Two Smiles
This is a post about two smiles:
Those are the two smiles of the lovely Sarah Blake, who does bondage modeling for Hogtied.com. I want you to look at those smiles and study the differences between them. No matter if you’re kinky or vanilla (but especially if you’re vanilla) I want you to remember those smiles the next time you hear a preacher or a politician ranting and raving against the evils of sadomasochism, sexual depravity, and sadistic abuse. He’s talking about Sarah and her delicious, joyful smile.
All the pictures in this post come from this shoot, which you can view for yourself if you want to see Sarah tied up and, er, entertained, in some astonishing ways. I’m not going to reproduce those pictures here, although I will be describing the entertainment. All I’m showing you are her smiles (and one gasp of ecstasy.)
Let’s start with the first smile:
This is the “before” picture, taken at the beginning of the photo shoot. It’s a pretty smile — Sarah’s a pretty woman — but it’s a professional model’s smile. A little bit forced, a lot posed, and as artificial as a flower arrangement. This could be the yearbook photo, the portfolio photo, even the drivers license photo. This smile started when Sarah was young, and you can still see in it the obedient girl who learned what to do when the nice man behind the camera told her to smile.
Sarah covers a lot of kinky miles between that smile and the next one.
If you view more of the shoot, you’ll see Sarah with her ankles crossed and tied in front of her chin. Her miniskirt has puddled around her hips, but her panties are still on, so it’s a fairly innocent bondage image. Sarah’s wild ride is just beginning.
Moving rapidly along, we soon see her in the same pose without her undies, with a glass vacuum jar firmly secured to her tenderest bits. The ride accelerates; in another view, she’s on her knees wearing a heavy wooden set of stocks, with her pony tail tied back to — is there a nicer word for this device? — a butt hook that’s securely hooked in (you guessed it) her butt. The rear view of the same scene shows some welts where she’s been caned.
Moving along. In the next view, she’s been stood up, and a metal-pipe-and-ball-gag arrangement has been affixed to her wooden stocks to complicate her life. Some nipple clips with heavy round lead fishing weights are being clamped onto her nipples. When the cameraman steps back, we can see that she’s balanced on tiptoes, with a pole-and-dildo arrangement to encourage her to stay there.
The next couple of photos show a new scene, with Sarah on her stomach in a tight hogtie on two butcher-block tables. Her hands and feet are pressed and tied together, there’s a suspension rope around her elbows pulling her up in what have to be uncomfortable ways, and she’s wearing a red ball gag in a harness that’s making her drool.
*CLICK* Now she’s on her side, in rope bondage, with clothespins on her nipples and a big vibrator working her tender bits.
*CLICK* Now she’s in suspension — an astonishing upside-down posture that looks like gymnastics, only much sexier. Still with clothespins on her nipples.
Moving on. The website describes and explains the next scene thusly:
Sarah also has a tragic secret, she cannot stop cumming if she is stuck on a vibrator. So viewers, be warned! The last scene is a long intense forced orgasm scene until Sarah is vibrated senseless.
What we see is a hard wooden chair with a big vibrator duct-taped to it. Sarah’s strapped onto the chair (and the vibrator) with some well-worn and very-impressive-looking leather belts. She’s clearly enjoying herself, if a bit lost in the sensation:
So what’s been the point of all this lurid description? Quite simply this. Unless you’re a serious bondage fiend, someone who plays hard and invests serious time and money into your dungeon equipment, I’ve probably described more than you’re comfortable with. If you’ve got no interest in bondage, if you’ve never even seen a pair of fuzzy handcuffs, you might be pretty horrified by most of what I’ve described. If you’ve played at bedroom bondage, own one pair of cuffs and a riding crop, you might be fascinated by some of the pictures but scared or repelled by others of them. If you’re seriously kinky and have a home dungeon of your own, you might appreciate most or all the photos, but even then there’s probably something that’s not quite your cup of tea, or that’s too risky or troublesome to be worth trying in your book. But, whereever you fall on that spectrum, and however sincerely you might say of one of the depicted activities “that’s not for me”, I want you to focus on the last picture in the photoset, Sarah wearing nothing but her rope marks. Here’s Sarah’s exhausted-but-exhilarated second smile:
That’s not just a smile, it’s a grin. There’s more joy and enthusiasm and life in that photo than there is in a dozen of the professional smiles we saw at the top. Sarah, despite having suffered through some intensely uncomfortable bondage positions, has had a wonderful time.
