Pleasure & Pain

The post title sounds like a lead into something seriously kinky and sexual, but in fact it’s taken from a mainstream exhibition running at the Victoria & Albert Museum – ‘Shoes: Pleasure & Pain‘. There’s a good article on it over at the Guardian, which talks about the history of shoes, and how they’ve been intertwined with culture, fashion, sex and fetishism. This particularly bit made me smile…

For a few decades in the middle of the 17th century, there was a fashion for ladies’ indoor shoes to come attached to a flat panel, which joined the bottom of the high heel to the toe. Not only did this lift the wearer above imaginary dirt and clod-hopping Puritans, it also provided a satisfying sound as the shoe made contact with the floor. Soon that flat-footed slap, which could be heard several beats before the wearer entered the room, became the mark of real lady.

I don’t particularly fetishize footwear, but I can still appreciate the the click of a heel and the sound of a strutting boot on a hard floor. It’s a pretty effective mood setter, particularly when someone is tied down and can’t easily turn to see what’s happening. I often find myself smiling at the cliche of it, but enjoying it all the same.

BootsThis rather beautiful drawing is from the Croquis Nocturne tumblr. From the posts on the tumblr I’d guess that the artist is also the tumblr owner. Worth checking out if you appreciate this image.

Nantaimori

Here’s some sushi to finish our tasting menu of food related posts. I’ve seen plenty of articles about eating sushi off naked women, but never anything on using naked men. Apparently it does exist and even has its own name – Nantaimori. Never let it be said this blog isn’t educational.

The artwork below is by the artist Voloh. You can see more of his work at the Hentai Foundry (click through the warning splash screen).

Nantaimori by Voloh

Strawberries and bottoms

Strawberries and cream is a classic English summertime dessert. It’s most famously served at the Wimbledon tennis tournament, where they get through about 23 tons of the berries. However, even at their most hedonistic, I doubt that the All England Club has ever served its signature fruit quite like this.

I’m normally a fan of interesting predicament bondage combined with service scenarios. Yet somehow the idea of a butt plug based tray for serving fruit seems a little off. I’m sure it’s perfectly hygienic, and it’s not like providing food to people requires servers to leave their assholes at home. I just think the butt plugs and finger food are two things that could probably live happily apart. Call me old fashioned like that.

StrawberriesI’m afraid that despite my best research efforts, I’ve no idea where this shot is from.

Gingering it up

Continuing a food theme (sort of) I also liked this munchies article on figging. While I consider myself a bit of a kinky omnivore, I do have a problem with figging. I like in ginger in my food and in my drinks, but not so much up my butt. There’s nothing sexy about a dodgy curry (unless you’ve got a really specialized kink involving cheap larger and flock wallpaper) and that’s what figging always puts me in mind of. However, the article almost sells me on the idea of trying it again. Almost.

Ginger Plug
This image comes courtesy of Ms Natalie West’s twitter feed.

Kinky Cookery

Regular readers may be aware that three things I love are food, drink and kink. Typically it’s the first two that go naturally together, but I was very happy to stumble across a blog that combines the first with the last. It’s written by a Mistress Blunt who describes herself as ‘a photographer, a writer, a dominatrix and a hedonist, somewhere wherein lies my love for food.’ As you’d expect with those interests, the blog features some great kinky photographs and interesting recipes. You can also read an interview with her on the topic of food and kink at the munchies site.

Tossed SaladThe above image features Miss Marie Pearl and is taken from a post on a tossed salad recipe.

A chance to bare your (tiny) manhood

For the third year in succession the Smallest Penis in Brooklyn Pageant is running. So if you’re in the Brooklyn area, and packing a tiny penis in your pants, and you like the idea of flashing it in front of a bunch of judges, then go sign up. For those who simply like the idea of looking at a bunch of small dicks, then try CSPAN it’s at the Kings County Saloon on June 13th. I realize that this information is probably only useful to 0.1% of my readers, but small penis humiliation and CFNM is definitely a kink that’s out there, so I feel I’d be slacking in my job if I didn’t cover it.

