Bondage
Related: BDSM - damsel in distress - erotica - fetish erotica - fetishism - Japanese bondage - sexual objectification - sadomasochism
Varieties: detective bondage
American bondage artists: Bettie Page - Irving Klaw - Eric Stanton - John Willie
unidentified illustration
Erotic bondage in mainstream cinema: Romance X (1999)
Kay Aldridge in The Perils of Nyoka? (1942)
image sourced here."It's so long since I've had sex, I've forgotten who ties up whom." -- Joan Rivers.
Introduction
The word bondage, which is derived from the Middle English word for a serf, is today used in several different senses:- The word bondage in its literal sense refers to a state of slavery or captivity, as in the "bondage of the Israelites" or My Bondage and My Freedom.
- Sexual bondage is the practice of tying people up for their (or others') sexual pleasure.
- The practice of debt bondage refers to a latter day variant of slavery in which people are bound by debt, rather than legal ownership.
- The term bondage is also used figuratively in religion, to mean spiritual attachment, such as to the physical world, or an evil compelling force, such as Original Sin.
Erotic bondage
Erotic bondage is a human sexual practice involving being tied up or otherwise restrained for pleasure.
Studies in the U.S. have shown that about half of all men find the idea of bondage to be erotic. Many women do as well. As with any study of sexual thoughts and behavior, the available studies are not well controlled and the best studies are now out of date.
Public acceptance of bondage as a valid expression of sexuality has advanced slowly. Bondage received a positive treatment (if brief) in "The Joy of Sex," a mainstream sex manual popular in the 1970s. The publication of Madonna's book, Sex, which included photographs of bound nudes, did a great deal to improve public awareness and acceptance of bondage. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bondage_%28BDSM%29 [2004]
Bondage erotica
Studies of men's sexual fantasies (Nancy Friday, Men in Love) have shown that the fantasy of being bound during intercourse is second in frequency only to the basic fantasy of sex with a voluptuous nude woman. Consequently, it should be no surprise that bondage themes have been present in pornography for some time.
Bondage pornography for heterosexual men overwhelmingly depicts bound women, rather than bound men, in spite of the most common fantasy in both sexes being one of being bound, rather than of being the dominant. This may be because many men fear becoming aroused by pictures of other men, and are more willing to identify with a bound woman. It may also be because pictures of bound women allow them to vicariously experience both the heterosexual male dominant and male submissive fantasies.
Early examples of bondage erotica include:
- Pauline Reage's Story of O
- The artwork of Robert Bishop
- F. E. Campbell's books
- A. N. Roquelaure's Sleeping Beauty novels
- The bondage magazines of the 1970s onwards
Recent changes:
- Steady growth in quantity and production values of niche producers
- Increasing prevalence and acceptance of bondage in more mainstream publications (e.g. Penthouse)
- The rise of the Internet as a distribution medium
Meanwhile, at Amazon
Best Bondage Erotica (2003) Alison Tyler
Best Bondage Erotica (2003) Alison Tyler
[Amazon.com] [FR] [DE] [UK]
From the publishers of the best-selling Best Erotica series come these steamy, thought-provoking stories of sexual adventuring by M. Christian, Cara Bruce, and Mitzi Szereto among others. Whether tied up with rope or bound by a lover’s command, these authors probe the erotic spectrum of desire. --Book Description
really thrilled that Alison Tyler came out with another bondage-inspired collection. "Bondage on a Budget" is one of my favorite erotic books, and this is now a contender for first-place. She's gathered an assortment of the best writers around to put together a book that anyone will find sexy. If you're a player, you'll like it. If you've ever fantasized about any sort of bondage, from being held down by a lover's command alone, or bound down with cuffs, thongs, silken bindings, etc., you'll like it. There is nothing scary about this book -- consensual sexual play for people who know what's sexy. And, I must say, the cover is divine. As good as the covers of Erotic Travel Tales and Sweet Life. A perfect gift for yourself or your lover! --A reader from San Antonio, TX, amazon.com