Researchers at Northern Illinois University measured the levels of the stress hormone cortisol during an S&M party and found that stress levels rose for the receiver during the scene, but returned to normal within 40 minutes. At another S&M event, researchers found that testosterone levels rose only in receiving women, which may happen to help women cope with the stress of the event. The couples reported increased relationship closeness afterwards and scientists say their findings show consensual sex is not stressful overall, even when it is extreme. But, if you're looking to get closer to your partner without breaking out the riding crop, psychologist Richard Wiseman says any shared activity will do the trick. "It doesn't have to be tying up your partner or placing clamps on their nipples, it could be something as simple as cooking a meal together or even doing the housework as a duo," he says. [The New Scientist]

Few figures have amassed as wide-ranging a fanbase as this former secretary from Nashville. From the men who objectified her to the later generations of feminists, gay men and stylemakers who have embraced her as an icon, hers is a unique appeal.


First and perhaps foremost, Bettie was a natural model. She had a natural, wholesome beauty, but was also preternaturally photogenic. Says Mary Harron, director of The Notorious Bettie Page biopic, in an interview with Susie Bright, "she knew just how to position her face and body for the camera. More importantly,
she was so relaxed."





What people often talk about is the contradiction inherent in Bettie's pictures. Says Harron, "her sunny smiles and cheesecake poses are at variance with the pictures' supposed message of dark S&M. She was the first person to do bondage as fashion, because for her it really was all about dressing up."





Apparently, Bettie was a mystery even to those who knew her; people rarely knew her well. Says Harron, "Even her first husband, Billy Neal, found her a mystery. That suggests to me that she had sealed herself off: there was something blank and inaccessible about her." Like many so-called icons, Bettie could be many things to many people: instantly recognizable, but still a canvas for projection.



Perhaps more than anything, people are drawn to Page's comfort with her own body - a comfort with nudity that stripped her pictures of anything sordid, even at their tawdriest. She displayed a pride in her body unusual for the times, a sense that it was something to be celebrated. It's this, as much as her treatment of bondage themes, which is often cited as culturally important in ushering in the sexual revolution.

Interview: The Bettie Page Story [Susie Bright]

Matilda of Mayfair says: "A good spanking and whipping never did anyone any harm." Jimmy Timminover from Hartlepool writes: "There is nothing better after a hard week, than standing in the bath, and having your wife whip you, with a yard of fresh, raw tripe.
It's exciting, good for the circulation, keeps you fit, and afterwards, you can fry the tripe with a few onions, and a glass of white wine, for supper, perfect."

Unfortunately, not everyone is psyched to discuss domination. "It's clear to me that England is becoming more Satanic in nature every day, and the people who work for the BBC must take some responsibility for that," Dean from Reading declares. And Zax from Amersham sighs: "Frankly, it scares me to know what people will do in the name of recreation. How can physical aggression, bleeding wounds, broken bones, dirt, humiliation, orchestrated and ritualised violence and even deaths have any place in the psyche of any rational adult? Anyway, so much for rugby. And boxing, wrestling, judo and any other competitive contact sport you care to name, all of which are essentially substitutes for sex anyway. BDSM sounds much safer, plus there's at least a chance you'll find your fellow participants sexually attractive, unlike rugby. Er, presumably." Here's a question: Is something still "kinky" if everyone is doing it?

Why do so many of us like kinky sex? [Times]
Britain's Secretive S&M Scene [BBC News]

A story on MSNBC today delves into the controversy erupting among members of the APA working on the development of the new DSM, reporting that "at least one petition, spearheaded by transgender activists, is being circulated to oppose the appointment of some members to the Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders work group and its chair, Kenneth Zucker, head of the Gender Identity Service at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada." With regards to the definition of normal vs. disordered sex, it seems to me that "sane" eroticism is anything that is enjoyable and consensual for all parties involved, whether it be in missionary position with a partner of the opposite sex, or hanging by nipple clamps while a group of men in panties beat off into a pair of shoes. Because while the latter may not be right, it's okay. (I can't believe I just quoted Whitney Houston and it made perfect sense.)

What's ‘Normal’ Sex? Shrinks Seek Definition [MSNBC]

The biggest problem with this study is that it doesn't differentiate between three light spanks in a lifetime and actual physical and mental abuse. A more in depth U.S. News & World Report article about the spank study notes that "There is a 'dose response' at work here. 'The more parents spank, the higher the probability of harmful side effects.'"

Study: Spanking May Lead To Sexual Problems Later [USA Today]
Spanking Raises Chances Of Risky, Deviant Sexual Behavior [U.S. News & World Report]

At Balenciaga, the models' legs were caged in futuristic footwear made of metal plates laced up to the knees with braids. At Yves Saint Laurent, the soles of Mr. Pilati's needle-thin stilettos were replaced by a thin metal rod that connected the heel to the toe, leaving the most sensitive  some would say erotic  underbelly of the foot vulnerably exposed. The models looked as if they were walking a tightrope, and the audience was made to feel alternately fascinated and terrified.

Just so we're clear: This spring it's going to be cool to look as girly as you possibly can, and then add a heaping portion of humiliation. Choosing pain, embarrassment, subjugation, and degradation? Hotttt! Plus, if the outfit says, "Come hither, I am an innocent flower," then the shoes seal the deal by making it impossible to run away. They should just write "Please date rape me" along the sides! The best part is that because of the focus on shoes, crafty designers are predicting an end to the "it bag." Paging all podiatrists: clear your calendars. We predict an influx of broken ankles when those McQueen clunkers (above) hit the streets.

Killer Designs Or Killer Shoes [NYT]

A bit of slap and tickle in the bedroom is one thing. This, however, is quite another.

"Shocked Brooklyn jurors yesterday were shown a graphic color photo of a nude woman named Rona tethered to a tree in the wilderness - as she calmly told them about her bondage game, casually noting that her body had been attacked by mosquitoes.

Rona was testifying for accused sex trafficker Glenn Marcus, accused of keeping a woman named Jodi as his 'slave.' The 51-year-old witness said that she'd lived with Marcus and Jodi - and that the alleged victim was a willing participant in sex games.

'I love being around Glenn,' Rona said, even as prosecutors displayed photos of her breasts punctured with dozens of pins. 'He's a lot of fun.'"

Well, you know, define fun.

it takes all sorts [NY Post]