DOMINATRIX

A 'dominatrix' (from the Latin ''dominatrix'', meaning a female ruler or mistress; plural ''dominatrices'' or ''dominatrixes'') or 'mistress' is a woman who takes the dominant role in bondage and discipline, domination and submission or sado-masochistic sexual practices, which are commonly abbreviated as BDSM. The male equivalent is Master. A common form of address for a submissive to a dominatrix is "Mistress", "Ma'am" or "Maîtresse". Note that a dominatrix does not necessarily dominate a male partner; a dominatrix may well have a female submissive.
The term "'Domme'" (IPA:dm) is a coined pseudo-French female variation of the slang ''Dom'' (short for ''dominant''). There is confusion on its pronunciation, with some pronouncing it identically to ''Dom'' and some pronouncing the final ''e'' as a second syllable, e.g. saying ''dom-MAY'' or ''DOM-may''. The correct pronunciation is identical to ''Dom'', by analogy to one-syllable French-derived words like ''femme'' or ''blonde''.
Older woman-younger man relationships are much more common in female dominant relationships than among vanilla couples.

Contents

Professional versus lifestyle dominatrices

Dominatrices in popular culture

Historical dominatrices

Fictional dominatrices

In novels and short stories

In films

On television

In comics

In games

Dominatrices in media

Dominatrices in music

See also

Books

External links

Professional versus lifestyle dominatrices

The term ''dominatrix'' is often used to describe a professional dominant woman (or ''pro-domme'') who charges money to engage in fantasy play with submissive clients. In reality most dominatrices are not professionals, but lifestyle dominants. A lifestyle dominant is a person who is assertive and in control of their relationships both inside and outside the bedroom.
Women who engage in female domination recreationally are known as Dommes, Dominatrices, or simply Dominants. A high percentage of dominants are lifestyle dominants, but some simply play the dominatrix role because it is a high-paying profession.
It is common for professional dominatrices who are also lifestyle Dommes to have both paying clients and a "personal slave" or slaves, who are not paying clients. A personal slave will typically perform a Domme's housework and run errands for her. A personal slave may or may not live with his or her Domme. Professional dominants most frequently do not engage in any form of sexual contact with their paying customers, as this can be construed as prostitution in some places. Outside of their life as a pro-domme, they may engage in sexual behavior with a devoted slave, or not, as they choose. A common form of domination involves chastity where a dominant controls her slaves' sexual access, sometimes keeping them locked in a chastity device except for rare occasions.
The stereotyped image of a dominatrix is of a woman wearing a rubber or leather catsuit and thigh-length boots with high heels or, in a more elegant and teasing mode, black lingerie, stockings and high heels, or some combination of these two alternatives. Many professional dominatrices do indeed wear similar outfits for their work in order to meet client expectations. However, for non-professional dominatrices, the question "What does a dominatrix wear?" is best answered "Whatever she likes!"

Dominatrices in popular culture

Historical dominatrices

★ The 19th-century British dominatrix Mrs Theresa Berkley, inventor of the Berkley Horse.

★ Monique Von Cleef 1925-2005, famous Dutch American dominatrix and founder of The House of Pain.

Fictional dominatrices

In novels and short stories

★ The novel ''Venus in Furs'', by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, deals with a man who is so besotted with a woman he becomes her sex slave. Also, the song of the same name by the Velvet Underground deals with the same subject matter.

★ The White Witch Jadis in ''The Magician's Nephew'' by C.S. Lewis has many characteristics of a dominatrix.

★ The novel ''Ulysses'' by James Joyce includes a dominatrix named ''Bella Cohen'', from whose hands the protagonist Leopold Bloom suffers from in the episode Circe.

★ In the short story ''Valtiatar Artemis'' (Mistress Artemis) there is a dominatrix who has come from space. ''Valtiatar Artemis'' is included in the anthology ''Athena-Artemis''.

In films

★ Dana Delany portrayed a dominatrix in the film ''Exit to Eden''.

★ The film ''Preaching to the Perverted'', starring Guinevere Turner, depicts a dominatrix.

★ The film ''Eating Raoul'' features Doris the Dominatrix, who, when off the job, is a married mother.

★ The film ''Maîtresse'', starring Gérard Depardieu and Bulle Ogier, depicted a professional dominant.

★ In the 1993 film ''Love and Human Remains'', Mia Kirshner received a Genie nomination for her role as the dominatrix and psychic Benita.

★ The 1999 film ''Payback'', features Lucy Liu as the dominatrix Pearl.

★ In the film EuroTrip, Cooper Harris has an encounter with a dominatrix during the night when the group visits Amsterdam.

★ Maleficent in the 1959 Disney film Sleeping Beauty is much like a dominatrix in her appearance and her imprisonment and taunting of Prince Phillip.

