trends

‘Buzz’ Author Hallie Leiberman Talks Toys, Tech in Her Ode to Pleasure History

‘Buzz’ Author Hallie Leiberman Talks Toys, Tech in Her Ode to Pleasure History

What do the Florida Keys, Pee-Wee Herman and a crucifix-shaped dildo all have in common? Well, for starters, they’re three rather intriguing reasons to finish at least one book this year.

“Buzz: A Stimulating History of the Sex Toy” is author - Hallie Lieberman’s non-fiction debut, and this Southern-bred Ph.D. might never have penned one of 2018’s most talked-about accounts of sex toy history without a teenhood chocked full of masturbatory misadventures.

I read one business report saying that the sex-toy industry had reached maturity, but I’m not sure if that’s true or not. I think there’s a lot of room for growth.

“When I was in high school, mentioning I masturbated caused people to freak out and make assumptions, like I must be lonely or that I never wanted to be in a relationship,” says Lieberman. “That idea of a woman taking control of her sexuality, giving herself pleasure, it freaked people out, which interested me.”

“Buzz” is a full-bodied history of the sex toy, starting with the stone-carved dildos of the literal caveman days, and its recent release has often been compared — positively — to Lynn Comella’s pleasure industry retrospective “Vibrator Nation.” The New York Times pitches “Buzz” and “Vibrator Nation” as timely, almost sister-esque pieces, with Lieberman’s take on the sex toy timeline as more of an all-encompassing overview in contrast to Comella’s feminist-focused lens.

“Sex toys soaked up the meanings of whoever was promoting them,” writes Liberman in an excerpt from Buzz. “In one context, they embodied liberationist radical feminist values, while in another, they symbolized traditional gender and sexual roles. Feminists championed them for masturbation while traditionalists promoted them for monogamous heterosexual sex. Sex toys symbolized gay liberation in The Pleasure Chest, and disability rights in Gosnell Duncan’s newly renamed company Scorpio Products.”

Growing up in the All-American purity of Sarasota, Fla., Lieberman’s youth was bombarded with random encounters of the orgasmic kind, hence the rather curious inspirations that eventually lead to her Master’s dissertation on the history of sex in the U.S.

“Around age 10, I found a vibrator in a Florida Keys hotel room drawer and my mom was so upset that I was touching it,” recalls Lieberman. “I saw that sex toys were very powerful objects, and I was fascinated by them.”

Later, Lieberman would find an unlikely hero in infamous actor Paul Reubens of the Pee-Wee Herman children’s television series. This well-known tale, a nightmare of every suburban parent, took place near Lieberman’s hometown in a porn theater, where Reubens was ultimately arrested for a perfectly natural act in a place that seemed otherwise appropriate for self-pleasure.

Even as a youngster, Lieberman says she couldn’t understand the connection between sexuality and societal taboos.

“I was a kid, a big fan, and I was so upset that he had to end his show because he masturbated,” says Lieberman. “I didn’t know why people were so scandalized by a sexual practice that doesn’t hurt anybody else, and that only involves the self.”

Cut to Lieberman’s discovery of Divine Interventions, a sex toy company famous for turning religious symbols, like a crucified Christ, into insertable objects, and this future academic was officially hooked on the history, politics and power of pleasure.

After three successful stints on college campuses across the U.S. — University of Florida for undergrad, then the University of Texas-Austin for her Master’s, and finally the University of Wisconsin-Madison – Lieberman had done her fair share of historical and modern research, and finally graduated from the Land of Dairy and Football with her Ph.D. These notoriously conservative environments provided just the right amount of push-back to fuel Lieberman’s quest to de-mystify the stigma of sex toys.

While in grad school in Austin, Lieberman found that even behind closed doors, much of sexual discourse was still silenced.

“I began working for home-party company Passion Parties and it was 2004, when selling sex toys was still illegal in Texas,” Lieberman recalls. “I had to use all these euphemisms when selling them. I had to call vibrators massagers, and I couldn’t mention the clitoris. I was supposed to say ‘man in the boat.’ It was crazy!”

After beginning the research that would eventually form the foundation of “Buzz” around 2008, Lieberman realized that pleasure history was not only in need of a modernized approach, but lot of myth-busting as well. Remember that oldie but goodie about 1800s doctors treating “female hysteria” with the world’s first vibrators? It’s a big, fat lie, according to the textbooks.

“I checked all the sources and found no evidence that this ever happened,” says Lieberman. “So I realized there needed to be a more definitive account.”

Lieberman’s research took her across the country and into the homes of some of the pleasure industry’s most-respected pioneers. She interviewed household names like Dell Williams and Joani Blank, who opened some of the first feminist sex toy shops during the hey-day of the Summer of Love, both of whom were as fiery as ever in their senior years.

