March is Women’s History Month (or, as I prefer to think of it, Women’s History Eternity). In honor of that, let’s continue with the history theme I started in my last entry, but now with a bit of etymology. That would be the study of word origins. YES! Words are so sexy, aren’t they? There’s nothin’ like a word-a-day calendar or style manual to get my heart pitter-pattin’, I’ll tell ya. I’m not a size queen in the traditional sense as much as a vocabulary size queen. If you can define a few, say, eight-syllable words or hold any spelling bee championship titles, I’m all yours.

Did you know that the word “pussy” (when used in reference to vulva, not as a synonym for kittycat) has origins in the Old Norse word “puss,” meaning pocket or pouch? “Pocket” is a great nickname for vulva (and now the popular vibe Pocket Rocket takes on an explosive new spin), though the best I may have ever heard was when a friend of mine called hers a “mitten.”

Another name for vulva that I’ve been curious about is the word “poontang.” Where the heck did it come from? Come on, take a guess. Was it a flavor of an ancient powdered beverage? A kind of boot? Alas, since there are a number of different schools of thought on the origin of this word, from French to Chinese to American Indian (and isn’t it great that there are so many people out there researching vulva nicknames?), there’s no definitive answer.

Now, I can’t end this without mentioning what is to some the most taboo word for vulva, a word that elicits very powerful reactions in many. I think it’s a shame that the word “cunt” has taken on such a negative tone over time, as it was not originally intended to be derogatory. “Cunt” has roots in Old Norse, Middle Low German and Middle Dutch words for “hollow place” or “sheath.” It’s really my favorite word for vulva. It’s visceral but simple; not immature-sounding like “pussy” or violent-sounding like “snatch.” And don’t even get me started on “vagina,” which is often used synonymously with vulva, though it actually just refers to one part of it (the canal only) and doesn’t include the labia or the clit. I love introducing the idea of reclaiming Cunt as a positive word. Maybe soon I can change the name of this to the Cunt Blog, and everyone will know it’s a good thing.

For lots more info on the history of the word “cunt” and how to reclaim it, do read the book Cunt by Inga Muscio.

Some folks are history buffs. Take American history, for example: there are people who can tell you every date of every Civil War battle as though they were there (and some sorta are, in those re-enactment clubs), or recount the invention of the cotton gin so you’d swear you were talking to Eli Whitney himself.

I try to stay tuned into history—you know, if you don’t learn it you’re doomed to repeat it and all of that—and I had a pretty cool teacher in high school (hi Mr. Chank!), but there’s a more specific type of history I prefer to nerd out on.
Porn history.
Don’t scoff—adult films have been around since the dawn of time, or at least since the Lumiere brothers started making flicks (of naked people, natch) in the 1890’s. The stag films of the twenties begat the adult film houses of the fifties and sixties, and boom— before you can say “Jenna Jameson” along came the VCR, revolutionizing porn for both remote control-wielding viewers and the residents of Simi Valley, California (now known as “silicone valley” —not to be confused with “silicon valley”, the dot-com kingdom, though I’m sure you wouldn’t have much trouble telling them apart).
See? There’s a lot to learn. And who said learning wasn’t sexy?
Homework: check out The Ultimate Guide to Adult Video to increase your porn-nerdiness, or take a peek at some of today’s award-winning adult videos.

So it’s still illegal to sell sex toys in Alabama.

The US Supreme Court recently rejected a constitutional challenge to an Alabama law that offers up to a $10,000 fine or as long as a year in jail to sellers of “any device designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs.”

Yeah, it mean that retailers who want nothing more than to help folks get off in the privacy of their own homes, would be common criminals for selling vibrators to get the job done. My heart goes out to you Alabama gals, but there is one little bright side. Because of the way the law is worded, both the Hitachi Magic Wand and the Wahl 7-in-1, two of Babeland’s most popular vibrators—two gloriously strong, tireless plug-ins to whom many owe their first and/or most powerful orgasms—can be sold legally. That’s right, even though they’ve been co-opted as sex toys, the Magic Wand and the Wahl were designed originally to be muscle massagers, not human genital organ stimulators.

So go go for it Alabamians—until we can turn this law on its butt, it’s OK to open a store stocked full of Wands and Wahls (and maybe an electric toothbrush or vibrating hairbrush or two, and don’t forget a good selection of root veggies)! Or use your imagination and make the first house-hold object you see into something to get off with (I’d recommend putting a condom on that candlestick or Pez dispenser first, though).

Are you an Alabama dweller who’s not into plug-in vibes or DIY sex toys? Never fear: Babeland.com is here for you!

Read more about the ruling.