BDSM TV Exposure

I'm curious of your thoughts...much like PRO DOM's thread about the movie "Secretary"...

I saw a TV program yesterday (in the states) called Secret Lives of Women, and of the 4 stories in the show (married to a gay man, pill popper, open threesome marriage), one of the stories was about a woman who was a Dominatrix and vampire. Her sub/slave Sparky was also her husband and she went on calls to Domme other people.

The Program showed a couple of interesting things - they showed her in a photo shoot with her vampyric red eyes, fangs and Domme gear. They showed Sparky being whipped and flogged (lightly) and then coming down from sub space, which she explained well. They showed her collection of toys and collars And they showed a BDSM club with harder whipping, bondage, a St. Cross, and several people in various modes of fetish gear.

In my opinion, it portrayed BDSM fairly neutrally, and somewhat positively, but do you think that it is something that should be on national TV...or...not?

(And, btw, I was watching the show with 3 recent high school graduates that I mentor in a summer camp program, and I believe they used phrases like, "sick freaks" and "gross." It was torture not to explain more than I should have known...)

I think the more accurate exposure the better. There is another documentary from a few years back (Channel 4 did it, they usually do any of the 'wierd stuff' they can get away with) called 'Fetishes' where a documentary maker followed the lives of the staff of a professional dungeon in New York. It focussed mainly on the professional side of BDSM and not the lifestylers so it was quite biased from that point of view but it was interesting to see. I was actually quite amazed at two things:

1) The complexity of the set up in the dungeon. They had many rooms in a block in the middle of new york with receptionists and admin staff and staff/dressing rooms for the Dommes. Not seen anything like that in UK in a professional dungeon. Most of the ones here are in normal suburban houses dressed to look like dungeons.

2) The scene where some of the Mistresses were using the internet to try to find dates because they found it very difficult to find someone who wasn't intimidated by their personality.

I still have it on video somewhere... they showed a scene where one of the Mistresses was giving a session to one of her regular lifestyle slaves and she was definitely in subspace. They were trying to interview her while she was being whipped and she may as well have been doped up on morphine for all the sense they were getting from her :)

Bondage on School TV

You're not going to believe this but I happened to be watching a featurette on Shibari bondage on school tv here in Sweden last year. The piece was called "Fetish in London" - I just happened to click into it moving back from BBC to swedish public tv one morning: one of the channels is used for educational tv in those hours. What do I see? A smiling woman was being tied up with yellow rope in the studio, while two men were discussing the techniques and aesthetics of japanese bondage. No, I am not kidding!

I'm happy to say that the film was openminded and actually treated bondage just like any kind of sex habits. It was aimed at English classes around age 14-15 I think.

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Originally Posted by newslave

In my opinion, it portrayed BDSM fairly neutrally, and somewhat positively, but do you think that it is something that should be on national TV...or...not?

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Sure, why not? :)

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Originally Posted by newslave

(And, btw, I was watching the show with 3 recent high school graduates that I mentor in a summer camp program, and I believe they used phrases like, "sick freaks" and "gross." It was torture not to explain more than I should have known...)

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In similar situations, I have a standard reply- "What makes you think you're the normal one?"

:wave:

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Originally Posted by newslave

I'm curious of your thoughts...much like PRO DOM's thread about the movie "Secretary"...

I saw a TV program yesterday (in the states) called Secret Lives of Women, and of the 4 stories in the show (married to a gay man, pill popper, open threesome marriage), one of the stories was about a woman who was a Dominatrix and vampire. Her sub/slave Sparky was also her husband and she went on calls to Domme other people.

The Program showed a couple of interesting things - they showed her in a photo shoot with her vampyric red eyes, fangs and Domme gear. They showed Sparky being whipped and flogged (lightly) and then coming down from sub space, which she explained well. They showed her collection of toys and collars And they showed a BDSM club with harder whipping, bondage, a St. Cross, and several people in various modes of fetish gear.

