Dildo Diaries (2002)

• 75%
• 2002
• Documentary
• Laura Barton
• Judy Wilder

In the early 1900's, a new invention (and one of the very first uses of the electric motor) was created to address the 'problem' of women's hysteria. These devices immediately became an essential household appliance, and were advertised in nearly every women's magazine and sewing notions catalog of the time. 70 Years later, these appliances were condemned as 'perverted sex toys,' and became the subject of heated debate among lawmakers. In California, Texas, and several other states, conservative politicians successfully waged legislative campaigns to outlaw and prohibit the sale, ownership or use of vibrators and dildos while simultaneously criminalizing other 'deviant' sexual practices. Although a number of these laws have been overturned by legislatures or the courts, in the State of Texas freedom fighters are still working to eliminate these absurd and unnecessary laws. Dildo Diaries takes a lighthearted but 'probing' approach to exploring the development of sections of the Texas Penal Code and its effects on the adult sex toy industry. Combining historical documentation, personal stories, and interviews with noted experts and legislators, this documentary honors the dildo's fight for legitimacy and its many admirers.