Viagra was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for ED (erectile dysfunction) on this date in 1998, and the world of interpersonal relationships would never be the same again. To celebrate Pfizer’s wunderkind officially entering its teenage years, let’s review in words and pictures the titillating tale of the “Little Blue Pill”.

Hard Times Are Here Again!

(images via: Covertress and Jack’s Blog)

You won’t ever hear the tag line “I was a teenaged treatment for impotence,” but on March 27, 2011, that’s exactly what Viagra became. That Pfizer’s massively successful male libido (among other things) booster is now officially an all-sexed-up-and-no-place-to-go adolescent is mildly amusing at best, somewhat ironic to say the least. Has it really been 13 whole years since the FDA officially gave new hope to ED sufferers who’ve tried everything from eye of newt to penile implants in a never-ending effort to make a stand?

(images via: eCampus, Doctor Healthy and Change.org)

Viagra, or Sildenafil Citrate if we use the chemical name for the compound, was first synthesized in the early 1990s by a team of pharmaceutical chemists working for Pfizer Incorporated at a facility in Sandwich, Kent, UK. Though the team was testing a variety of different formulations intended to relieve Hypertension and ease symptoms of Angina Pectoris, early clinical trials soon revealed an unintended side effect: male participants were subject to pronounced, long-lasting erections.

(image via: Viagra FAQ)

Pfizer immediately grasped the possibilities Sildenafil offered and switched the focus of the compound from high blood pressure to the relief of ED (erectile dysfunction). Subsequent events proceeded with great speed: a patent was granted in 1996 and the FDA approved Viagra’s use in the treatment of ED on March 27 of 1998.

Sex Sells

(images via: Flow TV, Stuff God Hates and Fun Foll)

Within months, Viagra became available in the United States. Marketing of the so-called “miracle drug” was both novel and unusual: Viagra was (and still is) only available via a doctor’s prescription but Pfizer publicized it through a memorable TV ad campaign featuring notable celebrities such as Brazilian soccer legend Pele and former U.S. Senator Bob Dole. Doctors were writing prescriptions seemingly by request; it was even possible to order the drug over the internet simply by filling out a short online consultation.

(images via: Bizaims, Buzzle, Accessrx and Paper Chipmunk)

Between Pfizer’s ad campaign, frank discussions in the media, jokes aplenty from late night talk show hosts and grassroots word-of-mouth, Viagra’s sales zoomed skywards like, er, the private parts of its growing legion of users. After just three years in the marketplace, Pfizer had raked in over $1 billion worth of sales. Indeed, the “Little Blue Pill” arrived with a bang and the banging just goes on and on – with no signs of it petering out.

(images via: NRC Handelsblad, Stuff God Hates and Planet Lynx)

Viagra has even been employed to stiffen our resolve in the War On Terror. It seems that in December of 2008, rumors began making the rounds to the effect that the CIA had been supplying Viagra to older Afghan tribal chieftains. What they received in exchange was “a bonanza of information about Taliban movements and supply routes.” Harem scarem indeed!

Singin’ The Blues

(image via: William Rabbe)

Yet not all was bright and rosy in the new, non-dysfunctional world Viagra has given us. In fact, there are several parties worried about the ways society has changed due to the Little Blue Pill. Criticism began as soon as ads for Viagra began flashing across our TV screens. Bob Dole, for example, was criticized for lending his name and reputation to topics that made some folks squeamish.

Here’s a commercial featuring Bob Dole in which he credits “my faithful little blue friend” for restoring his enjoyment of life… it’s not quite what you were thinking:

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Dole aside, just the fact that commercials mentioning ED, erections and associated issues were playing in prime time sparked a backlash among pro-family organizations and advertising watchdog groups.

(images via: OddJack, How Stuff Works, PharmaGossip and One Man’s Blog)

Of course, television commercials aren’t the only way sponsors can get their message onto your TV screen. Next time you watch a sports event, don’t be too surprised if six blue letters beginning with V appear on a baseball backstop, the boards at an NHL hockey game or splashed across the side of a NASCAR racer. Even though MLB ended their sponsorship with Viagra in 2007 due to changes in pharma TV guidelines, stadium and arena owners presumably are free to accept paid advertising from anyone who’s willing to pay for it.

(image via: Asia Blog)

Associating one’s product with sports is one way to impart a sense of power and virility. Another way is to simply whip up the most powerful ad EVAR (above), as ad agency Dentsu did for Viagra in China. Yes, China, an overpopulated country of over a billion people that has instituted a one-child policy to put a lid on new kids. Go figure.

(images via: Automopedia and Cheezburger.com)

Complaints about marketing are one thing, problems with Viagra itself are another and it didn’t take long before the mainstream media was playing quite a different tune: the blues, to be exact. A few high-profile cases highlighted side effects and contraindications noted by Pfizer in Viagra’s clinical trials. One of the oddest of these was Cyanopsia – a medical term that describes seeing everything tinged with a blue tint. Other vision issues include photophobia (excessive sensitivity to light), impaired vision, blurred vision and loss of peripheral vision. Viagra and its competitors, including Cialis and Levitra, may induce the expression of other unwanted effects that may include headaches, sudden hearing loss and a range of heart-related problems.

