| Domme Dietrich of Manhattan: flame. You: moth. |
Domme Dietrich asks: Why do you think they call it "the world wide web?" Few cultural developments, if any, have had the impact on the professional practice of BDSM as the internet has. BDSM has faced various periods of change, discussions of its definition, and even the slings and arrows of being adopted as a snide hip reference in modern pulp culture. All of this aside, the internet is an undercurrent that has had an effect on both mainstream and underground culture equally, and has forever changed the way female supremacy will be treated in a professional setting while avoiding some of the obvious consequences of philosophy that have affected BDSM in its previous years as a mostly hidden and underground practice. The internet, which opened the world to new streams of information, has allowed the practice of BDSM to be no longer confined to secret parties advertised on business cards to the cogniscenti. No longer was the knowledge of BDSM kept to the hotels rooms of couples looking for a little extra; no longer the practice of the dungeons that one needed to search for with great effort to find and no longer the mystery world that the Velvet Underground portrayed in their ever-mysterious track "Venus in Furs." Now one can access these mysteries privately and safely without having to duck into the local magazine shop to find whatever articles on BDSM or rare advertisements that would lead them to the knowledge and places in which to practice their private fantasies. And males — many of whom, if not most, are latently submissive — who wouldn't have been exposed to their kryptonite in years past, now come face to face with the images and concepts of total slavery that haunts their dreams. If anything, the secrets are out to the point of inviting a new sense of liberation to the concept, with everything from video-images websites, mistresses promoting themselves in an easy to find fashion that would shock many from the "early days" in most cities and even message boards where any nagging questions can be answered and these once-private exclusive parties can be promoted to fetish and non-fetish minded folks alike... (Editor's note: If Msx. Dietrich makes you weak in the knees, please take a moment to vote for this article, and keep our site wonderfully free, by visiting Latex Girlies. Click here. Just don't forget to return here for the rest of your training.) Of course, I am a member of the internet generation as much (if not more) than anyone. I never even considered the entire picture of how deep (though it had come up in various conversations) impact of the world wide web was until speaking to an older relative whom had the fortune of dealing with many of the classic figures in the BDSM world including the original Hellfire Club and many related figures in his business of running and renting galleries and spaces (as well as art). In these conversations it became very clear on how the "old world" of BDSM worked and how sharply it has been affected by the globalizing and revealing power of the "database nation".  Getting to hear tales of how wild the old parties really were (and how secluded) as well as the old methods of reaching the fetish masses the previous generation in such detail was not only eye opening but put me to work on comparing an era in which New York (and other major cities) that once existed in shadows of their own have found their fetish/BDSM scenes becoming more and more open public and the methods of finding exactly what you are looking for are becoming more precise. Long ago, one would have to scour the back pages of hard to find fetish magazines and going on the tips of like-minded fellows in hope of finding a domme, a dungeon or a party that would fit their exact needs. While staples like the legendary Hellfire club (one of the few well known places of it's time that people still speak of as if it existed only yesterday) provided a fertile, raw and ready meeting ground for ready-to-play swingers, BDSM fiends and other nightcrawlers, it took a bit of time to find the right mistress or even a mistress that was who they presented themselves to be in the often grainy adverts and the little information one could gather through a recommendation. Like the New York (and other cities) of old, half the fun of trying new things was that around every dark corner there was a secret...and the mystery of BDSM was not only in what it was behind closed doors, but what you yourself would find when you passed through that door and it closed behind you. The general rush of the internet brought all sorts of knowledge that was once hidden to the public. Even more than television you could find images of any spot in the world and explore vast worlds of reading and video that were long the domain of those people who lived in them only and the few documents they shared, left behind or passed to those new people arriving to said areas. Now, we have full access to not only major histories but the personal histories of many that wouldn't normally receive full mention or garner any form of mainstream press. Now, instead of having to take a chance meeting that might end in total confusion or venture into some seedy (I personally miss the seedy parts being a lifelong resident of Manhattan) venue to go to a party you now have a choice of many different parties, venues, dungeons and domme that are all just a click away. (It must be noted though that for many dommes this has brought greater power and Independence.
While the dungeons used to be the only way to regulate business and going it alone was a much more difficult proposition, a domme can now market herself directly with minimal funds which used to be the domain of the dungeon. That being said, while many dungeons are suffering as there is always one wooden wheel-maker to preserve that tradition, there will always be a worthwhile dungeon to preserve that tradition. Of course, the argument as to this being a good or bad set of changes for BSDM can be argued. While the constant media mainstreaming of the topic and open access to it have removed much of the mystery and possibly even the thrill of the chase one now can find anything/everything he desires right away and not need to spend countless hours and dollars locating the "right fit". The world itself is a changing place. The grime and crime of the 70's-early 90's has been replaced with a new "chic" world of computers, money and the "database culture". We can see everything for what it is and for the first time compare and preserve the evolution in a manner never seen previously." Perhaps most important, from the perspective of DieForHer's efforts to advance global feminism, is the internet's simple multiplier effect. Once upon a time, I could only deal with two or three slaves a day, or perhaps a few more by telephone. Now, I can handle my personal stable of chattels, and deal with hundreds or thousands more on the net. Speaking as a young dominatrix whose only ambition is to have enough serfs to fill Yankee Stadium, I ask you: Why do you think they call it the "world wide web?" Come into my parlour.
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