Porn has existed in one medium or another for thousands of years. In Part One of my porn history in tech series, we explored ancient pornography from the Venus of Willendorf to the sex-crazed Babylonians. But it wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution that things really started to resemble the on-screen smut that we know today. Let’s explore some porn history together.
When you hear the word “porn,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? I don’t know about you but I don’t automatically think back to the intriguingly strange bread dildos popularized by the Ancient Greeks. My first thought is a big-boobed blonde with a sexy landing strip shoving her pussy in my face on film. It took us a minute to get there and there’s so much more to come.
All Aboard the Porn History Train
We already know that ancient civilizations all had their own version of early sex toys. 2000 years ago, some in China used bronze dildos, believing that buttplugs protected a person’s chi from escaping. And what is up with Ancient Greeks and their yeasty personal poke sticks? I suppose bread is the biodegradable option. It is a far cry from the solo VR scenes we have today though.
By the 1800s, we were still living in a man’s world, and being honest – female pleasure really wasn’t a priority. Back then, women were plagued with what doctors deemed “hysteria.” They were convinced that making a woman forcibly orgasm would cure her of the disease. Now we know it’s likely that women were just so sexually frustrated by being used solely as incubators.
What does that even mean though? In 1869, an American physician named George Taylor created a contraption to get the job done right. The Industrial Revolution was here and what better than to build a steam-powered vibrator. I know how it sounds. A dildo attached to a hand-cranked steam engine was his prototype. It looks so similar to modern-day fuck machines.
Rise of the Onscreen Pornstar
Even though all of us do it, masturbation has always been considered sneaky and taboo. When I think of masturbation in the 1800s, the mental image of someone jerking it in a dark corner pops up. We do these dirty things in the dark, don’t we? Well, that all changed with the introduction of motion-picture photography and the popularity of public peep shows.
Porn has always been at the forefront of technological advancement like I’ve mentioned in my previous blogs. So of course, when it was possible to shoot movies, you better believe that people were getting naked and recording it. But it wasn’t what you think either! Nothing overly risque was happening. People were just doing ordinary, everyday things in the nude… on film.
It took another few decades before people were comfortable getting down and dirty for the world. Many of the categories we see on modern-day porn sites, like threesomes, were all the rage in the 1920s. Not everyone was sharing their intimate moments though. Most people kept their videos secret, only watching them at home with their partner while they had sex in real life.
A Hiccup in Porn History
Just when it looked as though things were picking up, the burgeoning porn industry came to a hard stop. While the industrial revolution brought people closer together than ever before, it also opened doors to much more nefarious things. For several decades after the eruption of World War II, life as we knew it was crumbling apart, and porn was on the back burner again.
People were still having sex though, together and solo. At the time, Andis released its acclaimed electric massager meant to promote blood circulation. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Of course, you are! And you’re right. The powerful vibrator may have helped with wrinkles, but it was far more useful to use when rubbing one out on the fly.
Not long after, the Hollywood Vibratone made its way to the market. It was bulky and expected to help out the weight loss process. But the powerful vibrations worked even better behind closed doors. This led to the wildly popular Hitachi Wand that we all know and love. Even in modern-day solo VR scenes, the performer’s dildos are all based on Hitachi’s earliest models.
Long Live the Sexual Liberation
By the ‘60s, hiding your sexuality was so passe. That’s right. Now, it was all about having the freedom to be who you are. The liberty to express eroticism in any way that you could think up. We’re burning bras, experimenting with mind-altering drugs, and speaking up against “the man.” Porn was back and I don’t think anyone really understood how quickly the industry would grow.
The Church was definitely vocal about its disapproval of these hedonistic practices but it was too late. Regardless of how you identified as a person, the porn industry was booming for you. Pornstars started making names for themselves, like the legendary Bambi Woods of Debbie Does Dallas. If you had a big dick, there was a good chance you would be picked up by a rep.
The 1970s brought with it the Golden Age of porn and classic adult films like The Devil In Miss Jones and Deep Throat. At this point, pornstars were gaining popularity as quickly as trending Hollywood stars but it didn’t take long before the government stepped in. The law was literally changed to prohibit porn from being played in public places. Was this the end of peep shows?
Think Toward the Future
Thankfully this wasn’t the case, we know that now. But things looked pretty hairy there for a second in the ‘70s (get it?). Porn production is now a multi-billion dollar industry but it didn’t get there overnight. If you haven’t checked it out yet, make sure to go back and read part one. And keep an eye out for part three of my porn history series here. Until next time, keep it fappy!
