Prospero's Whips

There be some sports are painful, and their labour

Delight in them sets off: some kinds of baseness

Are nobly undergone, and most poor matters

Point to rich ends. This my mean task

Would be as heavy to me as odious, but

The mistress which I serve quickens what’s dead,

And makes my labours pleasures.

- WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, The Tempest

This delicious passage from the Bard is probably the most concise (and certainly the most poetic) characterization of the kinky mindset that I've ever seen. I don't want to claim that venerable William was into whips and chains himself (or was he?), but it is the hallmark of great art that you can read all kinds of juicy interpretations into it. For me, this one certainly fits. And there are many other reasons for why "The Tempest" is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays. It is exotic, fantastical, richly layered, funny and arguably his most enigmatic work.

You probably know the plot. Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, is deposed by his jealous brother and left on an island with his daughter Miranda. The good news for Prospero is, he brought his books! Posessed of magic powers due to his great library and learning, he commands the spirit Ariel and other creatures of the island, like the native beast-man Caliban. They serve him reluctantly and in fear of the sorcerer's powers. When his brother, the usurper Antonio, sails close to the island on a voyage, Prospero raises a storm and makes the ship run aground. As Antonio and the other survivors find themselves stranded, the magician sets his next grand plan in motion...

(William Maw Egley, "Prospero and Miranda", circa 1850)

Sorcery is the pivotal theme, really. Because of his magical powers, Prospero controls pretty much everything from start to finish - he commands his slaves, creates the tempest, foils his enemies' plans and manipulates all the happenings on the island. Some interpretations see Prospero as a version of Shakespeare himself, the omnipotent playwright who is master of everything and everyone in his world. It has recently fallen somewhat out of favour, but I think it's an interesting angle.

At any rate, Prospero is a real kinky guy. That much is obvious. Here is how he threatens his unruly servant Caliban:

PROSPERO: If thou neglect’st, or dost unwillingly
What I command, I’ll rack thee with old cramps,
Fill all thy bones with aches, make thee roar,
That beasts shall tremble at thy din.

Hell, that's what I call majestic intimidation! Have you ever been dominated by someone this classy? I didn't think so. I used to believe that "Over my knee, young lady!" sounded pretty stern, but this stuff is way cool. And I have to admit, out of my league. No wonder that Caliban is as meek a submissive as you'll ever meet:

CALIBAN: How does thy honour? Let me lick thy shoe.

However, my favourite quote has to be from Prospero again. I'm still searching for the appropriate CP movie setting where I can use the following line:

PROSPERO: Thou most lying slave,
Whom stripes may move, not kindness!

Speaking of movies, there are several intriguing adaptations of "The Tempest". The great Derek Jarman made a free-spirited homoerotic version. Then there's the sci-fi classic Forbidden Planet, also loosely based on the play. Probably the most eccentric, flawed but compelling take: Prospero's Books by Peter Greenaway. It's a difficult, visually complex film starring John Gielgud and many, many naked people. If you can stomach two hours of unrestrained art cinema weirdness, you will find moments of genius here. Greenaway focuses on the "playwright as magician" theme, and the control freak in me is loving it.

I was reminded of all this when Prefectdt asked me if I wanted to do a segment for his Kinky Island Discs series. Like most brilliant ideas, it is fairly simple: kinky bloggers and celebrities get to choose what DVD's and other items would keep them entertained if they had to spend the rest of their lives on a desert island. Naturally, I love the series and jumped at the chance to be a part of it. You can read my contribution here.

I wonder if there are any spankable natives on the island. My Girl Friday? But while Robinson Crusoe is a great novel, I'm more of a Prospero at heart. Mad King Ludwig, master of everything he surveys! Holding the creatures of the isle and even nature itself at his beck and call with his knowledge and wondrous powers! That's my kind of megalomania.

So I've re-imagined "The Tempest" as a corporal punishment play. In my version, the servant spirit Ariel is named Adele, and Caliban becomes Leia-Ann. Another difference is that I don't force them to obey with "old cramps" - a few proper lashes of the whip will suffice. When a ship crewed by a squad of famous spanking models sails close to my island on a luxury cruise, I conjure up the storm and things really get interesting...