And that visible joy, my friends, is what the Grundies want to kill when they rail against “sadism, masochism, and abuse.” I suppose they don’t even know about the joy — they may honestly think it’s all about objectification and degradation and money and feelthy perverts — but I don’t want you, dear readers, to have the same excuse. You’ve seen the two smiles. Now you know.
The next time you hear somebody railing against the feelthy perverts, you’re to remember the smiles. Even if the specific activity under discussion grosses you out, because it’s not your kink and you can’t understand why it could be anyone’s, remember the smiles. Remember Sarah’s visible joy. We don’t need to understand or appreciate a kink to understand that smile.
Similar Sex Blogging:
Shorter URL for sharing: https://www.erosblog.com/?p=1614
Wow. I always enjoy your commentary, and often learn something from it (such as not realizing how Brett & Hiromi’s abdication would be destructive) but this was beautiful. I linked to it on my blog, and would like to reference it in the next rope weekly, if you don’t mind. It’s such a clear and concise explanation of why we think Gonzales & Crew are doing wrong, in the name of right.
See? I can’t even phrase it right. But you did. Nice job.
I’ve deleted two comments already from someone that didn’t realize he’s a Grundy, and banned his moralizing ass. Keep it polite and on the topic, or keep it to yourself.
Oh, too late. Aphrodite killed the posts I was referring to. :D
[And I killed some more comments, including your first response — hence this edit. Apologies, LibraryGirl. I appreciate your sentiments, but I prefer not to engage folks who aren’t willing to abide by the fundamental ErosBlog editorial policy of respect for the sexual choices of others. And once I’ve deleted their posts, it’s neither fair nor tidy to leave responses to the deleted posts. I hope you’ll understand. — Bacchus]
“gynastics?” Deliberate or unintentional?
LOL, oopsie, an accident if you can believe it. Fixing now.
Hi, folks. Since I’ve had to delete 8 or 9 troll comments so far, plus a couple of good-hearted but ill-advised attempts to argue with them, I thought I’d give you a scorecard of sorts to know the players by. If you see these critters or their ilk in these parts again, please ignore them until I can get ’em deleted.
The bottom line is that one or two persons using several different identities and numerous emails and IP addreses have posted condemning both BDSM and homosexuality on various discredited grounds. “They” (it’s almost certainly one person, or two persons sharing one computer) also called Aphrodite a rude name when she deleted “their” first posts. “Their” claims are ludicrous stuff, including claims like “BDSM enthusiasts simply can’t practice safe sex” and “Homosexual unions simply destroy the lives of children.” “They” are now posting comments complaining about being banned.
I know I’m feeding the troll a bit with this update, but I wanted to explain why you may have seen many disconnected comments appear and disappear today. If you see any more in this vein, please ignore them; they will vanish soon.
here, here.
Or is that hear, hear?
Whatever.
Awesome post.
Heh, you’ve made the point beautifully, and that was a nice analysis. Though i’m pretty much a “vanilla” guy (i think my instant reaction after opening the link was a shocked expression (like this one i guess: :crazy: ) accompanied by the sound of “GAH!” :D ) i’ve always respected other people’s preferences (believe me, you’ve gotta do it if you wanna hang around some parts on irc chats), but hadn’t ever been so clearly exposed to the joy part of the equation. Will have it in mind.
A very good head to toe analysis of the photoset. I’ll be interested in reading other reviews in the future. Cheers!
What a brilliant post. Very, very nicely done. I would never have thought about handling that subject quite the right way, but you’ve done a particularly skillful job of setting mood and making a very good point.
See, none of that is my cup of tea. Ultimately, I’m a pretty vanilla girl with some curiosity about “the dark side,” and I’ll go there, but it’s gonna take a special kind of guy.
THAT said, I doubt I’ll ever go anywhere near the same block, if even the same postal code as what you’ve described — but I’ll never judge it.
