Babeland’s Guide to Mind-Blowing Sex, envisions vibes that are controlled with voice commands.
- Secrets of multi-orgasmic women
- Find out if you’re boring in bed
Meet the blow up doll, 2.0

'She doesn't vacuum or cook, but she does almost everything else,' Douglas Hines told CNN in 2010 about his invention. She can even carry on a dirty conversation. This silicone girlfriend named Roxxxy comes equipped with voice-recognition and speech-synthesis software. So, unlike previous sex dolls, she can ask about your day, discuss politics or just moan. (Don’t worry, fellas, she has an 'off' button.) But companionship comes with a hefty price tag: $2,995. And for the ladies, there’s Rocky. The rubber man is fully customizable, down to the stubble. But that’ll cost you extra.
- Secrets of multi-orgasmic women
- Find out if you’re boring in bed
Next Up: A how-to guide to sexting
How to send a titillating text without getting caught with your digits showing.

Brucewillis replied 3 weeks 1 day ago

Good blog!

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Brucewillis replied 3 weeks 1 day ago

Good blog!

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