“They were so passionate about educating women about their sexuality and teaching women how to give themselves orgasms. They were real pioneers in the 1970s,” recalls Lieberman.

“Dell was still sassy in her 90s. I mean I was interviewing her in a Trump Tower in N.Y. where she lived. She was in a wheelchair in the lobby and speaking really loudly about her erotic dreams and talking about how she sold ‘an orgasm a day keeps the doctor away’ pins. She wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed at all,” says Lieberman. “I talked to Joani in her townhouse in Oakland, Calif., which had awesome erotic art on the walls. She was 77, single and still interested in dating.”

What decidedly shocked Lieberman wasn’t a couple of swinging seniors with a still-burning passion for sex. Although we often view the past as a time capsule of forced frigidity for females, magazines and newspapers were a lot more open-minded to precarious advertising just a few decades ago.

“In some ways we were more liberated in the 19th and early 20th century when it came to sex toys because they were openly advertised in mainstream media, albeit as health devices and home appliances,” says Lieberman.

The likes of the Chicago Tribune and New York Times openly advertised vibrators under the guise of back massagers, and drug stores carried rectal dilators — which, unsurprisingly, look just like modern butt plugs — as a supposed cure for everything from asthma to constipation.

“Now when we are open about what these devices are used for, they are less visible in mainstream culture,” explains Lieberman.

After exploring the depths and shallows of our life-long obsession with copulation and onanism, what’s next, according to our historical hostess?

“I see two trajectories: one towards handmade low-tech toys, the kind of hipster toys like [indie manufacturer] Hole Punch, and a trajectory towards super high-tech: sex robots, VR, teledildonics,” muses Lieberman. “I read one business report saying that the sex-toy industry had reached maturity, but I’m not sure if that’s true or not. I think there’s a lot of room for growth.”

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

Rebranding Sexual Wellness Through a Self-Care Approach

As most of us in the industry already know, sexual wellness remains the black sheep of self-care. Discussions about wellness glorify meditation apps, skincare routines and workout regimens — but mention masturbation or using a sex toy, and most people shy away from the topic.

Hail Groo ·
opinion

Why Sex Toy Innovation Isn't What Shoppers Want Right Now

During my first year in the industry, the luxury vibrator on shelves was LELO’s Gigi, priced at $109. It was made with high-quality silicone, boasted an ergonomic design, a travel lock and a warranty. Soon after, Je Joue released its first product, SaSi, which employed “rolling ball” movements to simulate oral sex.

Sarah Tomchesson ·
opinion

How Adult Retailers Can Enhance Sales With Supplements

The supplement industry is big business. In 2024, Future Market Insights estimated it to be valued at $74.3 billion, and other market research firms anticipate that number will grow to upwards of $170 billion in just 10 years.

Rick Magana ·
opinion

Why It's Time the Pleasure Industry Got Serious About IPX Waterproof Ratings

As someone who regularly communicates with manufacturers, retailers and consumers, I’ve seen how this ambiguity can do a disservice to both the customers who use these products and the businesses that sell them.

Alicia Sinclair Rosen ·
opinion

Tips for Sexual Wellness Brands to Win Over Gen Z This Summer

As summer rolls around, the excitement in the air is palpable, especially for one particular demographic: Gen Z. College and university classes are over, vacations are booked and it’s time to let loose.

Naima Karp ·
opinion

Celebrating the LGBTQ+ Community With Inclusive Packaging Design

Pride Month is a time of visibility, joy and self-expression. In the pleasure industry, projecting that energy can start with something as simple as a box. Market research shows that 72% of U.S. consumers say product packaging influences their purchasing decisions.

Matthew Spindler ·
profile

WIA Profile: Pettus Ashley

Pettus Ashley brings her A game to the world of authentic adult branding, flitting between airports as the American face of U.K. brand Bathmate. As a company brand ambassador, Ashley personifies Bathmate’s dedication to the retail world, showering staff with equal amounts of appreciation and sales education.

Women In Adult ·
profile

Good Relations Fosters Sex Wellness, Positivity for 40+ Years

Melinda Myers, the founder and owner of Good Relations in Eureka, California, was still in college when she got invited to attend her first pleasure products home party.

Quinton Bellamie ·
opinion

Why It's Time for Pleasure Brands to Stop Ignoring B2C Marketing

For many B2B adult brands, marketing to consumers feels like a waste of time. I’ve heard it so many times: “We sell to retailers, not consumers. Why should we invest in B2C marketing?”

Hail Groo ·
opinion

The Midlife Movement Is Exploding; Is the Pleasure Industry Ready?

In marketing, there tends to be an emphasis on the younger generation — the trendsetters. The assumption is that appealing to the younger market has a halo effect on older consumers, who look to younger folks for what is on trend.

Sarah Tomchesson ·
Show More