Thrill Pills For Bills… and Jills

(images via: Drugstore 1st, Buy Viagra and Answers.com)

Viagra’s superlative success and cheeky ads have been admired by competitors both legitimate and otherwise – if one follows the old maxim “imitation is the greatest form of flattery.” Consider that sales of Viagra accounted for a whopping 92 percent share of the total market for prescribed erectile dysfunction pills. All good things must come to an end, however, and by 2007 Viagra’s global share of the ED-treatment market had deflated to around 50 percent. Still, that’s still a hefty slice of a huge “pie”.

(image via: Natural Viagra)

Viagra has dominated the ED-treatment market to the point where its brand name is becoming a descriptive term: generic Viagra, herbal Viagra, natural Viagra and more. Email spammers found Vitamin V to be a lucrative lure for lovelorn ‘net lurkers who just can’t help clicking that link.

(images via: Andelino’s Weblog, Zelda Lily and TIME)

Huge market notwithstanding, Pfizer’s finest finds its foremost friends in just 50 percent of the population. Could there be a counterpart to Viagra that fans the fires of the fairer sex? A “Female Viagra”, as it were? A quick Google search turns up abundant references to Little Pink Pills, many of them sporting the same rounded diamond shape as its original inspiration though a few go for the more obvious heart shape.

(images via: Wiley Online Library, The Front Loader, DiBo Bio Health and The Inspiration Room)

Pfizer itself hasn’t been asleep at the switch when it comes to Female Viagra. A study published in the April 13, 2010 issue of the British Journal of Pharmacology describes “UK-414,495, a selective inhibitor of neutral endopeptidase, potentiates pelvic nerve-stimulated increases in female genital blood flow in the anaesthetized rabbit.” Yes, rabbit – being a Pfizer pharmacologist isn’t as much fun as one might think. Is an actual Female Viagra on the horizon? Pfizer isn’t saying… and neither are those rabbits.

Birthday Blowout

(images via: Ads of the World and Cake Central)

Pfizer has always taken Viagra’s humorous aspects in stride, which is perhaps easy to do since the revenues keep pouring into the company’s coffers. The item above makes a great way to close our look at the pill that brings America’s sweethearts back together: it’s a Viagra-themed party blower. Pfizer commissioned Canadian advertising agency Taxi to design the blowers, which were given out to internal sales teams in honor of Viagra’s 11th birthday. Why a party blower? Well, you blow into it, it unrolls… and you get the picture. Happy Birthday, Viagra, and here’s hoping all your good times will be hard times!

Neckties… every guy’s got at least one, few guys enjoy wearing them. As an essential fashion accessory for business and formal occasions yet with no real function of their own, the necktie is the bane of many a working stiff. Nice to know that efforts are being made to add function – not to mention fun – to the natty noose worn every which way but loose.

Croatia’s Gift to the Working World

(images via: Answers.com and It Should Have Been A Hit)

A little background before we begin. The modern necktie isn’t really all that modern: we owes it all to Croatian mercenary soldiers who fought for France 350 years ago in the mid-17th century. When King Louis XIV reviewed his troops, the knotted silk neckerchiefs worn by the Croats caught his eye and before long he was wearing them himself. Naturally the King’s followers followed suit and added to their suits, a “cravat“. About that… Croats call their land Hrvatska and themselves, Hrvati. The French word for necktie is “cravat” and you can connect the dots on your own. So, before you blame the Croats for choking you every working day, be glad Louis didn’t hire Greek mercenaries instead – we’d all be wearing big fluffy balls on our shoes.

You Have Cake on Your Necktie

(images via: Coolest Birthday Cakes, That Sweet Bakeshop, Crafty Crafty and Parents Connect)

The fad for neckties soon spread throughout France but silk was expensive and the lower classes often had to do without. When advised of the peasants’ plight in 1789, the Empress Marie Antoinette was reported to have said, “Let them eat cake”… and the Necktie Cake was born! OK, that’s totally bogus but there ARE necktie cakes – and can you think of a better explanation for them?

Fashion is the Key

(images via: Mr. G33K)

Neckties have some association with nerdiness so it’s no surprise that there are more geeky ties around than you can shake your Wii-mote at. Some of the geekiest come from – no surprise – Mr. G33K. In addition to the klassy keyboard microfiber tie above, Mr. G33K offers ties in PI To The 50th Decimal, Power On Button, Robots and Linux’s iconic penguin… which would go great with a tux.

Tied, Neck & Neck

(images via: Technabob)

Success in the conference room or on the computer screen is the goal of any competitive guy, even when the game is as easy as Pong. Take a trip back to those glorious 8-bit days with the above selection of gaming ties. Space Invaders, Asteroids, Tetris and Pong were arcade fliers back in the day but even if you’re into Arcade Fire these retro threads will keep you looking cool.