★ Angelina Jolie plays a dominatrix in a scene of ''Mr. and Mrs. Smith'' in which, to her customer's delight, she reveals a PVC outfit.

★ In ''American Wedding'', one of the strippers in the bachelor party is a dominatrix.

★ In ''Tomcats'', the librarian is also a dominatrix.

★ In Moulin Rouge! there is a dominatrix can can dancer

On television

★ The television drama '' has featured a recurring professional dominatrix character, Lady Heather, who is depicted in a sympathetic manner.

★ Maisy Gibbons acts as a dominatrix for her client Rex Van De Kamp in ''Desperate Housewives''.

★ In ''Addams Family Values'' Morticia has many dominatrix attributes.

★ In a Season I episode of the TV drama House MD entitled Love Hurts, a patient, Harvey, takes pleasure in the pain inflicted on him by his dominatrix friend, Anette.

In comics

★ Several of the stories in the comic book series ''Sin City'' feature the character of Gail, a prostitute and dominatrix whose speciality is knot-tying. She is one of the authority figures in Old Town, a part of the city run by female prostitutes. In the movie adaptation, she is played by Rosario Dawson.

★ The popular DC comic books character Catwoman bears a strong dominatrix motif: her stylized mask, the skintight outfit and the whip, in combination with her strong-willed and at the same time sultry personality are the most striking of these characteristics.

In games

★ In the MMORPG ''Ragnarok Online'', the ''Zealotus'' monster appears in the Underprison levels of the Glast Heim dungeon. She wears a mask that covers half of her face, sports a whip, and can summon several 'Injustice' monsters to attack players.

★ In the ''Soul Calibur'' fighting games, the character of Ivy Valentine is thought of by players as a dominatrix with her bondage clothing, whip-like weapon, and some suggestive attack names (Spiral Dominance, Pleasure Change, and Mistress' Justice).

★ The character Sofia in the ''Battle Arena Toshinden'' fighting games resembles a dominatrix in her clothing, taunts, and use of a whip.

★ The real-time strategy game Dungeon Keeper 2 features the Mistress as a minion that you as the Dungeon Keeper can recruit - visually, they are portrayed as dominatrices in black leather with a whip.

★ The Tyranid race from the Warhammer 40,000 game refers briefly to units known as the "Dominatrix" who are believed to be in control of the many groups of Tyranids in the universe.

★ In the MMORPG World of Warcraft, the Warlock's Succubus pet is portrayed as a dominatrix.

★ In GTA San Andreas, Mille Perkins, one of CJ's girlfriends is fond of BDSM and in "Key To Her Heart" CJ dresses himself as a dominator
in order to convince her to give him her keycard to facilitate his robbery of Caligula's Palace.

Dominatrices in media

★ The American author, sex therapist, and counselor Gloria Brame is also a lifestyle dominant.

★ The French professional dominatrix Maîtresse Françoise (pen name Annick Foucault) has written a book about her experiences as a dominatrix

★ Ilsa Strix is a Los Angeles based professional dominatrix who has appeared in female domination videos and has been romantically linked to ''The Matrix'' creator Larry Wachowski.

★ Professional dominatrix Mistress Matisse is also a columnist for the Seattle weekly alternative.

★ Georgia Payne is a Los Angeles based professional dominatrix who wrote a handbook on using dominatrix techniques to spice up a romantic relationship.

★ Ms. Venus Divine is an internationally known professional dominatrix who produces and appears in female domination videos.

Dominatrices in music

★ "Touch, Peel and Stand" by Days of the New

★ "Blood, Sex and Booze" by Green Day

★ "Dominated Love Slave" by Green Day

★ "S&M Airlines" by NOFX

★ "Cool and Unusual Punishment" by NOFX

★ "Erotica" by Madonna

★ "The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight" by Dominatrix

★ "Computer Blue" by Prince

See also

★ Female domination

★ Professional dominant

★ Fetishes (documentary)

★ Session wrestler

★ Domina

Books

★ Tomi Ungerer: ''Schutzengel der Hölle'', Diogenes 1986, ISBN 3257020163

★ Annick Foucault: ''Françoise maîtresse'', Gallimard 1994, ISBN 2070738345

★ Shawna Kenney: ''I Was a Teenage Dominatrix: A Memoir'', Last Gasp 2002, ISBN 0867195304

External links

★ The Dominatrix in Print and Other Media — detailed bibliography

★ It's a living: Dominatrix — professional domme article

★ "I Was a Teenage Dominatrix" — professional domme article from ''Salon'' about award-winning author Shawna Kenney, who put herself through American University working as a dominatrix

★ Internet Movie DataBase — dominatrix-appearances in films

★ Mistress Damiana Chi - Los Angeles Based Dominatrix

★ Yahoo Dominatrix Media Groups — Yahoo FemDom-Media Communities