maybe
recently, i've been resorting to listening to KCRW (LA's NPR station) through the static on my commute home. KPBS, the local station, ends it's All Things Considered/Marketplace coverage at 6 for a local arts/stuff scene show that is only sometimes interesting, and that's about the time i get in the car these days.

last night, All Things Considered aired a story about a german sex shop's new female-oriented endeavor, called "Mae B." the play on the english "maybe" suggests a coquettish, innocent image.

basically, it's a fabulous idea. they've revamped the idea of an erotic goods store to look and feel more like a pretty, hip, and trendy women's boutique. there's nothing sleazy about it. (frankly, i don't think men should be allowed in the store, but maybe we're not ready for that yet.)

until very recently, there really hasn't been much opportunity for women to explore sexuality and erotica. and interestingly, it's not so much because it's frowned upon. it's more due to inaccessibility, intimidation, and a little shame. i'm sure most women have been to sex shops in large groups, buying gag gifts and various penis-necklaces for bachelorette parties and what have you, but YOU WOULD NEVER BUY ANYTHING FOR YOURSELF. and you certainly wouldn't go alone later. "it's for a joke," you tell the cashier, as if they care. "uh huh," they respond. they hear it all the time.

the lesbians are decades ahead of the rest of us with this stuff. "toys in babeland," a new york city shop, was (i think) developed by and for lesbians, but have developed what is probably the most accessible collection of heterosexual "aids" i've ever seen. and of course, plenty of "individual" stuff. (heeeee!) they have very unsleazy instructions and tips on the site! about the female orgasm! about the M-word! and it's not porn! (i still wouldn't open it at work, though.)

the women's sexual enlightenment movement is looking very promising. in the last few years, "Sex and the City" has made "the rabbit" a household name. women-only sex shops are having grand opening galas with well-dressed, well-scrubbed twenty- and thirty-something clientelle munching on canapes and discussing the latest dual-function intimate electronics. we're definitely on the right track. sex is no longer a dirty, shameful, sleazy, back-room, male endeavor. and it's totally cool to talk about sex with your friends.

and hearing the NPR correspondent talk about vibrators? EXCELLENT.