The Erotic Museum has been home in Hollywood for eight months now. Behind the museum’s velvet curtains is an oasis of sexually charged pictures and films – reminders of how each decade has delved into sexuality, further changing society’s sexual views one milestone at a time.
The Century of Sex timeline, housed within the Natural History Gallery, chronicles sexual awakenings within the last 100 years, beginning with the end of the Victoria era and covering everything from sexual innocence to the sexually forbidden. The ’50s gave us Playboy, the ’60s made nudism fashionable and the ’70s made pornography acceptable as a visual party for sustaining the mind. Get ready to appreciate porn star Long Dong Silver displaying his 22-inch in a knot!
Behind the timeline is the Projection Room that screens educational sex films once shown to psychology students to help them gain a deeper understanding of sexual intimacy. Next to the screening room is the Erotic Hall of Fame with paintings of sexual pioneers such as Mae West, Dr. Ruth, soon-to-be-inducted entertainer Josephine Baker and Mr. First Amendment himself, Hustler publisher Larry Flynt.
On the second floor of the museum, a dedication to the Playboy era displays a vintage Playboy bunny suit and Hugh Hefner’s plush slippers and bathrobe. As you continue up the hardwood staircase, the spacious room is divided into numerous exhibits – each one racier than the next.
Inside the Sex and the Muse exhibit, a selected choice of groundbreaking work by the late homoeroticist Tom of Finland (Touko Laaksonen) depicts proud images of gay men. As you meander further, sex becomes an art form on a whole new level. You’ll come upon Kiera Dooley’s pink, decorated unicycle named "Sideshow Sally," and San Francisco-based Jason Mecier’s depiction of exercise guru Richard Simmons (made entirely of snack food, Vaseline and a turkey baster, among other things).
Visitors are even given the opportunity to feel some naughty merchandise in the Toy Box, a glass-encased box filled with sexual paraphernalia such as dildos, fake vaginas, penises and other prosthetics. Just stick those mischievous hands inside the white rubber gloves and touch your way to arousal.
Moving on, the Sex and Technology exhibit depicts the way in which technology has affected human sexuality. Here, you’ll find molds of penises of every size – including the infamous porn star John Holmes – whose member was a reported 14 inches long.
Australian artist Ian Haig’s collection of everyday appliances that can be used as sexual toys will leave you in awe – you surely don’t want to miss seeing the curling iron-vibrator tool. And whatever you do, don’t call the towering mannequins "sex dolls," the correct terminology being "sexual surrogates." You’ll see a few of them hanging around, displaying their human-like anatomy.
A long line of vibrators is on display, from those that resemble eggbeaters to those that are slim and sophisticated. Initially, vibrators were invented to alleviate "female hysteria," but the earlier models were way too powerful to combat the problem (thank god for "The Rabbit" a la "Sex and the City").
After leaving The Erotic Museum, you will definitely have something to talk about with your friends. Think of the museum as a great first date – it’s the innocence that lures you in, but it’s the forbidden pleasure that makes you return.
The Erotic Museum is open Sun.-Thurs. noon-9 p.m. and Fri.-Sat. noon-midnight. For more information, visit www.theeroticmuseum.com. Price: $12.95 general admission, $9.95 students with valid ID. You must be 18 or older to be
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