stella41b
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Joined: 10/16/2007
From: SW London (UK)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Dominasola
Is this lack of the portrayal of a positive male dominant in entertainment because of misandry? Is it because of the empowerment of the female, or because of the dehumanization of the male? Why is it okay to depict a woman flogging a man, but the opposite would be seen as abuse (even if it is consensual)?
While in part I would agree with what is written about regarding sensationalism and striving for maximum viewing figures and audiences I also feel that hardly anybody in the entertainment industry is prepared to risk jeopardizing the production through alienating their potential audience.
Indeed, this is quite a relevant subject for me right now as I'm preparing to film my own independent film project titled 'Switch' where a male slave in an M/s dynamic with a domme is alleged to have also continued (without her knowledge) a relationship with a female submissive as her male dom.
The film starts when the female submissive Becky pays an unexpected visit to the business premises of her alleged dom Paul (who is the 24/7 slave to Tina, his wife and domme, who works at his premises as his secretary). Paul is at that moment in the bathroom, so Becky first encounters Tina, who she thinks first is a secretary and she isn't sure whether it's Paul's wife/domme or not. However when Paul emerges from the bathroom he comes face to face with both Becky and Tina together which is when Becky makes her allegations of a relationship and pulls a gun on Paul and Tina.
This is a film which very much addresses the issue of misandry within the larger issue of power and control in relationships between men and women, the unique class struggle which exists in British society and also the influence the Internet has on forming interpersonal relationships.
The film has been adapted from one of my own stage plays, the gun is used as the fourth character but is used in a way which is used in a very original manner. If you are wondering how this guy could be a 24/7 slave and yet carry on a relationship with a female submissive as her male dom you are probably going to find yourself falling into the same trap as the audience who have judged him deceitful, lying, dishonest and cheating within the first five minutes of the film.
But there's more, in fact there's much more but I'm not prepared to explain what here - you're just going to have to wait and see the film which I'm hoping will be ready in April (it's an independent short, in case you're wondering). But it's a gripping film where the emotions and the relationships between the characters change from minute to minute. Watch out for it at the festivals.
The cast are all professional actors, there have been changes, and I have always been very quick to point out that any relationship with a dynamic is usually structured, contains different rituals, protocols, principles - all of which are set out, agreed upon in advance and which are adhered to by both parties, which I feel is the major difference from an abusive relationship and thus this in itself is why those who engage in such relationships, BDSM and the 'alternative lifestyle' aren't being abusive but just being 'different'.
I'm having the same conversations when working on the film as I have had when working on the stage performances and I have had to argue on a number of occasions with actresses who wanted to either wear fetishy type clothing or have some sort of visual symbols of 'kink'. There are some auditory signs within the soundtrack, but within the film there's nothing visual, no collars, no crops, no tryskellions, nothing to suggest that these people are anything other than vanilla.
This is a film aimed at a general audience, and having discussed this with the cast we have decided to come up with a film which will be perceived differently by those in the community from how those in wider society will perceive it, however the issues which are addressed in the film are issues not just relevant to the BDSM community but to wider society as a whole.
Part of the problem I feel is connected with social stigma. Social stigma to me exists when someone has an aspect or characteristic about them or their lifestyle which arouses fear or hostility in other people. It has to be said that being a heterosexual male dominant sadist carries a certain amount of social stigma, as does a heterosexual female dominant, as does a gay male, as does a transgendered female, and all have certain elements which are likely to arouse either fear or hostility in others simply for being who they are.
And it is precisely these areas of social stigma which almost invariably represent the darker, uncharted territory for much of the entertainment industry except of course when there's a need to be controversial so as to bring attention to one's production. This is why there are no positive images of the sadistic male dominant, just as there are no romantic comedies involving an interracial couple not to mention a romantic comedy involving a same sex couple, at least not in what we would regard as the mainstream entertainment industry.
It would appear that the only time that the entertainment industry shows any interest or does wander into this darker, uncharted area of stigmatized characteristics it is usually by way of supporting or even compounding an existing stigmatized social stereotype, such as the crazed serial killer who is also a sadist, so that we have a character who is stigmatized not just because they're a sadist, but also because they're a criminal so that somehow the artificial reality found in films and other forms of entertainment never quite gives us the whole picture or represents the actual reality of what is actually out there in society. Again it's for the very same reasons, to develop the plot, create the impact, attract an audience.
Misandry does exist within the community and this is simply because it also exists in wider society and this is certainly something which I'm hoping is illustrated by my film, together with the hope that in some way, for some people, yet more of the stigma attached to BDSM and authority transfer relationships is removed.
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