Sex Toys And Their Key Functional And Semiotic Components

This essay will give a detailed analysis of sex toys (for this essay the broad scope of sex toys will refer to dildos (primarily), vibrators and variations of dildos including strap-ons) as an item of material (consumer) culture through a historical and social analysis. The paper will discuss sex toys and their key functional and semiotic components with reference to their cultural purpose, their popularity and consumer interpretations and expectations. This essay will address social theory and the cultural work of objects (in this case a sex toy) and will attempt to analyse and highlight issues related to the use and interpretation of dildos. A dildo is a phallic shaped object intended for bodily penetration during masturbation or sex with a partner or multiple partners (dictionary.com, 2014). Early forms of dildos (made from stone, antler, etc.) date back to the Upper Paleolithic period (Marshack, 1972) and 3rd Century Greece. Modern-style dildos began surfacing around the 19th Century (Deka, 2005; Fahs Swank, 2013) and were made from rubber. The word dildo is loosely believed to derive from the Italian word diletto, which means to delight (Fahs Swank, 2013; Statemaster.com, 2014). Dildos historically were used as a cure for female hysteria (known today as sexual frustration) (Maines, 1998; Omori Slick, 2007; King, 2011; Castleman, 2013; Fahs Swank, 2013) and other complaints. Dildos were originally marketed as a medical aid in the 1880s, primarily available