Sex Machines

I just came across an interesting book at Amazon:

Sex Machines: Photographs and Interviews

It is about the inventiveness of Americans when it comes to sex. Or to put it it in a somewhat more social context: men designing power tools for women.

From the product description:

Through astonishing images and the surprisingly touching words of its subjects, Sex Machines: Photographs and Interviews explores the new sex machine underground in America and the homespun inventors and users who propel it.

After contacting an active but intensely private Internet community of sex machine inventors, photographer Timothy Archibald eventually won their trust and was invited into workshops and homes. The resulting book is a powerful document that is by turns thought provoking, humorous, and always fascinating.

Sex Machines celebrates the American spirit of invention while exploring the desires and confusions that exist between men and women in our changing culture. Many of the inventors seen within these pages are otherwise ordinary family men who were inspired to help repair strained relationships or simply enhance their wives’ sexual pleasure. Some inventors have expanded their hobby into thriving cottage industries, selling their creations on eBay and adult stores online.

Archibald covers the broad spectrum of the makers—from the elusive creator of the Sybian, the forefather of sex machines, to lesser-known inventors like Paul Gaertner, who, laid off from his job in the high-tech industry, founded a new business by transforming a thrift store pasta maker into a high-powered sexual appliance.

And there in lies a tail.

Some how or other in the mid to late 80s I got to know the designer of the Sybian. I think it was through one of the precursors of the internet. I happened to know a lady at the time who did free lance advertising copy and introduced the designer to her. He decided to hire her for his ad copy. Very tasteful and upscale. She needed to interview the designer for the ad copy and so we met him at a swingers convention. I went with the lady to give her moral support. We talked with the designer and then went home. No sex before, after, or during. Bummer. I did get to see what appeared to be a 300 lb. lady in a mumu (otherwise referred to as a tent) walking to the elevators with five guys on her arm (so to speak). I guess it is nice to be wanted.

Later I got access to a Sybian and computerized it. One joystick instead of two knobs for control. And the movement of the joystick could be recorded so playback of the best bits was possible. I thought it was a great idea. I only ever got one woman to try the contraption (no, she didn't let me watch) and she was not impressed.

So all that effort and engineering was wasted from my point of view. The devices are not seduction machines in any way. ("Come visit and try out my sex machine" is NOT romantic in any respect.) But mechanically I thought it was quite ingenious with a rotator and thruster each conjoined but controlled by different motors. And for the six months I worked on it my fantasies ran wild. So there was that. Plus I got to tell my engineering compatriots that I had worked on a computerized sex machine. Which at least boosted my standing among that cohort.

And now there is a book about the sex machine underground.