You may leave your applications to star in the play in the comments section. I haven't decided on a title yet - it will either be "Prospero's Whips" or "Tempestuous Canings".

Movie Review: Elite Club Special Case

Producer:

Elitepain (released in 2007)

Entire Story In Fewer Words Than Are In This Sentence:
Girls submit to torture to help their loved ones.

Victim Appeal:
The flick features two Hungarian sexpots by the stage names of Hillary Frank and Rose Sardy. Their acting is atrocious and the dialogue delivered in a flatly droning manner, but it only matters during the brief exposition. Here is what we get in terms of story: the girls visit an Army Colonel's office because they want their loved ones to return home (boyfriend and brother, respectively). After initial reluctance ("This is not in my hands"), the Colonel offers to help them in exchange for a perverse favour. He reveals himself as a member of a secret club where young women are tortured for pleasure, and if they are willing to submit to that, he will heed their pleas. Shockingly enough, the girls agree!

Both young ladies are red-haired, slender and pretty to behold. Once the need for acting is removed, they turn in a fine (i.e. resilient) performance. Rose Sardy, in particular, is stunningly gorgeous, and I can't seem to get enough of her lovely, whimpering reactions. So while the appeal is superficial, it is definitely there. Quite a lot of it, actually.

Gratuitous Sadism:
The Elite Club series has a stronger "BDSM emphasis" than the average traditional CP movie. Canings and whippings (severe ones!) remain the center of attention, but we are also treated to various additional forms of abuse. While still in his office, the Colonel forces Hillary to give him a blowjob. I can do without hardcore sex in kinky films, but it was a brief scene and fits with the exploitation motif. In the club segments, we have some bastinado with a crop and a bit of genital piercing. Yikes!

Not quite my line, all of this, so let's move on to the nice old-fashioned butt lashings. The welcome news is that "Special Case" features several good scenes, including one that is truly outstanding. Rose Sardy gets 32 strokes of the cane while tied up on all fours, over a bench. Hillary Frank gets 20 in the diaper position. Afterwards, it is Rose's turn again. She is whipped with a single tail, on the X-Cross, 30 hits in total to both her front and back. For the finale, the girls are tied together, back to back, and given 60 with the single tail, "package style". Marks, howls and pleas for mercy abound. In the sum of its parts, a lighthearted feel-good romp.

Best Reactions:
The first CP segment with Rose Sardy. For me, that is the whole reason to see the movie. It is as perfect a caning scene as I have ever watched, and simply because of these few minutes, I count "Special Case" among my top five favourite videos of all time. Where to start? The girl is drop-dead beautiful. She gets some 30 strokes, not excessive by Hungarian standards, but each one is severe. Fine classical position, bent over and tied up. Her tormentor, the Colonel, wears a monk's robe! The rhythm he applies is exemplary - slow and spacious, savouring each lash, but just quick enough to keep the scene from fizzling out. Rose gets vivid, gorgeous welts on her ass, one angry red stripe developing after the other until she is thoroughly covered. The whole sequence is photographed nicely, with good lighting, camerawork and angles.

As if all of this wasn't enough, Miss Sardy's reactions are simply stunning. She may be forgettable as an actress, but her natural behaviour here is nothing short of ideal. If I had to pick a textbook example of what excites me as a sadist, for spanking models to watch, I would choose this scene. Of course, there is no point - reactions need to be genuine! In this case, they are both genuine and awesome. Rose is in a lot of pain, and she makes it known, but she doesn't scream her head off. I find excessive volume irritating. No, she cries and whimpers and yowls, loud and heart-wrenching, but always somewhat suppressed. She's neither too stoic nor too hysterical, and the result is a wonderful blend of vocal distress and struggle for composure. A struggle which she only loses towards the very end, with the last few strokes. Great crescendo, great finish. A classic, intense, highly arousing scene.

Best Line:
If you haven't guessed it by now, there is no intricate story here, no humour or psychological drama, and no memorable dialogue, either. Rose Sardy screams "Don't! I'm begging you!" during her caning. Several times, at the top of her lungs. So that would have to be the main line, I guess.

