Wikipedia, Why Do You Try To Hurt Me So?!
Et Tu Wikipedia? Does everything relating to female orgasm have to somewhere, somehow insinuate that women need to stick things up their vaginas in order to come? There are 2 photographs in the Wikipedia entry for "masturbation" showing females masturbating. One is a vulva with a realistically shaped dildo pressing against the vulva/clitoral area, labeled "masturbating with dildo." The other is a woman with 2 fingers stuck inside her vagina, labeled "Masturbating with fingers."
Neither depict the most common ways women masturbate (over 90% according to the 1976 Hite Report, and you can also check what The-Clitoris.com has to say about how women masturbate), which is by rubbing their vulva/clitoral area against hands/fingers. The picture with the dildo shows the dildo rubbing against the clit/vulva area instead of showing it inside the vagina, which I appreciate, but it's still a dildo, and dildos have a way of bringing to mind some ol' in and out action like a penis would do. If Wikipedia wanted to picture a common way women masturbate with toys, I would prefer that they showed a vibrator pressed against against the vulva - and specifically labelled it as a vibrator not a dildo. The other picture, labeled "Masturbating with fingers" is most annoying, because for the vast majority of women, masturbating with fingers means the fingers are pressed against the clit/vulva not stuck in the vagina.
I am worked up about this not because I think there is only one right way to masturbate, or because women never stick things in their vaginas during masturbation. I am worked up because females masturbation is already overwhelmingly depicted unrealistically in our culture. Women should be able to at least go to an informative place like Wikipedia and get information that reflects the reality of the vast majority of female masturbation.
Yes, there probably are some women out there who just stick their fingers up their vag to masturbate. I don't know any of them, and the Hite report showed it's only about 1% of masturbaters. Plus, according to the Hite Report, most women who do insert things into the vagina during masturbation, also stimulate their clit at the same time.
This is what I'm saying - Since women mostly orgasm from touching/stimulation their vulva/clit area, female masturbation should mostly be depicted and discussed in that way. Some men might masturbate by moving dildos or fingers in and out of their anus to stimulate their prostate, but masturbation for men is mostly depicted and discussed realistically with men rubbing their penises. Female orgasm and masturbation should get the same treatment. It might help end some of the confusion, fear, and outright ignorance that stops women from exploring their own orgasms.
p.s. I do love Wikipedia, and actually there was some good written information in the "masturbation article," but a picture is worth a thousand words. It might be the only thing people take from that page when they visit it, so I believe it's worth critiquing harshly...plus I love a good harsh criticism.