It's a romantic comedy after a true story: The invention of the vibrator. In my opinion, a very nice story. Anyone seen it? Thoughts? LINK to trailer
I have been waiting to see this movie since first hearing about it last September. I just checked the release date and now am really pissed. :toetap05: The US is almost at the bottom of the international release dates in May of this year. Spain gets it in June. IDK why it takes 3/4 of a year to get to us. Russia already has the DVD. I just hope it plays locally as it will obviously be in limited release. Release dates for Hysteria (2011) Country Date UK-2011 Canada-15 Sep 2011 (Toronto International Film Festival) Netherlands-02 Nov 2011 (Amsterdam Film Week) Sweden-11 Nov 2011 (Stockholm International Film Festival) Russia-17 Nov 2011 Sweden-25 Nov 2011 Denmark-01 Dec 2011 Russia-07 Dec 2011 (DVD premiere) Netherlands-08 Dec 2011 France-14 Dec 2011 Finland-16 Dec 2011 Germany-22 Dec 2011 Norway-25 Dec 2011 Lithuania-10 Feb 2012 Belgium-22 Feb 2012 Estonia-24 Feb 2012 Italy-24 Feb 2012 Poland-02 Mar 2012 New Zealand-05 April 2012 USA-18 May 2012 Spain-08 Jun 2012 I have known about the early use of vulvar manipulation to induce 'hysterical paroxysms' (now known as female orgasms) and even wrote about it in an essay (Playing Doctor) when the Eros suction device was introduced a decade ago. Seems this procedure was quite common to relieve female disorders of melancholia etc. and when the vibrator was invented business increased.
Just found that essay referencing the Hysterical Paroxysms. Playing Doctor by Shale May 28, 2000 When I was a kid, about 9, I used to play "doctor" with my 11-year-old female cousin. This was in the very prudish early '50s, so we were quite secretive about it. She came into my office, the walk-in closet and laid on a shelf that was waist high to me. She would pull her panties down to her ankles and expose her crotch for my examination. Of course this exploration of a girl's private parts was exciting to me. I probably had a little erection that I was unaware of in my prepubescent innocence. I dutifully examined my patient, taking in all the sights and smells of the moment. I remember noticing the few coarse hairs that grew around this otherwise smooth crotch, and that the slit parted to reveal a deeper opening. After a while, I tired of this game and started to wander, but my cousin insisted that I examine her further. I was unaware at the time that I was practicing medicine without a license, and therefore was unable to give my cousin the treatment she obviously desired. Had I studied medicine, especially the history of medical practice, I would have known how to treat my cousin's affliction. A half-century before my inept probing in my cousin's crotch, real medical doctors had found effective treatment for hysteria in women. They knew by the symptoms, such as swelling in the genital area, sexual fantasies and excessive vaginal lubrication that treatment was necessary. The recommended treatment for these symptoms around 1900, was manual massage of the vulva by the physician, causing hysterical paroxysm, or a release of the aforementioned affliction. This treatment in the late 19th Century was quite popular among the women, and accounted for a significant amount of physician practice. I have to wonder though, how many physicians played this game without an erection. As is the philosophy of Western medicine, if a hand can do a job, then a machine can do it better. By the early 20th Century, vulvar massage was being replaced by "electrotherapeutics," otherwise known as the vibrator. In 1904 a vibrator cost $200 and was sold only to doctors. With this innovation, hysterical paroxysms could be attained much more quickly and efficiently, at only $2 a pop. Unfortunately, due to our young age, neither my cousin nor I knew what we were doing or exactly what we were trying to accomplish in our medical explorations, other than the touching in that area felt good to her. Years later, I learned various techniques to induce these "hysterical paroxysms" in women, with my hands, mouth and even that erection that I now knew about. It seems however, that my sexual practice is paralleling medical practice once again, as it was recently revealed that a new device to increase sexual response in women has been invented. Noting that the wonder drug Viagra works by increasing blood flow to the genital area of men, some medical genius invented a device to physically accomplish the same effect in women. The device, which is approved by the FDA to treat "female sexual arousal disorder," is a tiny vacuum with a soft suction cup that fits over the clitoris. You simply turn on the adjustable vacuum for a few minutes until the clit feels engorged. Duh! Why didn't I think of that? Well, actually, although I didn't think of it, I was taught the concept of this device years ago by Peggy, one of my early sexual instructors. It seems I was down in her pubes flailing about with my tongue when she said in her soft, raspy voice "Suck it, Shale, suck it." The scientists are right, increasing the blood flow to a clitoris by suction does enhance sexual response in women. Physicians who have studied the new clitoral vacuum are quick to point out that it is not a sex toy but a physiological device. I'm sure that's what the doctors were calling the vibrator in 1904 that relieved so many Victorian tensions. (by 1918 Sears was selling vibrators for six bucks, which probably put a dent in the doctor visits, except for those women who preferred a professional touch). However, I can't help but think that this new device, which costs more than $350, might be as sad a commentary on our sexual attitudes as the clinical inducement of paroxysms a century past. Why can't soft lips replace the soft suction cup of the vacuum device? Why can't the gentle suction of a lover draw blood to the clitoris as effectively as this mechanical sexual aid? Is it only for women who can't get their partner to attend to their physical needs? Come to think of it, maybe this is the time for a career change. It seems to have been my calling from a very early age. With a roll of Saran Wrap and a little lube, I might be able to go into business like a 19th Century physician. I figure I can undersell the clit vacuum by 90% and still make a decent living. (Honest officer, it's not prostitution, it's an organic physiologic procedure!)
