Director Tanya Wexler's 'Hysteria' Sparks Interest in Vibrators

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The vibrator, in fact, was one of the earliest patents. The San Francisco premier of Hysteria was held last week in conjunction with the grand opening of Good Vibrations’ Antique Vibrator Museum. Showcasing collectibles from the 1800s and onward, the Vibrator Museum tells a fascinating story of history, health, and sexuality. Curator and staff sexologist Dr. Carol Queen said the new exhibit “contextualizes the vibrators’ role in society and highlights how our attitudes around sex and female pleasure have evolved. It really gives us an appreciation for how far both society and technology have come, and it’s fitting to house the exhibit in the original female-friendly adult retail store.”

The turn-of-the-century vibes seen in Hysteria were a far cry from the modern technology, which is why Good Vibrations, the legendary queer-run sex toy company co-sponsored the San Francisco premiere of Hysteria. Still one can’t help but think that the history of the vibrator is somehow yet to be discovered?

“Yes,” says Wexler, thoughtfully. “Though I think after people see Hysteria they will know a whole lot more.”

Though the American Psychiatric Association debunked the existence of hysteria as a disease in 1952, medical experts from the time of Hippocrates up to the 20th century believed that hysteria expressed the womb's revolt against sexual deprivation. In the film Hysteria, we see a sexual revolt of a different sort. Of course, Hysteria feels like a bit of a time capsule. Modern sexual mores aren’t on display, and though Everett’s Oscar Wildish character feels queer (and shows no interest in women or prostitutes), his sexuality is never overtly named on screen (regardless, this is clearly his best sidekick role since My Best Friend’s Wedding).

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