During class discussion from last class on Rachel Maines, the Technology of Orgasm (1999), and Lee Wright, “Objectifying Gender: the Stiletto Heel,” A View from the Interior: Women and Design (1995), I found many interesting facts in ID history concerning design and gender. It is not that this subject have never come to my mind and given me questions; however, the real evidence from those two case studies led me to some specific questions. Both topics have given me different approach to think about design and gender issue as a designer and a user; however, the more interesting study that I could not stop listening and wondering about is Maines’ study on the invention of vibrator.

First, when my professor showed us the first page of the slide presentation on a projector, I could not close my mouth. Especially from my cultural background (I was born and raised in South Korea being taught human morality based on Confucianism), just seeing word “vibrator” was not comfortable but little embarrassed. It was not too bad though, since I have been studying in America for eight years; I have become used to different thoughts and aspect on sexuality through people’s eyes from more opened culture. There are sex shops just on streets and at shopping malls; they are open to everyone regardless how old you are. However, if you go to Korea, people think that going to places like them is some kind of an embarrassment to show other people. With all kinds of different ideas and opinions of people with diverse background, knowing that people now agree with that a vibrator is some sort of a sex toy, I have come up with a question wondering if the inventor of a vibrator and users really thought that it was just a solution to help women with “hysteria.”

In my opinion, people, particularly the users must know that a vibrator does more than helping them with “hysteria” when it was first invented. Also even the inventor and doctors who treated those women patients eventually should have found out soon that the pleasure that patients get is beyond treatment. First, patients start with treatment by doctor with this new great invention that gives them orgasm, but the more they get treated, the more they would have want to use a vibrator. The invention certainly was made based on a medical reason; however, as time goes by, people must have realized additional and often need of a vibrator along with developing new designs of smaller and portable vibrators. Although it has started off as medical equipment, it has given users a chance to know what they can do for their extra and essential needs. Furthermore, supported by a lot of women users, it must have changed how people think about sexually and helped other people who once have thought about inventing other type of sex toys that they were originally afraid to make.