Nice Psychological Touch:
I liked how they tied the two girls together for the final single tail whipping. There is a German proverb saying: "Shared suffering is only half the suffering." Judging by their agonizing unisono cries, though, I am not sure that it is true.

How Good Is It Really?
You've read my rave review of That Perfect Caning. Personally, I rate it among the best ever filmed. The rest of "Special Case" is okay, but unremarkable. No story worth the name, wooden acting, and while the other CP scenes are good, they are not brilliant, either. Not nearly as much as Miss Sardy's heart-rending howls. So it comes down to the question, is the video worth checking out for that segment alone? For me, it is, but prepare to be less impressed by the remainder.

What You Learned:
Sometimes, five and a half minutes out of 45 are enough to create a classic spanking movie. And I really want to go to Budapest. On foot, wearing a monk's robe.

The Mark of Cain

Cain said to the Lord, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me this day away from the ground; and from thy face I shall be hidden; and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will slay me." Then the Lord said to him, "Not so! If any one slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who came upon him should kill him.

Book of Genesis, Chapter 4, Verses 13-15

(Gustave Dore, "The Death of Abel", 1866)

It is said that after Cain slew his brother Abel, God placed a curse on him, forcing Cain to wander the earth for the rest of his life because he would be unable to grow crops. He also put a mark on Cain as a warning that whoever harmed him would face God's wrath. To this day, there is debate among Biblical scholars about the passage. What exactly did the mark look like? Was it visible or more of an "aura"? Was it to alert others to the presence of the murderer? And why did God keep Cain alive and protected?

Even as a non-believer, I find this Bible tale quite intriguing. Especially after I heard in a literature class that the German writer Klaus Mann considered his homosexuality to be a "Mark of Cain". He felt that, rather than being shameful, it was something that enobled him and made him a member of an exclusive elite. I don't know if Mann ever used the specific term himself, but the comparison with the mark has stuck with me ever since.

Somehow, it appeals very strongly to me as a spanko. Kinky people aren't murderers, of course, but we are still seen as immoral or objectionable by some groups. We don't have a visible mark (although we sometimes use handkerchief signs), but in a way, we are like Cain - he was unable to grow crops and thereby lead a normal life, we are unable to be fully content just with vanilla sex. So we often become wanderers and seekers, in a metaphorical sense. Whether it is true or not, I also liked the story about Klaus Mann and how he turned the (even worse) prejudices of his time around - choosing to view his "affliction" as a blessing rather than a curse.

I think it's a question we all ask ourselves at some point: why am I different? Why am I turned on by spanking, corporal punishment or bondage when most people are not? Why do I gleefully fantasize about whippings or torture when I certainly don't support the real, non-consensual thing? What is it that "marks me out"?

Scientists have dozens of theories, but no consensus on the phenomenon of BDSM. Psychologically, it is often categorized as a "disorder of sexual preference" - not a full-blown pathology that is harmful and needs to be cured, but unusual none the less. We knew it's unusual, but how does it arise? And how much can science tell us about our strangely ineffable desires, anyway? Isn't that a fruitless approach, and moreover, doesn't it threaten to take away the mystique we hold so dear?

Personally, I think scientific theories are interesting and have their place. Needless to say, they don't explain "everything". But they don't diminish the fascination of erotic CP for me, either. It's simply another angle of looking at it. Take another example: imagine that you're looking up at the stars in the night sky, and it fills you with awe. You could describe everything that is happening here in scientific terms: stars are huge masses of mostly hydrogen and helium, they produce visible light through nuclear fusion, the light hits your retina and causes impulses that are transmitted to your brain through the optic nerve, those result in certain neurochemical processes, and that is why you feel the way you feel.

I wouldn't say that this is a "wrong" description. It's certainly valid in its way and quite informative - but also very incomplete. Third-person science can never capture the human experience of what it's like to see the night sky and feel this tremendous wonder. That's not even the scientist's job, really. His task is to give us one very specific type of account that explains certain aspects of what is going on. But you can't simply "reduce" the phenomenon to a purely scientific description, because a lot of questions remain open - and usually they're the real interesting ones. Like, why does it feel like that to see the stars? And why should it feel like anything at all? How can we even bridge this mysterious gap between the physical world and our subjective mental states?