SmallDick
I believe this illustration is by John Cuneo and was featured in this Esquire article.

Good doggies

Stories about people on leashes seem to have been popping up in my browser recently. First, there was this story about Britney Spears walking a guy on a leash during her stage show. Apparently she does it as part of every show, but this made the news because it was C list celeb rather a random member of the public. Pulling people out from the audience is nothing new for bands. U2 did a great job of incorporating it into their shows. Green Day used to get audience members to play with them. Sticking an audience member on a leash is a new one to me however.

The other story was about a couple kicked out of a mall because the woman was being walked on a leash. There was also a good follow-up article I spotted on them. Personally, while public play doesn’t do much for me, I like seeing people having fun and doing something different. Public spaces should be for everyone. I have to put up with bad fashion, crappy music and screaming kids in malls. The least other people can do is tolerate a happy looking couple with a leash.

PublicPlayThis is a striking trio, but I think even I’d draw the line at people shopping like this. I’m afraid I don’t have an original source for this image.

What would Miss Manners say?

As eye catching headlines go this one takes some beating – A Princess Once Dueled A Countess Over Floral Arrangements… Topless. It’s got aristocracy, violence, naked ladies and flower arranging all in one sweet bundle. It sounds like something from a 1960’s B movie, but apparently women dueling in the late 19th century was seen as a progressive act.  This was therefore an emancipated duel. I’m not sure acting as stupidly as men did is really progress, but I guess it made some sort of sense in the context of the time.

Probably the most famous female swordswomen from history would be Julie d’Aubigny, who I’ve covered here in a previous post. I don’t think she ever fought topless or over a bunch of flowers. In more recent years we had the famous documentary on the killing of Bill. I believe the duel below was triggered by a disagreement over wedding arrangements, so I guess little has changed over the last hundred or so years.

Kill Bill Scene

Whistle while you work

I found this article on the playlists of pro-dommes interesting. Experience has taught me that music in a professional play space is as common to them as leather, ropes and incredibly detailed instructions about how to enter without scaring the neighbors.

In my personal life music and sexual play have a fairly orthogonal relationship. It’s fine if they intersect, but it’s not important if they don’t. In my professional experiences I think I can count on one hand the sessions I’ve done without a soundtrack. And they were probably because the stereo in the play space was broken. I guess the theory is that background music lowers social tension. There’s no silence to fill with forced conversation, but it’s still easy to talk over if necessary.

Dance and electronic music seems to be a common domme choice, which isn’t something I typically enjoy. Lydia likes opera and powerful classical pieces, which adds drama and a sense of theater to the occasion. The article mentions Depeche Mode as a common selection. Personally I think playing to Violator would be great, but I’ve never yet played with a domme who had than on her playlist. I’d love to do a session to Appetite for Destruction followed by Master of Puppets. I think their energy would work great for a good beating.

Domme with guitarI believe this artwork is by Namio Harukawa.

The male pro-sub

A lot of people make money from offering personal BDSM services. Pro-dommes are the most conspicuous in that regard, but there are also a fair number of female pro-submissives out there. Professional male doms are rarer, but they do exist. What I hadn’t observed, until a couple of nights ago, was a professional male submissive. I always assumed that the market couldn’t support the concept, but Aiden the Houseboy-For-Hire is out there to prove me wrong.

His rates are incredibly reasonable and, judging by his twitter feed, he’s pretty well plugged into the professional scene. I don’t know him personally, but if you’re in the Seattle area and looking for some no strings attached commercial submission, then he might well be worth a shot. I’m not giving up my day job any time soon to follow his lead, but as a Seattle based male submissive, I do wish him all the luck in the world in his chosen profession.

ServiceThis is not an image of Aiden in action. I’m afraid I don’t who this naked gentleman is, but he looks like he’s making himself useful.