As we flew into the Minneapolis airport I was simply beside myself. Strange as it sounds, I had dreamed of this moment all my life. Staring out the window, I imagined that in moments, I would saunter out of the airport and be led to a swanky, purple limousine. After that I would be whisked off to the Paisley Park studios: home to my beloved Prince. Of course, he would be waiting (sans shirt) at his piano strumming out a tune, just for me…. Obviously, it took me a little while to deal with the fact that there was no purple limousine waiting (instead, a stinky cab with a hippy driver who thought Prince was "kind of silly" - the horror!). It also took me a moment to accept that there would be no visit to Paisley Park studios in this trip (apparently it's about an hour from downtown Minneapolis).

There was, however, Bob McCoy and his Museum Of Questionable Medical Devices.

Home to over 300 unusual and sometimes awful devices, the museum is America's largest display of medical 'quackery'. Not surprisingly, the museum boasts a large number of sexually-related devices that have been created throughout the years. As I entered the museum to meet Bob, I still had visions of Prince dancing in my head. However, as I began the tour - Bob quickly gained my full attention.

The most shocking items were found in the "Radium" section of the museum. I was introduced to a myriad of radium-filled potions and devices, many of which were intended to 'improve manhood'. Unfortunately, it took a man losing his upper and lower jaw using one of these ingestible products for people to begin recognizing the damaging effects of radium. It definitely makes you wonder what we may be buying into today that will one day be banned from the market (ahem…cell phones….)

Although Bob resembles W.C. Fields a little more closely than he does Prince - I still felt that through Bob, I got just a little bit closer to my beloved. In fact, the next time I visit Minneapolis - I think I will meet Prince at the museum instead of Paisley Park.

Screw the piano - I'll strap him into the Phrenology Machine and make him sing.

Cynthia Loyst
Segment Producer, SEXTV