Before I get all philosophical, let's return to BDSM. It's really the same thing in regards to scientific theory. One popular approach focuses on endorphins. Your brain produces them when you experience pain, and it's somewhat similar to a marathon runner's "high" or the afterglow of orgasm. We even know that just looking at another human being in pain, or fantasizing about it, can have a similar effect - a sort of sympathetic response. So maybe that's part of the reason why we are "floating on clouds" after an exciting scene or why we enjoy watching spanking movies.

I think all of this is fabulously interesting stuff. But again, it's a very limited way of looking at erotic CP. Like the "nuclear fusion" description of the night sky, it only covers one particular aspect. To say that we spankos are "endorphin junkies" by another name would be a gross over-simplification. Not only because it fails to even approach the complexity of the experience, but also because a lot of important questions remain. If we all have largely the same brain structure and even the same reactions, why do only a select few of us ever get into erotic corporal punishment? Why not all? Is a spanko's brain just "wired" a little differently? Doesn't seem like a very satisfying answer to me.

I can't rule out that part of it is genetic, but I find it more promising to go beyond mere biology and into psychology. For most of us, the fascination starts at a very early age, even if we are never spanked at home. There could be other childhood experiences like just hearing about spankings or witnessing one, as I did. I will write about this another time. Still, it remains a mystery to me why I found it arousing when most others probably wouldn't have.

At the end of the day, we should simply acknowledge that we have the Mark of Cain and that we'll probably never fully understand why or how that is. What matters is that we make the best use of our gift. Klaus Mann gave a very good example, I think.

Psychic Girl Gets Spanked

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Movie Review: Wild Party

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Super Tuesday Serenade

It's Super Tuesday in the US presidential election year, and you know what that means: no other date could be more appropriate for me to pay my respects to the Greatest American Woman who ever lived. So I wanted to use the opportunity, and indeed I feel very proud and privileged to call her a partner in thoughtcrime and a much loved, cherished friend: Niki Flynn.

My fellow spanking fetishists, there are many among you who have grown dear to me over the years in my exploration of the erotic CP world. Who made a difference in my life and inspired me to get where I am today. But if there is one person without whom this blog would not exist, it's Niki (so, if you don't like my stuff, you can send the complaint mails straight to her - it's no problem, she loves to be scolded).

I first heard about Niki in 2004, pretty much at the beginning of her modelling career, when she had just done her debut movie The Exchange Student with Lupus Pictures. Actually, before I saw that one, I noticed the West Meets East column on their website. My first thought was: "Wow, this is cool! A British girl working with Lupus! And she writes well, too." At the time, I was under the impression that Niki is English, in a classic confusion of character and actress. So that was my original introduction to Miss Flynn: a dark-haired, pretty, petite girl-next-door type with a big grin and a sleeveless manga t-shirt, who sounded like she had some very interesting things to say.

I've loved her work ever since. Of course, I never dreamed that I'd ever meet her or that we'd become friends. That was just an impossible concept, out of this world. Niki was a star, an unapproachable icon, while I was just another guy with a passion for erotic corporal punishment. She probably received a dozen mails from guys like that per day and put them straight into the trashcan. No reason to even blame her for that - I imagined that as a spanking model, for each message from a genuine affectionate fan, you get ten from heavy-breathing sex maniacs. Why would you even look at your mailbox anymore when you're famous, you're making movies all over the world and having all this kinky fun?

On the other hand, Niki din't seem all that remote - she posted on the British Spanking Forums and I always enjoyed her "Dances With Werewolves" wit and sense of humour. So one day two years ago, I just decided to send her a message saying that I like her work and wish her all the best. It was important for me to do that, just to say thanks, and I wasn't sure if she would find the time to respond - she was probably at Heathrow Airport right now after an evening as the main attraction at "Night of the Cane" and boarding a plane to Prague.

