While it may seem hard to believe today, there were times in the past when people didn’t talk about sex. Women were shy about discussing their sex lives with one another and demanding a pleasurable sexual experience wasn’t considered ladylike. Luckily, that’s changed over the years! Revolutionary cultural moments in women’s pleasure have led us to where we are today, a time when women can more openly and freely talk about sex and pleasure. While we still have work with judgment and criticism, we are moving towards the right direction! Here are four moments that have advanced women’s pleasure in our world today.
- “Sex and The City”
On June 6, 1998, HBO premiered a new show highlighting single women’s experience with dating and sex in New York City. In each episode, four women — best friends with different personalities — discussed important topics about sex.
Women gravitated towards the show because of its openness to discussing sex, and the importance of women receiving pleasure. The main advocate for women’s pleasure on the show was Samantha Jones, played by Kim Cattrall. Samantha was unlike any other character on television, as she wasn’t focused on marriage and kids, but instead was all about promoting safe and hot sex with whomever she chose.
“Sex and the City” lasted for many seasons and eventually was made into a movie series as well. It was a revolutionary show where women felt safe and comfortable discussing pleasure and sex and created a pleasure-positive message that continues to help women feel comfortable about sex today.
2. Amber Rose and The SlutWalk
Amber Rose’s name may sound familiar because of her personal association with rappers Wiz Khalifa and Kanye West, but she’s made quite the name for herself with her annual SlutWalk.
Before becoming famous, Amber Rose was a stripper in Philadelphia, PA. Her voluptuous body became famous after gaining the attention of rappers.She later used that fame to transition her career into an entrepreneur. Even though she changed her career, she stayed vocal about her stance on sex and how much she values it being a pleasurable experience.
As Amber became increasingly famous and gave more and more interviews, she noticed she was being judged for her views on sex. She was deemed a “slut” for loving sex and pleasure. She decided to help change the narrative and started the Amber Rose SlutWalk in Los Angeles, CA, “a festival raising awareness about sexual injustice, domestic violence and gender inequality.”. With many educational booths and speakers, attendees learn about the importance of sex, including how to talk about sex and make the experience enjoyable. The SlutWalk has grown over the years to thousands of people and supporters and has opened numerous conversations about women’s right to pleasure and sex without being deemed “sluts.”
3. Jenna Jameson
While we discuss women’s pleasure and who has helped advance the cause, there’s no greater figure in the porn industry than Jenna Jameson. Jenna is so legendary that she has become a viewer favorite and deemed “The Queen of Porn”.
Jenna has been in the industry since 1998, and has always been open about her sex life and promoting a healthy, pleasurable relationship. When people looked at her with disgust because of her profession, Jenna was open about being a business woman and her opinion that people should not be judged on their sexual expression. She also has talked in numerous interviews about the importance of having a pleasurable sex life and how judgement and criticism of her profession has affected her personal sex life.
4. The Rabbit
Let’s be honest here: For so many women, vibrators are the greatest. The experience of using one can be life-changing and can help you identify your pleasure points. There are numerous vibrators on the market for each person’s specific needs, but no other vibrator has made an impact on advances in women’s pleasure like the Rabbit.
What’s so game-changing about this product? The fact that it was one of the first toys to provide both internal stimulation of the vagina and external stimulation of the clitoris. It also rotates inside the body, creating a sensation that many women had never previously experienced.
The Rabbit helps women find their pleasure points to create a better sexual experience for them and their partner. Through the years, the pleasure toy is still popular on the market and has become a key item for many people working to create a healthy and pleasurable sex life.
While these are a few small revolutionary moments in our history which advanced our efforts, there is still work that must be done. Changing old beliefs passed down from generations is difficult, but conversation about a healthy and pleasurable sex life is a start. You never know — your small start might even encourage the next Amber Rose to create something big.