I may use a judgmental word like “weird” or something, but that’s just an opinion. Ultimately, what happens behind doors for consenting adults is no one else’s business. I agreed with what you said politically in your interview, and I agree with what you’ve said now.
And no matter what anyone else says, there’s absolutely no way anyone can argue that bondage and discipline are not, at their very heart, about trust. Giving it and receiving it. Everything else is essentially perception.
wow … very good post!
Well done, Bacchus.
As a professor of rhetorical writing, I have to say you’ve made a very convincing argument.
And as a happy little perv, I have to say you’ve made me look forward to my next D/s scene, which happens to be today.
kissykiss,
cg
(and thanks for the fleshbotting goodness)
Since I’m one of those “feelthy perverts,” I can only thank you for presenting our side of a truly nasty controversy. I believe that anything goes, sexually, among consenting adults. But I don’t try to impose my beliefs on others, and I wish they would stop trying to impose theirs on me!
I’ve met some of the people at cybernetentertainment.com, including some of the models.
They find models and tops who *enjoy* what they’re doing. It’s one of the best porn sites out there, if not *the* best.
nicely done!
I guess I live in my own little BDSM loving bubble, cause I’ve honestly never seen anyone rail against it. A friends bible thumping ex-wife once said of my interests simply “That’s wrong” but that’s as far as it’s ever gone, and thought I’m certain there are people who could write dissertations against it, again, I haven’t seen it. I actually kind of WANT to see someone go on and on about the evils of BDSM. It might be a fun/funny read :D
Although I agree with your general point here (and thanks for the lovely photos), I don’t think you can use porn (or this particular photo series) as evidence for anything.
Porn may be hot and genuine, but it’s also subject to manipulation. We really don’t know what’s going on here (especially since we are only looking at photos). The public face of porn might be much difficult than the private face of it.
The “problem with porn” is that it causes you to doubt the authenticity of experience and emotions, and that is bad. True, a lot of homegrown porn has become more convincing, but I think the fetish/bondage stuff the viewer never really knows (I remember some Hollywood credo about faking sincerity).
I’m not really taking a moralizing stand here (at least I hope I’m not); rather I’m simply saying that we can’t impute anything to a photo or multimedia specimen. It just is.
What a wonderful thing to say…I’m smiling now too.
And what an incredible model. And who doesn’t just love a “Forced Orgasm,” anyway? Most Americans seem to be in a state of “Forced Stifle.”
Susie
That is a stunning smile, and a very good piece of writing there. You nailed it exactly. The images appear to be suffering, but you look in her face and you see joy.
Thank you.
Now I have to go back and look at that again.
SIGH. I want her job. Oh. Uhh… Good post, Bacchus :)
Thank you so much for this analysis.
Next time somebody tries to prove how badly abused I am (and all the spanking models along with me), I’ll just point them here.
That second smile says everything!
Smile smile … sorry … i remember a lot of others things, but not her smile ;)
Bacchus,
Thanks for such a great post on this topic! I’m going to link to it from my blog. I’ve been meaning to write something along these lines and couldn’t possibly do a better job of it. The comparison of before and after smiles is not only a nice rhetorical device, but it makes your point in an obvious, compelling and visible way.
I’ve encountered a fair number of people who don’t get it when it comes to BDSM, but who can argue with the smiles above? Or with someone’s right to smile them? (okay, obviously the people who had their comments deleted, but yeesh).
Nice one!
I want to be the one tied to that chair with the giant vibe forced in between my lips. Mmmmm, lovely…
I want to thank everyone for their kind words and for linking to this post. I had a lot of fun putting this post together, but I wasn’t expecting it to strike such a chord! I’m glad you all enjoyed it.
Wow, now there’s a woman who’s in the right place, doing the right thing, at the right time for her. The look of joy-filled contentment on her face said it all. Thank you for this post, powerful stuff.
She’s obviously more relaxed in the second picture.
Having the shame that I associate with sex taken away and the control that I crave given has the same effect on me.
I don’t know what her motives for taking part are but the end result look the same. A relaxed, almost hysterically happy person.