Imagine my joy when I did receive a reply, and a very nice one at that. Not only was it the end of my erroneous belief that Niki is British, but we've been penpals ever since. The next welcome shock came a few months later when she wrote: "I have a photoshoot in Germany, would you like to get together and hang out a bit?" Needless to say, I was enthusiastic to chat about anything she deemed worthwhile (no matter if it's BDSM stuff or Mickey Mouse comics) as long as it meant an opportunity to meet the Great Flynn. So I took a day off from studying and got on the train to Cologne. I didn't dare to expect anything more than talking a bit and having a good time, and that alone would have made me more than happy. But I do admit that I took along one of my favourite canes "just in case".

So we got together and had a great, albeit somewhat rainy day in Cologne. Niki was likeable and funny and full of wit, just as I expected her to be from her movies and mails. I set out to meet a star and found a good friend. We explored the tourist sights a bit, with me trying my best as a guide, and we chatted about all sorts of things - ourselves, mainstream movies, horror stories, music, politics, and believe it or not, erotic corporal punishment, too. I love people who can carry on an interesting conversation about pretty much everything, and Niki is just that.

As the evening approached, she brought up the swell idea of being spanked by me. The only thing she insisted on was: "If you're going to abuse me, it has to be in German." You see, Niki has this "A Fish Called Wanda" arousal thing with foreign languages. Needless to say, I felt supremely qualified. So the cane got to see some action, and I am pleased to report that Miss Flynn's pronunciation of all the German numbers from 1 to 30 is top-notch. I wonder where she picked that up - do Rammstein have a song about counting?

After that, it was my turn to do some basic mathematical additions, and wouldn't you know it - it's a side of Niki that you don't see too often in her mostly submissive work, but her dishing out technique is just as good, and she has a genuine, playfully sadistic streak to go along with it as well. Which reinforces my long held conviction that those who switch (and really know the instruments first-hand) are among the best tops. In fact, my only gripe is that I actually got it quite a bit harder than she had. Next time, I'll go first, and afterwards the little bitch will receive a full measure of revenge.

But I really can't complain at all. I mean, we are talking about Niki Flynn here. And she was the second woman I ever caned (plus the fifth one who caned me, if you must know). The second! That's like being a fumbling young actor, and all of a sudden, you find yourself doing a scene with Marlene Dietrich. No wonder that I found the experience intoxicating.

After dinner, two bottles of wine and more pleasant conversation, I went back to Munich the next morning. I was already toying with the idea of doing a website or blog of my own one day. Not just to brag about my famous exploits, mind you, but also (and more so) to give something back to my friends and to our community. What I found in Cologne is that, whether we play in private or for all the BDSM subculture to see, we are all real people who share the same passion. And that is a good thing to know and tell the world about.

So here is to a wonderful little fish called Niki, who is not only a great friend to have, but also an embodiment of the real American values - freedom, exploratory spirit, likeable personality and not letting anyone tell you how to run your life. Take that, Hillary Clinton!

A Non-BDSM Guide to BDSM Terms

Alright, after the lengthy introductions, it is high time for a bit of fun. Needless to say, I am a fan of fun. Do you know what kind I like best? Apart from decorating a shapely female bottom with marks and welts, that is. What I really like is educational humour - you know, the kind where you acquire some interesting tidbit of knowledge in the process. After all, this blog is intended as a resource of learning and character development. Particularly for those readers with shapely female bottoms (the guys will benefit from it, too, though - I don't want to discriminate against anyone).

Speaking of bottoms, it was Pandora Blake who inspired me to do the following piece. In one of her recent blog entries, she had written about the importance of elucidating those who are not in the BDSM lifestyle on what we do and what our kink is all about:

"I do feel that because my sexual preferences are easily associated with misogynistic acts, I have a responsibility to make the distinction as clear as possible... I'd love to see more models - male and female - adding their voices and telling the world why they do what they do, and what they get out of it."

This is a noble undertaking. However, it can also be a very difficult one - not just because the fetish itself is strange and alien to outsiders, but also because of some very basic terminological barriers. Did you notice that BDSM people and vanilla people actually speak two totally seperate languages? It's true, and it happens whenever cultural groups with vastly different backgrounds and experiences try to communicate with each other.

