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Firehorse
Productions, Inc. and Midori's Newsletter
February 05, 2003
Table
of contents:
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dear
Readers...
Thanks for coming to my parties!
I want to thank each and every one of you who came to the parties
at Bondage a Go Go to launch the new site BeautyBound.com
and for the Bondage Model contest.
Wow,
that was wild!
I saw
old friends, dear friends, and really amazing people. And got to
do speed bondage art on many gorgeous women (giggle ... this is
not a bad career choice!) I was joking that I felt like I was part
of the Iron Bondage Master Competition. You know, like "Iron
Chef".
Hey,
maybe there's a game concept to that! Hee hee hee!
The
women who showed up as contestants were amazing. First prize went
to a very flexible Finnish gal named Rachel Flame. More on that
and photos from that at another time and on BeautyBound.com.
The Judges had fun too!
Thanks
to pervy photog king Eric Kroll, babe shooter extraordinnaire Craig
Morey and Tchukon of Madame S/Mr. S!
Then
there was the photo exhibit reception
at Madame S.
I've never seen that place so packed! It was fantastic that folks
dressed up so elegantly and/or fetishy for that. They've just opened
the top level to create a special section for kinky and intense
toys. I'm looking forward to seeing that develop. Oh, and Tchukon
announced the date for the San Francisco Fetish Ball. It'll be April
26th. You heard it here first!
(Confession: To tell you the truth we were busy hanging photos on
the wall until that very afternoon. Oops!)
The photos will be up through the end of March, so I hope you'll
stop by and check it out.
A huge
thanks to Team Midori for making this such a great event; Bailey,
David, Frank, Joseph, Kyle, Lane, Loki, Michelle, Molly, Nija, Peter,
and Shane. (In alphabetical order!) Thanks to the crew of Bondage
a Go Go and Madame S / Mr. S for making the parties possible.
Michael Blue and I are eternally grateful.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
New
Essay Draft
Here's another draft of an article for your reading pleasure.
Sometimes the program I use to send out these eNewsletters do odd
things with the font, so if a few things look strange, please forgive
the tech gremlins.
Column
Title: "Babylon Bound" Originally written for and appearing
in Spectator
magazine.
Copyright: Midori October 15, 2002
Working
Title: Kink Globalism: Do They Do It Like We Do It? – Not
Exactly. . . Do pervs and kinksters do it the same way everywhere?
If you hail from San Francisco, the Mecca of kink, would there be
any point to go elsewhere to seek your pleasure? Is there a "best
place" for your particular predilections?
I've
been globe trotting and jet setting again. London, Copenhagen, New
York, Dallas, etc... Soon I'm off to Bangkok, Canada and more...
As affordable air travel and the Internet bring us potentially closer
to one another in body and mind, we become more and more aware of
regional differences. The closer we're brought together the more
starkly the distance is illuminated. Thus I bring you tales and
observations from pervy lands far, far away... and some in our very
own back yard.
Consider this simply a mid-journey dispatch. This essay certainly
can't be treated as a final treatise on state of perv around the
globe and the States. After all, there are so many more places to
visit, people to play with and dungeons to lurk in!
OK, So here's the reader's digest version. The Brits know how to
party. The Europeans gets the sex bit. Americans fill the classrooms.
The East Coast finesses D/s. The West seeks the spirituality in
SM. The South ups the anti on hospitality. Dallas brings communities
together. Most places, whether in the States or over seas, rely
on the strong leadership or charisma of a few dedicated folks and
beloved personalities.
Read on for more details...
I suppose it's because I'm an educator, one of the most prominent
difference I noticed between North America (both Canada and US)
and other countries, is the prominence of organized and formalized
education about BDSM. SM in major cities have been, historically,
more communal in nature in the US, led by the gay men's leather
/ Levi club tradition from post WW II as well as large and publicly
accessible social clubs such as The Eulenspiegel Society and Society
of Janus in existence from the 1970s. In these social groupings
members taught one another on new skills. Americans also have a
culture that encourages group seminars for just about everything
from wallpaper stenciling, financial management to better fisting
techniques.
This is not to say that knowledge is not passed along in other countries,
such as UK, Europe and Japan. It seems to be done so more privately.
