Every January the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo transforms the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas into what is arguably the world’s largest adult playground. The AVN Expo-one of many such trade shows that take place each year-is a microcosm of the sex industry and thus offers a revealing sociological window into the marketing, mainstreaming, and gender dynamics of sex in American society.
about the author
Lynn Comella is in the women's studies department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is completing a book on the history and retail culture of women-owned and -operated sex toy stores in the United States.
Culture Review
It's Sexy. It's Big Business. And It's Not Just For Men.
About Contexts
Contexts is a quarterly magazine that makes sociology interesting and relevant to anyone interested in how society operates.
It is a publication of the American Sociological Association, edited by Jodi O’Brien (Seattle University) and Arlene Stein (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey).
read contexts about contexts subscribe submissions media
All Rights Reserved
© 2012 American Sociological Association