Your background shapes the associations and expectations you have whenever you hear a specific term. For instance, when a mathematician hears the word "triangle", he will usually assume it to mean a basic shape of geometry ("polygon with three sides"), while an orchestra musician will probably think of the percussion instrument first. One word, several meanings. Ambiguities such as these could pose a severe hindrance whenever we spankos try to engage in discourse with the rest of the world.

To solve this crippling problem, I have started work on a "Non-BDSM Guide to BDSM Terms" - a sort of translation manual. It will examine a list of words and give the first association that the average vanilla person and the average kinky person is likely to have. As you can see, these associations are usually very different.

(Picture courtesy of Spanking Online)

BDSM
Vanilla: An erotic practice that is all very well for the folks who like it...
Kinky: A broad generalization of limited value

Top
V: The highest point of a building or mountain
K: A dominant person

Bottom
V: Buttocks, rump, arse
K: A submissive person

Switch
V: A mechanical device to connect and disconnect a circuit
K: Someone who likes being both dominant and submissive

Slave
V: The Thirteenth Amendment. Or was it the Fourteenth?
K: see "pet"

Pet
V: Cats, dogs and goldfish
K: see "slave"

Sub
V: Submarine
K: Submissive

Vanilla
Ditto: Ice cream
K: Someone who is not in the BDSM lifestyle

Munch
V: To chew with vigorous working of the jaws
K: see "vanilla"

ProDomme
V: A French coffee brand
K: A female professional dominant

24/7
V: The opening hours of many shops and services these days
K: A BDSM relationship in which protocols are in place continuously

Topping from the bottom
V: A cooking technique
K: Doesn't really work

Paddle
V: A device for propelling and steering a small boat
K: A device for punishing unruly submissives

Cane
V: A short staff to assist one in walking
K: see "paddle" (but even more fun)

Bench
V: Where you put troublesome football players
K: Where you put troublesome slaves

Cross
V: Are you religious?
K: see "bench"

Collar
V: Your dog wears one
K: Your slave wears one

Fetish
V: A primitive form of religion
K: Neat clothes!

Dungeon
V: No, I never got into that nerdy Dungeons & Dragons stuff...
K: A room with BDSM equipment and play space

Scene
V: A part of a film or theatrical play
K: A time period of BDSM activities

Session
V: When musicians gather for jamming or recording
K: see "scene"

Porn
V: Naked chicks
K: Well-thrashed naked chicks

Limit
V: Budgets. Poker. Speed limits.
K: What a BDSM person won't do or is hesitant to do

Consent
V: Politicians talk about it a lot but never reach it
K: Mutual agreement to the terms of a BDSM scene or relationship

Consensual non-consensuality
V: An oxymoron
K: A turn-on

SSC
V: A secret government agency?
K: Safe, sane and consensual

Ageplay
V: A form of regressive psychotherapy or some such shrink nonsense
K: Oh, daddy, no! Pleeease! Don't put me over your kneee...!

Ponyplay
V: Something for children
K: Something for kinky adults

Gunplay
V: What Charlton Heston and the nutters at the NRA do
K: The practice of including actual (or simulated) firearms into a scene

Infantilism
V: Immature people
K: Parent/baby role playing

Genitorture
V: An industrial rock band from Florida
K: A BDSM practice

CBT
V: Computer Based Training
K: Cock and Ball Torture

Nyotaimori
V: A Japanese cartoon character
K: Human platters

Chastity
V: The reason why I could never be a monk or priest
K: A form of erotic sexual denial or orgasm denial

Mummification
V: Ancient Egypt
K: Wrapping your sub in plastic sheeting

Subspace
V: A scientific term coined by Stephen Hawking
K: A "natural high" that a submissive gets during a scene

Subdrop
V: A metereological anomaly characterized by rapid cooling and violent snowstorms
K: A physical condition experienced by some submissives after an intense session

Pandora
V: A woman from Greek legend. She had a box.
K: A well-known spanking model and blogger.

Locke
V: Thatte whyche prevents rogues and arrant knaves from burgling Ye Olde English Tea Shoppe
K: Fiona Locke, a writer of spanking fiction

I hope you will find this little guide useful. I came up with all of the entries myself, which is why most of them suck so much. Feel free to add your own if you like.