While there seemed to be some grumbling about the format of American
style SM classes where it's brightly lit, public classes with a
clear delineation between students and teacher, there has been a
steady history private clubs and selective or secretive social groups
where members share knowledge with one another. In such surroundings
the flow of knowledge is intimate and preserves the mystery and
magic as well as the sexual charge of kink. After all, the down
side to the American style, openly accessible and public classes
is that often the lectures may seem dry, technical, asexual and,
well... like a "lecture." This may be due to several factors.
The more publicly accessible the SM education efforts are, the more
they fall under the scrutiny of general populace concerns and local
/ regional / national legal restrictions. This would not be the
case for a private group meeting secretively in private residences.
To ameliorate the legal concerns, American clubs must often remove
obviously sexual activity from classes, socials and play parties.
Penetration may not be allowed. Nudity may be frowned upon. Genital
contact my not be permissible. In such a situation the only tool
that may be left to presenter is the ability to incite the imagination
to keep the presentation from drying out and simply becoming a technical
presentation, rivaled only by engineering conferences.
This
is unfortunate, as it may send the mistaken message to attendees
that SM is technically intimidating and lacking in erotic charge.
This misrepresentation may also dovetail into the general ambivalence
that Americans feel around sex. For all the sexual images in the
media, we seem to be a culture that vilifies sex and celebrates
violence. A Danish friend of mine marveled at the seeming contradiction
of the power and relevance of American Freedom of Speech coexisting
with a sexual code of conduct that still seems to echo the 17th
century roots of the country. He's got a point.
On the other hand, issues around safety may be more problematic
in countries where the seminar culture is not prevalent. At many
play parties and fetish events overseas I've seen techniques and
sexual practices that would be considered high risk over here. Do
we strangle and stifle our pleasures into the low-risk mire of Safe-Sane-Consensual
play or do we grasp the fleeting pleasure and mystery for risk,
disease and death later? Continual cultural exchange will, hopefully,
lead us to strike a sensible balance between safety and adventure.
As
mentioned above, events and parties in Europe seem to be far more
sexual than the ones here. Along with a revved up sexuality, they
also dress for the occasion. People really take the time to dress
for pleasure in the UK and Europe.
A smashing party I attended in Denmark, called Manifest,
was full of tall beautiful Scandinavians clad in fanciful latex
dresses and uniforms. (They're all tall. I felt Lilliputian among
them!) Unlike the States, the men also dress to the hilt at these
events.
At Manifest I saw something I had never seen at a mainly heterosexual
event. They had a "Black Room." The gay male readers are
quite familiar with the concept of a Black Room. Some of the dyke
readers who've been to Throb parties in New York may have experienced
this as well. It's an utterly lightless room, located at the backs
of sex clubs and dungeons, where entering it is consenting to anonymous
sex. It's a room filled with pheromone, desire, sex juices, taboo,
anonymity, sucking, fucking and more. The other spaces, such as
the moodily lit dungeon had lots of sex as well. Later on in the
evening there was sex going on right on the dance floor.
In the UK, it's also sensual but the focus is on the hot pounding
music and amazing fetish fashions.
The Rubber Ball, the annual fetish party of all fetish party, and
its younger, rowdier and naughtier sibling, the monthly Torture
Garden fetish parties are the crëme de la crëme of fetish
events.
The parties go until early mornings, then there are the after parties
and after-after parties. The DJ's spin super high-NRG stuff with
great light shows. Small stages all around are filled with cage
dancers, burlesque acts, and wild fire-eaters. The Brits and the
Europeans, with their long tradition of carnivals, masquerades and
professional crowd pleasers, know how to put on a party that wards
off the long cold nights.
The outfits are simply out of this world. People prepare for months
ahead to strut their stuff. The fetish designers are kept busy and
on their toes to continue to come up with new and exciting bespoke
fashion visions and recreations of the self for their demanding
customers.
Even within the US, there are some striking regional differences
that I've observed. Obviously these are not absolutes. They are
simply my observations. Some of these patterns, however, are shifting
as major events in a particular area draw presenters and players
from all over the country, such as DC's Black Rose and San Jose's
Folsom Fringe.
One region's style will influence players from another area and
they'll take that back home, which certainly changes or influences
their local styles. I've noticed that in the East Coast heavily
ritualized and formal D/s is very prevalent. Strict contracts between
the dominant and submissives are not uncommon and the classes and
discussions on contract writing and formal service protocol are
quite popular.
