Duke University Press Vibrator Nation: How Feminist Sex-Toy Stores Changed the Business of Pleasure

In the 1970s a group of pioneering feminist entrepreneurs launched a movement that ultimately changed the way sex was talked about, had, and enjoyed. Boldly reimagining who sex shops were for and the kinds of spaces they could be, these entrepreneurs opened sex-toy stores like Eve’s Garden, Good Vibrations, and Babeland not just as commercial enterprises, but to provide educational and community resources as well. In Vibrator Nation Lynn Comella tells the fascinating history of how these stores raised sexual consciousness, redefined the adult industry, and changed women's lives. Comella describes a world where sex-positive retailers double as social activists, where products are framed as tools of liberation, and where consumers are willing to pay for the promise of better living—one conversation, vibrator, and orgasm at a time. Review "We’ve come a long way, baby, but as Vibrator Nation and Buzz make clear, we still may not be coming enough." Author: Peggy Orenstein Source: New York Times Book Review "[A] fascinating survey of the evolving culture of sexuality in America and of a small band of pro-sex feminists who were on the front lines of the sexual revolution." Author: Vernon Rosario Source: Gay & Lesbian Review/ Worldwide " Vibrator Nation celebrates the cast of audacious women who led the lusty feminist revolution in San Francisco: Blank (who died in 2016), Susie Bright, Carol Queen and other sex-positive pioneers. A crash course in contemporary gender and sexuality studies, Comella’s book could be a television series every bit as juicy as Sex in the City or Transparent." Author: Laura Frost Source: Times Higher Education " Vibrator Nation is an engaging expedition across more than 30 years of the history of feminist sex stores in the US. Comella provides a multilayered context, detailing the cultural climates, sex education histories and social positioning of female sexuality that the stores operated and flourished under.... An inspiring read, Vibrator Nation will engage those interested in the history of sexual pleasure as well as provide valuable information for those researching feminist activism and the broader field of female sexuality."   Author: Caroline West Source: Screening Sex "[A] worthy exploration into how women have orgasmed their way into sexual liberation." Source: Bitch Magazine " Vibrator Nation is an essential read for anyone interested in opening an adult boutique, or who already owns one and is looking for inspiration—and for anyone who is interested in the history of adult boutiques and what they might look like in the years to come. It's apparent Comella has a deep respect and admiration for the people she interviewed and for their missions." Author: Sherri L. Shaulis Source: AVN Magazine "It’s equal parts social history, popular culture, business and psychology and, while amply sourced, reads like a novel populated by memorable true-life characters." Author: John Przybys Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal " Vibrator Nation tells one part of our country's feminist story, but it may just as well be a call to action to grab a vibrator – or whatever tool of liberation you choose – and resist." Author: Nicole Guappone Source: Rolling Stone "Comella’s Vibrator Nation shows how feminist sex-toy shops freed us from the confines of the patriarchy — rather than reinforced our role within it — and gave us the power to feel powerful using 'one conversation, vibrator, and orgasm at a time.'" Author: Annamarya Scaccia Source: Bust "An impressive history of feminist sex-toy stores in the US.... Highly recommended. All levels/libraries." Author: T.E. Adams Source: Choice "A remarkable work of sex-positive slow scholarship. . . . Equally engaging for those both inside and outside of academia, Vibrator Nation is an important and accessible addition to the sex-positive feminist canon." Author: Kristen J. Sollée Source: Signs Re