Orgasm Inc.

Orgasm Inc. is a terrifying look into the sex industry. And not the sex industry you might think. The documentary doesn't deal in porn or prostitution, but in pharmaceuticals.

Filmmaker Liz Canner takes a critical, behind-the-scenes look into the race to develop an FDA-approved female Viagra. This may seem like a valid pursuit, but what Canner discovers is a pursuit of money, despite the consequences for women's health.

The film delves into the creation Female Sexual Dysfunction, the disease the drug companies are attempting to treat, but can for some reason not define. Canner points out the ridiculousness of the treatments developed: from a testosterone patch, to a pill, to even a spinal implant, none of the treatments seem to work any better than a placebo. But, due to cash incentives, doctors push these treatments on patients who don't really need them.

The film mixes humor into an arena that could have otherwise been grim, lightening it up and making it easier to swallow. Ultimately, what Canner advocates is not any one pharmaceutical treatment, but a change in perceptions on the sexual expectations of women. She places importance on education, therapy, and lessening the societal pressures that are causing women to seek these treatments, as well as genital cosmetic surgery.

Orgasm, Inc. is important not only in its exposure of the drug companies, but also in the way it subverts the mainstream overtures that are constantly telling women that there is something wrong with them if they can't orgasm on cue.

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