It's almost the end of May, which also means (sigh) National Masturbation Month is coming to a close. That's right, ladies: we only have a few more precious days to officially celebrate the magical wonders of self-pleasure.
Let's end the month in style, shall we, with this handy (pun intended) timeline of masturbation trailblazers in the world of music, film and TV. And let us all give thanks.
The Divinlys Release "I Touch Myself," 1990
There are plenty of songs with lyrics that could be interpreted as being about masturbation. This beauty of this track is that it leaves nothing to the imagination. Co-written and performed by band member Christina Amphlett, it took the "wink wink" out of self-pleasure with its right-to-the-point refrain "When I think about you I touch myself." It promptly charted on the Billboard charts, allowing millions to bop along to a glorious, frank ode to female pleasure.
Madonna's "Like a Virgin" Features Simulated Masturbation, 1991
The Truth or Dare version of this controversial song showcases Mags pleasuring herself while two male dancers seek to win her attention. Consider that, while Miley is now getting attention for her naughty "Adore You" video, Madonna was doing the same thing 23 years ago. Bow down, 20-something starlets. Bow down.
Elaine Gets in on Seinfeld 's Masturbation Bet, 1992
Seinfeld's classic episode "The Contest," about a competition to see who could not pleasure themselves the longest, broke boundaries by nonchalantly letting Elaine get in on the fun, too. For a network TV megahit to take this topic on was a pretty big deal—and in fact, the word "masturbation" wasn't ever directly used. Still, most knew exactly what Elaine was talking about, helping millions across America accept that ladies like to touch themselves, too.
Charlotte Tries to Break her "Rabbit Habit" on Sex and the City, 1998
Not one to shy away from a sex controversy, the SATC episode "The Turtle and the Hare" was one of the first major TV shows to introduce vibrators into the female-masturbation equation. Better yet, the whole point was to show that not only are vibrators great, but they're so great, addictive behavior is highly possible. Preach on, ladies!
Repressed Pleasantville Mom Sees Color after Touching Herself, 1998
1998 was a good year for female self-pleasure, y'all. At the same time Charlotte was getting a Rabbit intervention, Pleasantville, a mainstream hit film, was showing the repressed '50s housewife played by Joan Allen pleasuring herself in a bathtub...thus bring brilliant technicolor into her dull black-and-white life. Aw, yeah.
Image: ThinkStock
