Read Playing on the Edge: Sadomasochism, Risk, and Intimacy Online
Authors: Staci Newmahr
research on, 154–55, 184 risk response theories, 184
role-playing, 63–64, 69–72, 78–79.
See also
play
Ronai, Carol R., 187, 199–200
rope, 3, 69, 101, 106, 179.
See also
bondage
Sacher-Masoch, Leopold von, 66 sacrificial pain, 137–38
Sade, Marquis de, 66
sadism, 18–19, 78, 132, 139
safety
edgework risks, 148–49
RACK (Risk Aware Consensual Kink), 147
SSC (Safe, Sane, and Consensual), 146–47, 154
and status, 148–49
and topping, 84–88
and trust, 89, 91–92, 150–51
and violence, 128
See also
risk safewords
defined, 208n6:2 and edgework, 184
negotiation of, 75–76
playing without safewords, 64, 151 and power exchange, 74
and “pushing limits,” 87
and redirecting the scene, 70 and trust, 90
uses of, 76–77
and violations of trust, 162–63
Scarry, Elaine, 129
scat, 63, 206n3:2
scene names, 62 scenes (SM play)
aftercare, 76, 85, 87, 151 authenticity of experience in, 71–74 communication in, 76–77
costumes in, 64, 103–104 fantasy as component of, 60–61
flow experience in, 95–97, 190–92 interruption of scenes, 151–54,
209n7:2
negotiation of parameters of, 75–76, 149–50
onlookers at public scenes, 65–66,
151–52
power exchange in, 71–74 /files/03/11/35/f031135/public/private scenes, 151–52
scene space, 149–50
structure of, 75–76
See also
play; safewords
science fiction, 9, 43, 50–52 Scott, Gini Graham, 10
Secretary
(film), 207n3:7
service submissives, 100, 112, 114
service topping, 111, 115, 117, 128, 208n5:3
sexual identity, 25, 48–50, 126
sexual violence, 198 sexuality
and access, 175
and eroticism, 126–28
and intimacy, 173, 185–86
perspective of SM as, 66–69, 201–202
as SM identity, 48–50, 126
See also
eroticism singletails, 36–37, 64, 192
SM community (Caeden SM community) overview, 5–7
as community, 7–8, 42–43
discovery narratives, 43–44, 54 fieldwork experience in, 11–14, 205n5 gender discourse in, 106
inclusion criteria, 44–46 intimacy as concept in, 173 leather scene in, 206n3:3
relationships with other scenes, 63 sexual orientations/practices in, 14,
78, 207n8
validation of marginal identity in, 37–38, 46–47
wankers as outsiders, 65–66, 206n3:4
See also
community
SM community (general), 4, 10, 146–47.
See also
community SM identification, 78–80 SM identity
essentialism as identity practice, 38, 47, 49–50, 54
and gender performance, 107–109 journey as identity practice, 49, 98, 117 maintenance of power differential,
71–72, 78–79
and marginal identity, 38, 47–48, 54–55
and sexual identity, 48–50, 126
SM performances.
See
play; scenes (SM performances)
“SM” term, 18–19
social status overview, 99–101
and edgework, 147–48, 197
and risk, 161
and spanking, 197 Society of Janus, 4 spanking, 65, 128, 196
SSC (Safe, Sane, and Consensual), 146–47, 154
Stanko, Elizabeth A., 182–84 Stear, Nils-Hennes, 61–62
Stebbins, Robert A., 83–84, 96, 98 submissive/dominant.
See
dominant/submissive subspace, 96, 190–92
switching
and gender, 109, 117, 207n11 as SM identification, 79
and status, 115, 117
tears/crying, 92, 95, 133
Tedlock, Barbara, 16 Thompson, Hunter S., 154 topping
and autotelic pain, 140
badass topping, 109–110, 114–15
benevolent dictatorship, 110–11,
114–15
”bringing back” the bottom, 91–92 and competence, 93–94
and edgework, 147–48, 150, 156–59
and efficacy, 92, 100–101
flow experience in, 96–97
and gender performance, 108, 114,
117, 208n5:2, 208n7
learning to top, 84–88 and personal growth, 94
pro-dommes (professional domina- trixes), 63, 66, 208n6
and risk, 182, 209n7:4 and “sadist” term, 78
service topping, 111, 115, 117, 208n5:3 and “SM” term, 18–19
and social status, 99–101, 147–48
”top” term, 19, 78
tops as “reaction junkies,” 77, 100 and transformed pain, 135
and trust, 161–62
See also
dominant/submissive; D/s toughness/strength, 94, 160
toys
blades/knives, 39–41, 73, 124–26
collars, 70
fids, 123–24
finger cuffs, 40
floggers, 68, 81–82, 84–86, 94,
105–106, 152, 163, 190–92
quirts, 109, 166
rope, 3, 69, 101, 106, 179
scene play defined by, 69 singletails, 36–37, 64, 192
Wartenberg wheels, 104
transformed pain, 134–37
Truscott, Carol, 127 trust
and edgework, 161–63
and gender, 182–84
and risk, 150–51
as SM social-psychological reward, 89–92
and violence/violation, 177–80
violation, 161–63, 176–80 violence
and consent, 131
erotic-violent dualism, 126–30,
142–43
and intimacy, 176–80, 209n6
and medical/sports discourse, 141–42 nonconsensual violence, 175–76
sexual violence, 198
voyeurism, 175
Walklate, Sandra, 182
wankers, 65–66, 206n3:4
Wartenberg wheels, 104 Weinberg, Martin, 206n3 Weinberg, Thomas, 63, 66–67
West, Candace, 29, 107 whips
floggers, 68, 81–82, 84–86, 94,
105–106, 152, 163, 190–92
quirts, 109, 166
singletails, 36–37, 64, 192
Wilkins, Amy C., 35, 38, 116
Williams, C. J., 63, 66–67, 206n3
women.
See
femininity; feminism; gender Zussman, Robert, 10
Staci Newmahr is an ethnographer. Her work plays with intersections of risk, eroticism, and gender. She is currently Assistant Professor of Sociology at Buffalo State College.