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Good Vibrations (business)
Encyclopedia
Good Vibrations is a sex toy
business based in San Francisco
. It operates five retail stores (four in in the San Francisco Bay Area
, and one in Brookline, MA); a mail-order business; an e-commerce website; a wholesale arm; and an erotic-video production company, Good Releasing. Formerly, it also operated three publishing companies: Down There Press, Passion Press and Sexpositive Productions. The company's corporate name was "Open Enterprises, Inc.," but it was acquired by Barnaby, Ltd. in 2009.
as "the second such women-oriented sex toy shop in the country," (the first having been Eve's Garden in New York City
). Initially established with the goal of being a sex-positive
and woman-centered alternative to the 'adult' bookstores of the time, Good Vibrations offered sex information and education, featured erotica and books about sexual health and pleasure, and pioneered the concept of the "sex-positive, clean, well-lighted place" to buy sex toys. A notable part of the store was the display of antique vibrators, which were initially developed as a treatment for "female hysteria
." This became a tourist draw known as "the antique vibrator museum," which was listed by Frommer's
in the category "Best Free Things to Do in San Francisco."
The business grew beyond books to encompass products such as sex toys and erotic videos. Good Vibrations began to offer seminars and workshops on sex and sexual health. Many notable persons have been employed by Good Vibrations, including sex educators Susie Bright
, author and sexologist Carol Queen
, and founders of other sex-positive businesses.
In 1992, Blank sold Good Vibrations to the workers (including herself) incorporating it as a worker cooperative
. In 1994, Blank left the company to pursue other interests.
In 1995, Good Vibrations declared May to be National Masturbation Month, to raise awareness of masturbation and sexual health across the country and in response to the firing of then-Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders for saying that “[masturbation] is part of human sexuality, and perhaps it should be taught."
In 1998 it launched the Masturbate-a-thon
as part of National Masturbation Month; this strategy to get people to discuss masturbation by getting pledges from their friends later inspired a live event developed by the Center for Sex and Culture.
The cooperative voted to become a California corporation and did so in February 2006. In 2007, the company was sold to GVA-TWN and was later acquired by Barnaby Ltd.
In 2006, Good Vibrations opened a store in Brookline, Massachusetts, its first location outside of the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2010, they opened their fifth location, a larger 3000 square feet (278.7 m²) store on Mission Street in San Francisco, across the street from Bloomingdales. The formal grand opening celebration was pushed to 29 January 2011.
The company is a notable sponsor of LGBT events and organizations, groups that support sexual health, and other charities, most recently via its GiVe donations program. The company is a leading employer of transgender people. The founders of Grand Opening! in Boston and Babeland
interned at Good Vibrations before opening their businesses and many sex-positive retail toy companies have been inspired by Good Vibrations. The company has also influenced the sex toy and adult movie industries to create and market new products that reflected changes in the demographics of consumers.
As part of their recognition as a leader in sex-positive culture and education, the company received a Certificate of Honor from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (2003), a Certificate of Recognition from the California Legislature Assembly (2004), and a Certificate of Recognition from the California Legislature (2006). The company has also received widespread recognition from the adult entertainment industry, including an O Award for Outstanding Online Retailer 2009 at the Adult Entertainment Expo
, Best Sexuality Retail Chain 2011 from AVN
, and Boutique Retailer of the Year 2011 from XBIZ
.
Several Good Releasing films have been nominated for or have received awards:
2010 Feminist Porn Awards
2010 AVN nominations
2009 Feminist Porn Awards
Sex toy
A sex toy is an object or device that is primarily used to facilitate human sexual pleasure. The most popular sex toys are designed to resemble human genitals and may be vibrating or non-vibrating...
business based in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. It operates five retail stores (four in in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, and one in Brookline, MA); a mail-order business; an e-commerce website; a wholesale arm; and an erotic-video production company, Good Releasing. Formerly, it also operated three publishing companies: Down There Press, Passion Press and Sexpositive Productions. The company's corporate name was "Open Enterprises, Inc.," but it was acquired by Barnaby, Ltd. in 2009.
History
Good Vibrations was founded in 1977 by sex therapist and educator Joani BlankJoani Blank
Joani Blank is an entrepreneur, editor, writer, videographer, educator, cohousing enthusiast and adviser, philanthropist and inventor in the field of sexuality....
as "the second such women-oriented sex toy shop in the country," (the first having been Eve's Garden in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
). Initially established with the goal of being a sex-positive
Sex-positive
The sex-positive movement is an ideology which promotes and embraces open sexuality with few limits. Sex positivity is "an attitude towards human sexuality that regards all consensual sexual activities as fundamentally healthy and pleasurable, and encourages sexual pleasure and experimentation...
and woman-centered alternative to the 'adult' bookstores of the time, Good Vibrations offered sex information and education, featured erotica and books about sexual health and pleasure, and pioneered the concept of the "sex-positive, clean, well-lighted place" to buy sex toys. A notable part of the store was the display of antique vibrators, which were initially developed as a treatment for "female hysteria
Female hysteria
Female hysteria was a once-common medical diagnosis, made exclusively in women, which is today no longer recognized by modern medical authorities as a medical disorder. Its diagnosis and treatment were routine for many hundreds of years in Western Europe. Hysteria was widely discussed in the...
