From Freud to Deep Throat: A brief history of the modern Female Orgasm
Views of female sexuality have changed dramatically over the last 120 years. Sex has always been considered an integral part of a happy, healthy marriage but how a woman was supposed to enjoy it, a subject which male medical practitioners seem to know much more about then females, has been radically altered.
In 1886, Richard von Krafft-Ebing, a famous sexologist, declared that a woman who is physically and mentally 'normal' have no need for sexual pleasure and, in fact, have no sensual desires at all. Sexual pleasure was the domain of men, prostitutes, lower-classed and shamed women. A desire for passion was a masculine quality. So why did women participate in sex? Because it was vital for a sustainable marriage, of course! This view of women, removed any responsibility men might feel for their partners sexual satisfaction.
I guess around this time, some men might have discovered that they liked having a partner with a little passion, after all, suddenly the benefits of the female orgasm became apparent, even necessary, but only in a strictly limited environment. The orgasm was the cure for many female diseases, most notable, Hysteria, which women were said to develop if they had not been impregnated by a certain age. A temporary cure for this could be found at certain, specialist doctors. You see, the dildo has been around for longer then one might imagine.
Apart from these visits to doctors, the female orgasm was strictly confined to intercourse with her husband. Any orgasm outside of intercourse was constituted 'abuse'. This was because of a newly rising theory "that women were more lustful than men and that their sexuality was a danger to men”. Furthermore “there is good reason to not pay attention to the clitoris lest we stir up a hornet’s nest of stinging desire” (Tuana).
Freud's (1856 - 1939) theories added weight to this and defined sexual right and wrong. There were two kinds of female orgasm: virginal and clitoral. The first was the 'mature' and the only true orgasm whereas the clitoral orgasm was masculine and immature, "little more than a regression to sensations experienced by those women who had masturbated as children." It was also Freud that coined the term 'frigid', referring to a woman who cannot reach orgasm during intercourse. This was considered unnatural.
During the 1920s, significant research into female sexual activity began when Katharine B. Davis surveyed 2,200 women regarding their sex lives. She found that the majority had brought themselves to climax through masturbation and that 1 in 5 College Educated Women had had some lesbian experiences. This was revolutionary in a time where Lesbianism was defined as women who could not sexually “surrender” to men. They were 'frigid' but, the good news was, that psychoanalysis would soon cure them, ridding the world of lesbianism and feminism.
In the 1950s a survey of the sexual advice of the time revealed an emphasis placed on sexually soothing fragile male egos. Frigid women were for the first time advised to fake orgasms. Dr. Eustace Chesser’s popular ‘Love Without Fear’ (1947) instructed women who "did not need to have an orgasm to feel fulfilled" to do so for the satisfaction of their husbands.
It was Alfred Kinsey (1894-1956) made the first, extensive research of female sexuality. By the year of his death 18,600 men and women had submitted to him their most intimate sexual secrets. Kinsey discovered that "the vast majority of women who masturbated used clitoral stimulation", completely fucking up the idea that clitoral simulation was unnatural. "Less than 20% included some form of vaginal penetration and then only because they felt they should." He concluded that the vaginal orgasm was a result of "their [men's] conceit as to the importance of the male genitalia".
We move on to the late 1960s of which Helen Brown said "At that time, a real orgasm could only happen if you were with a man and his penis was inside of you.” She goes on to declare that “that was total, utter nonsense, of course. Sex is not only for penises. Uh, sex is something for women."
In 1972 'Deep Throat', starring Linda Lovelace was released. It was arguably the most profitable film of all time. Shot in 6 days for $25,000, it went on to gross 6 million American Dollars at the box office. The basic plot is that Linda cannot find sexual satisfaction. She goes to a doctor who examines her and discovers that this is because her clitoris is misplaced. It is, in actual fact, located in her throat. Strangely enough, his solution for this is for her to give him head on the spot. She turns out to be very good at it. This was a man's absolute sexual fantasy: "It was based on the idea that all a man had to do was put his penis down a woman's throat and thrust and the woman was as satisfied as the man." However, this brought oral sex into prominance as never before at a time when it was still illegal all over the world. (Incidentally it is still illegal in a fair few places, Indonesia being one, I think.)
"I regret to say that we of the FBI are powerless to act in cases of oral-genital intimacy, unless it has in some way obstructed interstate commerce."
- J. Edgar Hoover (1895-1972) Whatever that means.
The male star of the film came very close to being goaled for 5 years for his involvement in the film thanks to Freud. While the defence argued that it was art and had social value (a woman's search for sexual satisfaction) the prosecution countered that it was the wrong type of orgasm, the clitoral orgasm. It was unnatural. Women could be lead to believe that this was the right type of sexual satisfaction "But she would be wrong. It is wrong!" Deep Throat lost its case and it was only an election that prevented Harry Reems from imprisonment. It was banned in 23 states but this only increased its popularity.
Even today sexuality is still the male domain. Women are not learning to take control of their sexual pleasure. The pressure is still entirely on the man to discover and pleasure their partners. Perhaps this is largely because women do not know what it takes to please themselves. An amazing amount of American women do not even know where their clitoris is. So much is known about the male sexual organs but still the female orgasm is the subject of one of the most vigorous debates in modern medicine. (For those not following it, drug companies have produced what is essentially a female version of Viagra but many medical people argue that it is just for money and that female sexual dissatisfaction cannot be treated with drugs as it is not an actual medical condition.) Isn’t it amazing that even today, when we are discovering the chemical make-up of far off planets, that experts cannot agree on weather female satisfaction is an ailment or merely the result of inexperienced, uneducated participants in the sex game?