In my opinion, it portrayed BDSM fairly neutrally, and somewhat positively, but do you think that it is something that should be on national TV...or...not?

(And, btw, I was watching the show with 3 recent high school graduates that I mentor in a summer camp program, and I believe they used phrases like, "sick freaks" and "gross." It was torture not to explain more than I should have known...)

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Was this program a documentary or was it fictional? In either case I believe exposure can only bring good things in the future.

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Originally Posted by Warbaby1943

Was this program a documentary or was it fictional? In either case I believe exposure can only bring good things in the future.

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Very much a documentary! It was very interesting, actually. Also strange to see it paired with "Pill Addicted Woman," "Woman with Woman with Husband," and "Woman with Gay Man." All true stories, from the WE channel (Women's Entertainment I think).

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Originally Posted by newslave

...

In my opinion, it portrayed BDSM fairly neutrally, and somewhat positively, but do you think that it is something that should be on national TV...or...not?

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Interesting thread, newslave.

Well, I guess it really depends on what it was was shown, doesn't it. I mean, here in Australia, where I live, you can view just about anything after 9.30 p.m. I've watched all kind of interesting documentaries and just plain good old fashioned porn (some on bdsm) on SBS on late Friday nights.

So, no, I don't have problem with it being shown on late tv, and I've never heard of anyone else here objecting either.

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Originally Posted by Alex Bragi

Interesting thread, newslave.

Well, I guess it really depends on what it was was shown, doesn't it. I mean, here in Australia, where I live, you can view just about anything after 9.30 p.m. I've watched all kind of interesting documentaries and just plain good old fashioned porn (some on bdsm) on SBS on late Friday nights.

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I completely understand about seeing just about anything....it was even after hours here too...and on cable, but I was certainly surprised to see it on the Women's channel (which usually only has tear-jerking poor-acted movies or design and make-over shows).

For the States...I was a little surprised!

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Originally Posted by newslave

I completely understand about seeing just about anything....it was even after hours here too...and on cable, but I was certainly surprised to see it on the Women's channel (which usually only has tear-jerking poor-acted movies or design and make-over shows).

For the States...I was a little surprised!

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Yes, the majority of Americans--God love 'em and so do I--do seem to be kind of prudish.

I always smile when I see "Survivor" and they've pixelated about someone's bum crack, boobs, or any other naughty bits.

Beyond prudish. And so uptight because no one gets good sex.

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Originally Posted by Alex Bragi

Yes, the majority of Americans--God love 'em and so do I--do seem to be kind of prudish.

I always smile when I see "Survivor" and they've pixelated about someone's bum crack, boobs, or any other naughty bits.

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They don't, do they? Oh god.... and I thought we were bad!

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Originally Posted by newslave

Beyond prudish. And so uptight because no one gets good sex.

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Hey, not true.

Well...how about not near enough good sex?

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Originally Posted by newslave

Well...how about not near enough good sex?

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Still not the case for me. Even the worst piece of ass I have ever had was just wonderful.

But, Warbaby, you are ine of the enlightened few who have joined the great sexual revolution. Therefore you are getting all the good sex that the rest of the country isn't allowed to have :)

Just reminds me of Dennis Leary - 'Ireland is allowed two blowjobs a year by the pope and they all go to Micheal Flaherty' :)

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Originally Posted by fetishdj

But, Warbaby, you are ine of the enlightened few who have joined the great sexual revolution. Therefore you are getting all the good sex that the rest of the country isn't allowed to have :)

Just reminds me of Dennis Leary - 'Ireland is allowed two blowjobs a year by the pope and they all go to Micheal Flaherty' :)

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LOL

WB, you have to admit that it is extremely strange to hear about sex as sex around here. I see T&A everywhere I look, but most of the people that I know have had nothing but awful, unsatisfying (boring!) sex. Including me prior to my discovery of this site. Its taboo even as it is plastered in advertising!

