Kink and Culture

Ms Jadis Ives has published a really thoughtful article entitled kink, subculture, aesthetic, authenticity and the algorithm. As you can probably guess from that title, it covers a lot of complex topics, making it hard to summarize. However, I guess the nub of it would be the difference between authentic in person play and everything else that now makes up the wide kinky world.

In the past there were relatively well defined niches of lifestyle play, BDSM professionals offering sessions and (limited, rare) kink themed pornography. The boundaries were distinct. Now, thanks to a variety of technological, cultural and financial reasons, it’s a far murkier and more complex map. Mainstream overlaps with the kink subculture. The worlds of content creation, marketing and and in person play are harder to tease apart. Big tech and legal rules warp the discourse even further. What does it mean to participate in BDSM today?

There’s obviously the danger of nostalgia and gatekeeping here, but I don’t think Ms Jadis is heading in that direction. She’s calling out the dangers of losing sight of a key aspect of BDSM – that visceral, authentic in person connection. That’s not all it is, but it is a significant and important part. We shouldn’t let the performative aspects of the current culture overwhelm it.

Ms Jadis Ives is a Sydney based pro-domme. This image was sourced from her website. You can also find her on Bluesky. If you’re in the Sydney area and interested in experiencing a session in person then you can find details here.

Awful but slightly less so

I was being rude about Google a few posts back. They still suck and I hate how they’ve ruined so many great products, but their image search is just a tiny, tiny bit less terrible than I thought. Maybe 0.27% less bad.

Previously I was complaining that they had blocked reverse image search for explicit images and their definition of explicit was ridiculously broad. Having played with it some more I think they’ve tweaked it so it will still find explicit images, but only if they’re exact matches. Normally, if it can’t find an exact match, it’ll give you related or similar shots. If it thinks the image is explicit then it’ll either just give links to the exact matches or nothing at all. That’s still annoyingly puritanical of them, but at least it can sometimes help with image attribution.

For example, I found this image on a tumblr. Google’s reverse image search took me to The Deadly Doll Experience. That’s the site for Kissmedeadlydoll, a domme and talented kinky smut creator based in NYC. The combination of tight rope and latex encasement is beautiful, with the hand to the throat adding extra hotness.

You can see more from Kissmedeadlydoll at her OnlyFans, Film Site, Clips4Sale and ManyVids. Or schedule a session with her in NYC.

Natursekt

I’m debating learning German. Not because I’m planning to move there – although getting away from the US seems like an increasingly good idea – but because of the amazing dommes and playspaces there. I feel an extended trip might be called for in the coming years. Plus, it’s a very sexy language to be yelled at with.

The images below are one of the best toilet set-ups I’ve seen, from both an aesthetic and kink perspective. They were shared by Toronto’s Mistress Violet Mays but I believe they’re from Studio Black Fun in Leipzig. They have some amazing spaces for play.

Gibbet Cage

This is one of the more interesting and abstract BDSM images I’ve stumbled across recently.  I think he’s in what’s technically known as a Gibbet Cage. They were used to publicly display the body of executed criminals after death. Which seems a little pointless, as they were hardly going to escape at that point. I guess deterrence to others was the principal idea.

While they’re striking pieces of equipment, they’re not all that common in playspaces. Probably because it’d be tough to cater to all the different body shapes and sizes necessary. Modern kinksters are a bit fussier about their comfort than your average dead criminal from the 17th Century.

I’m not sure who the domme is, but she’s certainly beautiful and and imposing. The lighting of the shiny latex and metal makes for a great image.

If you can help me attribute this then please let me know via a comment.

Fish Tank Alternative

Wealthy fish fanciers often display their hobby via aquariums integrated into the walls of their home. If you find that idea intriguing but a little dull, may I suggest the integrated doggy cage? It makes for a striking feature in any library or study and a great conversation piece when you have guests over. Animals to put inside it might be a little hard to source than your average guppy, but you can always adopt from your local dungeon.

The cage here is available for rent as part of the BDSM loft in Berlin. However, I’m not sure who the domme is. If you can help with that attribution, then please let me know via a comment.

Updated: Thanks to Sardax I believe the domme featured is Claudia Hon.

Home Again

I’m back in Seattle after a fun few days in San Francisco. In a future post I’ll hopefully have some photos to share from the two sessions I did with Domina Yuki.

While they were great sessions, they were less intense than some of the past play we’ve had together (for example here and here). That was at my request. I’ve found that my pain tolerance varies inversely with my general stress level. If I’m stressed then more of my mental and physical capacity is sucked up by that, leaving less for handling kinky pain or torments. With a crazy job, some interment insomnia and the election fallout I’m definitely not at my mental best. That meant steering clear of heavy corporal play or intense CBT on this trip.

One kinky thing that I do find aligns well with stress is bondage. It’s nice to be able to relax and zone out while getting wrapped up. The shot below is a lovely example. This isn’t from my sessions, but was sourced via Trinity’s Bsky feed. You can find the original post here.

Trinity and Roxanne

Continuing the theme of duos with a Matrix influence (a niche but important genre), here’s Mistress Trinity and Roxanne Waters, with sub Heavy. There’s a lot of lovely latex, leather and bondage on display. They would have all looked very at home at Sydney’s Hellfire club – the location for the BDSM club scene in the original movie. The background extras were apparently the regular club goers, dressed in their usual kinky gear.

Image sourced via this tweet.

Shadowplay

This very striking image comes courtesy of LA’s Mistress Rozz. I thought it made for a great contrast to yesterday’s image.

Both are ostensibly of the same thing: A close-up of a pro-domme and her controlled slave in a simple accessory free setting. However, the energy is totally different. Yesterday’s image was intimate and close, the domme physically wrapping herself around him. This is cold, impersonal and objectifying. The touch is enough to position him and no more. Both great shots, but showcasing very different D/s dynamics.

I sourced this via a tweet on Mistress Rozz’s twitter feed. You can find her professional site here.

Kinky Festivals

If you’re on the west coast of Canada this weekend you might want to check out the Vancouver Fetish Weekend. As covered  in this article it runs from July 25th to 29th. I’ve no personal experience of it, but looks like it could be worth a visit.

Alternatively, if you’re located further south in San Francisco, then the Up Your Alley fair returns on Sunday July 28th. Not sure how much F/m attendance that has – it looks more M/m focused from what I’ve seen – but another option if you’re on west coast and craving some leather fun in the sun!

This was posted a few days ago by Evilyn13 on her Twitter account. I’m assuming it’s a shot from last years fetish weekend in Vancouver.