Catharine MacKinnon: "What is sexual is what gives a man an erection. Whatever it takes to make a penis shudder and stiffen with the experience of its potency is what sexuality means culturally."
In 1886, Richard von Krafft-Ebing, a famous sexologist, declared that a woman who is physically and mentally 'normal' have no need for sexual pleasure and, in fact, have no sensual desires at all. Sexual pleasure was the domain of men, prostitutes, lower-classed and shamed women. A desire for passion was a masculine quality. So why did women participate in sex? Because it was vital for a sustainable marriage, of course! This view of women, removed any responsibility men might feel for their partners sexual satisfaction.
I guess around this time, some men might have discovered that they liked having a partner with a little passion, after all, suddenly the benefits of the female orgasm became apparent, even necessary, but only in a strictly limited environment. The orgasm was the cure for many female diseases, most notable, Hysteria, which women were said to develop if they had not been impregnated by a certain age. A temporary cure for this could be found at certain, specialist doctors. You see, the dildo has been around for longer then one might imagine.
Apart from these visits to doctors, the female orgasm was strictly confined to intercourse with her husband. Any orgasm outside of intercourse was constituted 'abuse'. This was because of a newly rising theory "that women were more lustful than men and that their sexuality was a danger to men”. Furthermore “there is good reason to not pay attention to the clitoris lest we stir up a hornet’s nest of stinging desire” (Tuana).
Freud's (1856 - 1939) theories added weight to this and defined sexual right and wrong. There were two kinds of female orgasm: virginal and clitoral. The first was the 'mature' and the only true orgasm whereas the clitoral orgasm was masculine and immature, "little more than a regression to sensations experienced by those women who had masturbated as children." It was also Freud that coined the term 'frigid', referring to a woman who cannot reach orgasm during intercourse. This was considered unnatural.
During the 1920s, significant research into female sexual activity began when Katharine B. Davis surveyed 2,200 women regarding their sex lives. She found that the majority had brought themselves to climax through masturbation and that 1 in 5 College Educated Women had had some lesbian experiences. This was revolutionary in a time where Lesbianism was defined as women who could not sexually “surrender” to men. They were 'frigid' but, the good news was, that psychoanalysis would soon cure them, ridding the world of lesbianism and feminism.
In the 1950s a survey of the sexual advice of the time revealed an emphasis placed on sexually soothing fragile male egos. Frigid women were for the first time advised to fake orgasms. Dr. Eustace Chesser’s popular ‘Love Without Fear’ (1947) instructed women who "did not need to have an orgasm to feel fulfilled" to do so for the satisfaction of their husbands.
It was Alfred Kinsey (1894-1956) made the first, extensive research of female sexuality. By the year of his death 18,600 men and women had submitted to him their most intimate sexual secrets. Kinsey discovered that "the vast majority of women who masturbated used clitoral stimulation", completely fucking up the idea that clitoral simulation was unnatural. "Less than 20% included some form of vaginal penetration and then only because they felt they should." He concluded that the vaginal orgasm was a result of "their [men's] conceit as to the importance of the male genitalia".
We move on to the late 1960s of which Helen Brown said "At that time, a real orgasm could only happen if you were with a man and his penis was inside of you.” She goes on to declare that “that was total, utter nonsense, of course. Sex is not only for penises. Uh, sex is something for women."
In 1972 'Deep Throat', starring Linda Lovelace was released. It was arguably the most profitable film of all time. Shot in 6 days for $25,000, it went on to gross 6 million American Dollars at the box office. The basic plot is that Linda cannot find sexual satisfaction. She goes to a doctor who examines her and discovers that this is because her clitoris is misplaced. It is, in actual fact, located in her throat. Strangely enough, his solution for this is for her to give him head on the spot. She turns out to be very good at it. This was a man's absolute sexual fantasy: "It was based on the idea that all a man had to do was put his penis down a woman's throat and thrust and the woman was as satisfied as the man." However, this brought oral sex into prominance as never before at a time when it was still illegal all over the world. (Incidentally it is still illegal in a fair few places, Indonesia being one, I think.)
"I regret to say that we of the FBI are powerless to act in cases of oral-genital intimacy, unless it has in some way obstructed interstate commerce."
- J. Edgar Hoover (1895-1972) Whatever that means.
The male star of the film came very close to being goaled for 5 years for his involvement in the film thanks to Freud. While the defence argued that it was art and had social value (a woman's search for sexual satisfaction) the prosecution countered that it was the wrong type of orgasm, the clitoral orgasm. It was unnatural. Women could be lead to believe that this was the right type of sexual satisfaction "But she would be wrong. It is wrong!" Deep Throat lost its case and it was only an election that prevented Harry Reems from imprisonment. It was banned in 23 states but this only increased its popularity.
Even today sexuality is still the male domain. Women are not learning to take control of their sexual pleasure. The pressure is still entirely on the man to discover and pleasure their partners. Perhaps this is largely because women do not know what it takes to please themselves. An amazing amount of American women do not even know where their clitoris is. So much is known about the male sexual organs but still the female orgasm is the subject of one of the most vigorous debates in modern medicine. (For those not following it, drug companies have produced what is essentially a female version of Viagra but many medical people argue that it is just for money and that female sexual dissatisfaction cannot be treated with drugs as it is not an actual medical condition.) Isn’t it amazing that even today, when we are discovering the chemical make-up of far off planets, that experts cannot agree on weather female satisfaction is an ailment or merely the result of inexperienced, uneducated participants in the sex game?
Catharine MacKinnon: "What is sexual is what gives a man an erection. Whatever it takes to make a penis shudder and stiffen with the experience of its potency is what sexuality means culturally."