This may reflect the more formalized and European influenced class/caste
system and formality present on the East Coast in general. In the
more populist and rebellious West Coast, the social relationship
preferred seems to be more fluid and even vaguely suspicious of
overly regimented Ds dynamics.
The West Coasters seem to dive head long into intense physical sensations
and find a natural connection between the soul and spirituality
with intensely physical SM. Perhaps this is the influence of Asia
and the residue of 1960's mysticism.
My few trips into the South and the Bible Belt have shown me that
they up the anti in terms of hospitality. Their dinners, events,
receptions and club activities are often planned carefully and elegantly.
They consider the comforts of guest and create an atmosphere for
celebration. I also noticed in certain Bible Belt communities such
as Richmond VA and Dallas, the often disparate communities-within-communities,
come together in unexpected ways.
Here I have seen gay men, dykes, pans and hets working closely together
as organizations and individuals to make events happen. I've also
seen this in Colorado and Utah. This leads me to believe what a
sub of mine, who had spent some time in the South, observed. The
more oppressive the social climate of the surrounding area, the
more likely it is that the various 'freaks' and pervs will put aside
their differences to mingle and collaborate with one another. This
makes a lot of sense to me.
One thing that's common to all the areas I've visited is the power
of personal leadership and individual charisma. In each region there's
a person or a small group of core people who get things done. Sometimes
they're community volunteers such as Lolita in New York, Mark and
Dean in Dallas and Ms. Twisted in Austin. Business partners / party
promoter par excellence like Allen and David of Torture Garden,
Stig of Manifest Denmark, Demask / Europerv of Amsterdam become
the focal point in other places.
Publications such as Skin Two with its solid team of Tim Woodward
and crew become the style mavens to a whole population set.
Events and clubs such as Richmond Leather Club, South Plains Leather
Fest, Thunder In The Mountains, the Wet Spot of Seattle rally activism
and action.
Personalities like Daddy Alan Selby of San Francisco, Master A of
Utah, Master Steve Samson and Fakir Musafar may inspire simply by
being honest to their passions.
The power of personality is profound, and their influences are stronger
and longer impacting than rules, policies or regulations.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
318
New Photos up on BeautyBound.com (Phew, I'm tired!)
Ok, I released a bunch of new photos today on BeautyBound.com.
1. Just released "Sinnamon Love finds Headspace I" to
New Images Gallery. Gorgeous and deliciously submissive, she's bound
and suspended... then undone in an abandoned basement. Hauntingly
sexy.
2. Released the new "Events Gallery" where we feature
the actions and candid shots from various kinky events Midori travels
to.
You'll find photos from demo suspensions with Claire Adams - BondCon
Las Vegas 2003, Seven - BondCon Las Vegas 2003, and Gwendoline -
BondCon Las Vegas 2003, and Misc. BondCon Las Vegas 2003 (Kumi being
nutty, the hallway from "The Shining," Shane looking fetching
for a lighting test, and Midori being butch. Again.)
3. Will release James Mogul of nawashibari.com as featured artist
tomorrow. That'll be hot! Stay tuned!
Let me know what you think of them...
Oh, and as ever, the Beauty Board discussion forum is free... I'm
trying to get that up and going for the bondage lovin' folks.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
See
you in Toronto this weekend and Atlanta next
A brief summary of Toronto and Atlanta classes and appearances.
(What a contrast in weather and geography!)
** Toronto**
Introduction to Japanese Rope Bondage
Friday, February 7, 2003 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm
$30.00 (Canadian $)
@ Come
As You Are
Flogging 101: Hands-On Workshop
Saturday, February 8, 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm
586 Yonge St, Toronto
(416) 972-1037.
@ NorthBound
Leather
The Art of Feminine Dominance
Sunday February 9, 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm
$30
@ Come
As You Are
Seduction by Voice & Erotic Storytelling
Monday February 10, 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm
$30
@ Come
As You Are
Love Hurts! Kinky Valentines with Midori
Friday, February 14th and Saturday, February 15th
Bondage and SM performance at the kinky night club, The
Chamber
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hope to see you guys in my travels!
Midori
With pervy wishes
Midori
P.S. If you want to read my past eNewsletters, click on "archived"
in the menu to the left.
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