8.10.2012

Wikipedia, Why Do You Try To Hurt Me So?!



Et Tu Wikipedia? Does everything relating to female orgasm have to somewhere, somehow insinuate that women need to stick things up their vaginas in order to come? There are 2 photographs in the Wikipedia entry for "masturbation" showing females masturbating. One is a vulva with a realistically shaped dildo pressing against the vulva/clitoral area, labeled "masturbating with dildo." The other is a woman with 2 fingers stuck inside her vagina, labeled "Masturbating with fingers."

Neither depict the most common ways women masturbate (over 90% according to the 1976 Hite Report, and you can also check what The-Clitoris.com has to say about how women masturbate), which is by rubbing their vulva/clitoral area against hands/fingers. The picture with the dildo shows the dildo rubbing against the clit/vulva area instead of showing it inside the vagina, which I appreciate, but it's still a dildo, and dildos have a way of bringing to mind some ol' in and out action like a penis would do. If Wikipedia wanted to picture a common way women masturbate with toys, I would prefer that they showed a vibrator pressed against against the vulva - and specifically labelled it as a vibrator not a dildo. The other picture, labeled "Masturbating with fingers" is most annoying, because for the vast majority of women, masturbating with fingers means the fingers are pressed against the clit/vulva not stuck in the vagina.

I am worked up about this not because I think there is only one right way to masturbate, or because women never stick things in their vaginas during masturbation. I am worked up because females masturbation is already overwhelmingly depicted unrealistically in our culture. Women should be able to at least go to an informative place like Wikipedia and get information that reflects the reality of the vast majority of female masturbation.

Yes, there probably are some women out there who just stick their fingers up their vag to masturbate. I don't know any of them, and the Hite report showed it's only about 1% of masturbaters. Plus, according to the Hite Report, most women who do insert things into the vagina during masturbation, also stimulate their clit at the same time.

This is what I'm saying - Since women mostly orgasm from touching/stimulation their vulva/clit area, female masturbation should mostly be depicted and discussed in that way. Some men might masturbate by moving dildos or fingers in and out of their anus to stimulate their prostate, but masturbation for men is mostly depicted and discussed realistically with men rubbing their penises. Female orgasm and masturbation should get the same treatment. It might help end some of the confusion, fear, and outright ignorance that stops women from exploring their own orgasms.

 p.s. I do love Wikipedia, and actually there was some good written information in the "masturbation article," but a picture is worth a thousand words. It might be the only thing people take from that page when they visit it, so I believe it's worth critiquing harshly...plus I love a good harsh criticism.

7 comments:

  1. i needed this Trisha. feeling like a sucky lay due to needin' the more. i know it's normal. but soooooo many women are writing in telling me they get off on the p in v.

    *pout*
    jill
    http://www.inbedwithmarriedwomen.com

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    1. I'm tellin' ya Jill, I think there's a lot of exaggeration out there. Here's to a "the more," my friend!

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. Edit it! Replace the misleading photos with realistic ones. Or at least make a request on the article's Talk page. That's the great thing about Wikipedia: it gets better when area experts weigh in with improvements.

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    1. You're absolutely right. It's Wikipedia; I should do some editing. I've never done anything on Wikipedia before, so I'll make an account and try my hand at it soon. I'll be sure to post how it goes. Thanks for the push. :)

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  4. It's very hard to find Creative Commons licensed media of an adult nature. If you want better photos, take and post some? I shoot bondage photography occasionally. My photos are not very good, but they are Free, so they get used on Wikipedia, and are better than inaccurate illustrations.

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  5. Hmmm. That's a good point. Creative Commons pics like that are hard to find. If you have something that would make sense, I'd be interested. I also just realized that I may have access to free pics from another source...I still haven't looked into editing Wikipedia too much yet, but I hope to by the end of the week. Thanks for the thoughtful comment!

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