It’s a happy place I know well and this is a brilliant post.
Hapax, I appreciate your comment, but I think you’ve fundamentally misconstrued what I’m trying to do here. I’m engaged in an interpretive enterprise, not trying to prove anything. I look at the photos, I interpret them, I say what I see, and then I make an argument based on that.
It’s perfectly legitimate for you to look at the same photo, decide that you mistrust it for whatever reason, or see something else than what I see, and decide that you won’t agree with my argument for that reason. However, I don’t agree with your blanket claim that because “we are only looking at photos” we can’t learn anything. In fact, I utterly reject your suggestion that no interpretion of porn photos is possible or worthwhile.
I think I’ve felt that grin on my face many a time thanks to you, Bacchus. ;)
Bacchus, I read your blog daily (even though this is the first time that I’m actually commenting here) and you deserve a huge pat (or smack? ;) ) on the back for this post! Thank you for putting this out there. You’re a legend.
It may interest non-UK readers that such images will, almost certainly, be illegal in the UK in the next few years.
http://www.home...0805/
Thank you for the site B.
All the best.
WM
I’m afraid I can’t join the chorus of congratulatory remarks on this one. While I usually enjoy and appreciate the posts on this blog, I thought this one was rather trite and misguided.
Pornography is people getting paid to act like they’re having fun doing things to turn you on. It is not reality. I don’t share your confidence in your ability to look at someone’s facial expression and say whether he or she is actually experiencing enjoyment. Thus, using this evaluation to try to advance an argument seems a bit strange.
“Pornography is people getting paid to act like they’re having fun doing things to turn you on.”
Unless, of course, it’s BDSM pornography, in which case we’re paid to act like we’re suffering grievously, when in fact we’re having fun.
It’s true I don’t know for sure why she’s smiling.
Maybe it’s because she’s just been handed a huge wad of money.
Maybe it’s relief at being freed
Maybe, just maybe it was an amazing experience for her.
I also don’t think all BDSM pornography is ‘good pornography’and everyone involved in it is as happy as Larry.
But I do know why I smile like that and the pictures capture the essence of it.
I can’t say I’m absolutely sure why she’s smiling, but unless I’ve been reading people’s faces wrong for a lot of years, that smile is just what you say, Bacchus — the satisfied smile of a young woman who had a good time. I think I also detect some pride of accomplishment in that smile, too. She finished a strenuous, challenging session and did it very well.
Thanks for a great post, and for having the insight to make this observation.
There’s one other thing I like about that final photo. The session is over, the ropes and straps are off, but she’s happily smiling and still naked. She hasn’t made a mad dash for the nearest towel to cover up. She has a great body that just performed admirably and she’s showing justifiable pride by staying naked for a few more moments.
I’d like to start off by saying, excellent post. I live in a extremely conservative, bible-thumping Texas city (college town)town (me being the liberal, non-Christian somewhat kinky sore thumb type) and its nice to stick my head out and find some common sense. every now and then.
And I have to say, to all the skeptics out there, I didn’t look at the gallery (not my kink, and I have a roommate), but that smile says it all. Its hard to fake a smile like that.
Thanks for sharing, Very Very nice
I’ve just started my blog, as I’ve just started my own sexual journey, but I’m linking to this post as well. I thought it was brilliant. Thank you.
Amen, Bacchus! Thanks for your insightful article!
Nice analysis. The girl is ought to be proud of herself.
Hogtied is and always has been a class site. Right from it’s early days, the quality of the photography, the locations, the choice of models has always been of the highest standards and Sarah Blake is no exception. I sincerely hope they will continue and not be forced to close in the light of the present legislation
I stumbled on your website after doing a google search for “O face” and was shocked when I read this entry.
In a good way.
BDSM has always been portrayed as this seedy, weird thing but reading that entry has shown me how (for lack of a better word) cool it could be. The classy commentary was equally ‘cool’
Thanks for the great read!
Adding my kudos for a great post. That grin is more than just a clue for others…When I feel myself grinning like that, I make a mental note to do more of whatever it was that made me smile like that.
I’m hoping to start my own one-woman positive-self-reinforcement intervention…