Vibrator Nation

In Vibrator Nation, Comella discusses the relationship between sexuality and public culture, including the fascinating history of the feminist revolution in the 1970’s that helped redefine economic and cultural aspects that lead the sex industry to begin catering to feminine needs, wants and desires. This remodeling of the sex industry altered the market place for sex toys, with vibrators geared toward women beginning to dominate the products sold.

Comella not only looks at this industry academically as an ethnographic researcher, she has, in her own words, also been a vibrator clerk, a central experience that involved interacting with consumers at a sex shop where she gathered data that was of great value to this text.

I really enjoyed her analysis of sexual entrepreneurs, a women’s market place, and how cultural acceptance of sexuality and gender has provided individuals greater sexual freedom. As an advocate for a good orgasm, I found the text intriguing from a historical, economical, and consumer perspective.

This ethnographic study of feminist sex shops is full of inspiring stories from the innovative retailers who ventured outside their comfort zones to empower women's sexuality (a.k..a. sell vibrators). Sometimes the author veers into sex positivity cheerleading (which, by the way, I appreciated), but mostly she provides a balanced, dispassionate document of the tensions and challenges that face the women who run these businesses.

The book explores the dilemma of feminism coupled with capitalism: do sex stores commodify pleasure (and is that a bad thing)? What I found most fascinating was the inner workings of running a small business. Highly recommended for all libraries.

I learned a lot from Lynn Comella's in-depth examination of how feminist sex-toy shops influenced the industry of sex enhancing retail, sex education, and expression of sexual freedom. I could tell Comella understood her subject matter thoroughly, and while she more often than not presented the information objectively, her passion and field experience clearly shows. In addition to examining how sex-toy stores influenced the business of pleasure, an understanding of how the concept of feminism shifted and changed over the years, and how the pioneering and new feminist sex shops alike had to shift their missions to accommodate the ever changing socially structured ideas of gender and sexual identities, began to include POC women and eventually men, and expanded their own understanding and representation of how sexual freedom is not the same for everyone, i.e. not everyone is looking for a vibrator like the owner of a shop prefers, but may enjoy pornography, BDSM, or other offerings is presented to the reader. Comella's one on one interviews with owners and employees, as well as personal experience working in the retail stores, allows for the passion and dedication these women (and later men) have put into shaping how society and industry present sexual pleasure and sexual education flow from the pages.