Fashion’s Jagged Edge

(images via: Thinkgeek)

Think your office attire isn’t quite edgy enough? Thinkgeek has something for that – the 8-bit necktie. It’s one step beyond neckties that only display 8-bit motifs; the tie ITSELF is rendered in the classic, pixilated 8-bit style last seen on your Atari 2600 before you spilled that can of Pepsi on it. Don’t know how to tie a tie? No problemo – the 8-bit tie is a clip-on (classy, indeed) which expands its versatility to almost any wardrobe item. Even t-shirts.

USB Cooler Necktie is Uncool

(images via: Thanko and InventorSpot)

This well-intentioned attempt to add functionality to the necktie has an unexpected downside: it subtracts the sartorial style and elegance that is the main reason for wearing a necktie in the first place. At least the wearer won’t get hot under the collar when his boss gives him the evil eye and his co-workers whisper and point behind – and in front of – his back… that’s because the USB Cooler Necktie from Japan’s Thanko has a built-in fan powered by a computer’s USB port. After a day wearing this thing to the office, it’s the only fan he’ll have left.

Photovoltaic Phashion

(images via: JTATM)

Here’s another stab at necktie functionality that’s less likely to get the wearer stabbed. Tasered, maybe, since wearing the Solar Powered Necktie to any airport will have the TSA on your case faster than if you had a wick sticking out of your shoe. The solar-powered tie (and an even worse looking sport jacket) were crafted by researchers at Iowa State University who were evidently bored with dreaming up new uses for corn. Since their stated goal is to invent a fabric that integrates photovoltaic (light-converting) thin film cells in an “aesthetic” manner, one can at least that they have a ways to go yet. One final note – the tie has a pouch in back that cleverly holds a cellphone, a MP3 player or a small IED.

88 Fingers Louie’s Necktie

(images via: Patrick Moberg and Retro Rockstar)

If you’re the type who needs 88 fingers (not including your own) to tie a tie, then the classic Piano Key necktie is just what you need. It’s not any easier to tie than a regular necktie but once you DO get it right, it plays very well. Many have claimed to be the originator of the Piano Key necktie, most notably crazy-pill-popping fashion designer/megalomaniac Mugatu, but let’s just be glad they did. And make sure you tuck your tie out of the way before you tinkle the ivories.

Guitar Hero Tie

(images via: Technabob and Toddslater.net)

Staying within the musical vein, neckties and rock stars haven’t been seen in the same room since Elvis Costello put out This Year’s Model but that’s about to change thanks to the Guitar Hero Necktie. Though not connected in any way with the astoundingly successful GH franchise, the Guitar Hero necktie walks the walk but doesn’t talk the talk – if you want sound, you’ll either have to hum along or use your free hand to play Hawaiian nose guitar. True GH fans can wear it along with the Guitar Hero Scarf to show their love.

The Naboo Blueprint Black Necktie

(images via: ABC Neckties)

Star Wars ties are a dime a dozen but this one stands out: the Naboo Blueprint black necktie. The pattern is subtle from a distance and even up close isn’t obviously a Star Wars reference. True fans and hardcore geeks, on the other hand, will be VERY impressed. If geek love’s what you’re after, the Naboo Blueprint necktie will bring ’em in faster than Boba Fett.

Tieing Up the Circuits

(images via: Mark Pascua and Enlightened)

Techies aren’t known for wearing ties but when the occasions presents itself, well, so do they. An ideal choice would be the Power Tie, a printed patterned circuit board necktie that comes in3 different fabric colors with 5 embedded flashing LEDs to match. The tie is a neckband style – sort of halfway between a normal knotted necktie and the dreaded clip-on. The manufacturer also makes flashing LED bow ties, just in case wearing a circuit board necktie doesn’t feel quite ridiculous enough.

Armed, Dangerous & Nicely Dressed

(images via: ThisNext and Cyberoptix)

The cleverly named Aw Shoot necktie lets you pack heat, look cool and show your happiness in the form of a warm gun. The distributor, Cyberoptix, offers this NRA-pleasing necktie in your choice of silk or slightly less expensive microfiber with a number of color combinations for each. Shipping options include delivery in a wood box… are they trying to tell us something?

Old Neckties Never Die

(images via: Narwhal Co.)

Love ’em or hate ’em, neckties look to remain a vital component of male (and occasionally female) wardrobes for the foreseeable future. That begs the question: what happens to worn out, unfashionable and/or discarded neckties? At Narwhal Co., previously enjoyed neckties are reborn as wallets, iPod & iPhone covers, even curious “wrist wear” secured with a pearly button off an old cowboy shirt. Some of the patterns may seem somewhat old fashioned but what do you expect – they’re made from old fashions. Narwhal has a good thing going here, plus by recycling all those awful ties received by past generations as Father’s Day gifts they’re keeping the nation’s landfills from bursting at the seams.

Knock it if you must; knot if if you can – the noble necktie will be restricting our airflows for some time yet. Look at the competition: bow ties, bolo ties, ascots? The choice is clear: good bad or ugly, there’s no noose like good noose!