." This became a tourist draw known as "the antique vibrator museum," which was listed by Frommer's
Frommer's
Frommer's is a travel guidebook series and one of the bestselling travel guides in America. The series began in 1957 with the publication of Arthur Frommer's book, Europe on $5 a Day. Frommer's has expanded to include over 350 guidebooks across 14 series, as well as other media including the award...
in the category "Best Free Things to Do in San Francisco."
The business grew beyond books to encompass products such as sex toys and erotic videos. Good Vibrations began to offer seminars and workshops on sex and sexual health. Many notable persons have been employed by Good Vibrations, including sex educators Susie Bright
Susie Bright
Susannah "Susie" Bright is an American writer, speaker, teacher, audio-show host, and performer, all on the subject of sexuality....
, author and sexologist Carol Queen
Carol Queen
Carol Queen is an American author, editor, sociologist and sexologist active in the sex-positive feminism movement. Queen has written on human sexuality in books such as Real Live Nude Girl: Chronicles of Sex-Positive Culture...
, and founders of other sex-positive businesses.
In 1992, Blank sold Good Vibrations to the workers (including herself) incorporating it as a worker cooperative
Worker cooperative
A worker cooperative is a cooperative owned and democratically managed by its worker-owners. This control may be exercised in a number of ways. A cooperative enterprise may mean a firm where every worker-owner participates in decision making in a democratic fashion, or it may refer to one in which...
. In 1994, Blank left the company to pursue other interests.
In 1995, Good Vibrations declared May to be National Masturbation Month, to raise awareness of masturbation and sexual health across the country and in response to the firing of then-Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders for saying that “[masturbation] is part of human sexuality, and perhaps it should be taught."
In 1998 it launched the Masturbate-a-thon
Masturbate-a-thon
The Masturbate-a-thon is an event in which participants masturbate in order to raise money for charity and increase the public awareness and dispel the shame and taboos that exist about this form of sexual activity...
as part of National Masturbation Month; this strategy to get people to discuss masturbation by getting pledges from their friends later inspired a live event developed by the Center for Sex and Culture.
The cooperative voted to become a California corporation and did so in February 2006. In 2007, the company was sold to GVA-TWN and was later acquired by Barnaby Ltd.
In 2006, Good Vibrations opened a store in Brookline, Massachusetts, its first location outside of the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2010, they opened their fifth location, a larger 3000 square feet (278.7 m²) store on Mission Street in San Francisco, across the street from Bloomingdales. The formal grand opening celebration was pushed to 29 January 2011.
The company is a notable sponsor of LGBT events and organizations, groups that support sexual health, and other charities, most recently via its GiVe donations program. The company is a leading employer of transgender people. The founders of Grand Opening! in Boston and Babeland
Babeland
Babeland, formerly known as Toys in Babeland, is a women-owned sex toy boutique offering erotic toys, books and pornographic films. Babeland has an online store and four retail stores .-History:...
interned at Good Vibrations before opening their businesses and many sex-positive retail toy companies have been inspired by Good Vibrations. The company has also influenced the sex toy and adult movie industries to create and market new products that reflected changes in the demographics of consumers.
As part of their recognition as a leader in sex-positive culture and education, the company received a Certificate of Honor from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (2003), a Certificate of Recognition from the California Legislature Assembly (2004), and a Certificate of Recognition from the California Legislature (2006). The company has also received widespread recognition from the adult entertainment industry, including an O Award for Outstanding Online Retailer 2009 at the Adult Entertainment Expo
AVN Adult Entertainment Expo
The AVN Adult Entertainment Expo is a trade show held each January in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is sponsored by the Adult Video News Magazine . The 2010 AVN Awards show was held during the Expo at the nearby Palms Casino Resort. The AEE is the largest pornography industry trade show in the United...
, Best Sexuality Retail Chain 2011 from AVN
AVN (magazine)
Adult Video News is an American trade journal that covers the adult video industry. The New York Times notes that AVN is to pornographic films what Billboard is to records...
, and Boutique Retailer of the Year 2011 from XBIZ
XBIZ
XBIZ is an American publisher of business news and business information for the adult entertainment industry.In addition to its flagship website, XBIZ publishes two monthly trade magazines, hosts winter and summer exhibition & industry conferences, and facilitates networking among adult online...
.
Good Releasing
Good Releasing offers various lines of adult titles and educational films- Reel Queer Productions ("Documenting authentic, edgy, queer sex and culture with relevant, intelligent films inclusive of the many sexualities that identify as queer")
- HeartCore Films ("Offering artistic alternatives to formulaic features with films by independent artists with fresh, diverse content")
- PleasureEd Series ("a wide range of informational and instructional content to inspire and enhance your sex life")
Several Good Releasing films have been nominated for or have received awards:
2010 Feminist Porn Awards
- Fluid: Men Redefining Sexuality (Best Bi Movie)
- Dangerous Curves (Most Deliciously Diverse Cast )
- Speakeasy (Most Tantalizing Trans Film)
2010 AVN nominations
- Best New Production Company
- Roulette (Best Music Soundtrack)
- Speakeasy (Best Music Soundtrack)
2009 Feminist Porn Awards
- Roulette (Most Deliciously Diverse Cast)