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Originally Posted by newslave

WB, you have to admit that it is extremely strange to hear about sex as sex around here. I see T&A everywhere I look, but most of the people that I know have had nothing but awful, unsatisfying (boring!) sex. Including me prior to my discovery of this site. Its taboo even as it is plastered in advertising!

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Maybe I would agree with you about hearing about great sex but not the actual practice of it. Most people keep those great tales behind closed doors. I mean I don't go around telling everyone what a great piece of ass my wife is or how great a blow job she gives.

Good point. I'm just saying that it isn't as common to hear about sex around here. And I'm glad that you and your wife have a good time, btw.

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Originally Posted by newslave

Good point. I'm just saying that it isn't as common to hear about sex around here. And I'm glad that you and your wife have a good time, btw.

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TY we have for many. many years now.

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Originally Posted by Warbaby1943

TY we have for many. many years now.

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*long sighs at my vicarious life through the web....*

Well truth to be told that wouldnt exactly strike me as that wierd to see on the tv. I live in Sweden though and we arent that prudish on the tv or in real life I guess.
Give us more good tv programs about sex even here though. The more the merrier and perhaps people wouldnt see us BDSM folks as deviant or freaks if they got to be educated more.

By the way....the ad for the show that I saw this on shows a Domme in the very first scene. A woman in a power suit (And i think it says "power suit") to a Domme in a pink and black leather outfit complete with corset, boots, and a face mask (which is called "power trip"). She begins throwing the whip around and generally looks threatening...*sub side does a little shiver*

They do advertise it as if it is a huge shock that any woman would participate in this...I'm a little curious if they would ever show a sub or a slave under the ministrations of a Dom/me. It might freak out the general public, though I have no clue!

Thoughts all?

The image of a domme is a common one, many men have that fantasy even if they are not submissive or BDSM orientated. Just look at how many times it appears in fiction - Catwoman, the Charlie's Angels film, The Avengers.... So seeing it is not so unusual in any of the forms described above. What happens to a sub is another matter entirely and yes that may shock...

Though the purpose of these documentaries is usually to shock, even if they often fail (at least to my mind... but I have always known that I am hard to shock with anything sexual :) ). The one I saw had some quite explicit scenes of sessions with Mistresses and subs and gave examples of some of the more unusual and controversial fetishes (a white man who wanted to be treated as a slave by a black woman and another who had a big Nazi fetish, for example). Though the closest they came to what I would consider a real BDSM relationship was a Mistress who brought her female slave in for a free session. That scene was very intense whereas some of the others came across as 'mere playacting'.

If you do a search online for 'Fetishes' and 'Channel 4' you may find it or at least a reference to it. I know Channel 4 have put a lot of stuff online as downloadable recently though this was many years ago so it may not be available.

Very good point about the Domme as a fantasy...I just saw one of those "block your TV from your kids" ads with 'Mistress Mandy' and make kind of a cute reference about her program being very wonderful (says the wife). It's a nice reference to women appreciating the world as much (and more) than the men...I liked it anyway.

I wonder...because I see far fewer Dommes than the culture portrays...does that mean that we make up for the 'lack' with more cultural icons? Or that the culture overshadows the true Dommes who exist elsewhere?

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I wonder...because I see far fewer Dommes than the culture portrays...does that mean that we make up for the 'lack' with more cultural icons? Or that the culture overshadows the true Dommes who exist elsewhere?

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With the amount of time blocked out for shows/commercials and attention span of the average tv viewer, they have to make any points in the quickest way possible.
Doms are portrayed more regularly because they have a more dynamic initial impact within a represented scenario.
I think the average viewer would mentally try to come up with a reason someone might be tied up instead of making an immediate connection to sexual play.
Someone in a latex/leather suit with a whip is more readily identifiable, than say... a blindfolded someone kneeling with ropes around his/her hands.

Just my opinion, newslave, so there could be some better reason to for it.