Male Submission Art

A British Prime Minister kneels to kiss the hand of the Queen of England.

When I first looked at this picture that Faelyn suggested, I didn’t really know what to make of it. I mean, from my irreverent perspective, the stuffy British government isn’t exactly good wank material. But context is important, and the note Faelyn sent along with the image is gripping:

On the surface, the femdom het aspect of things is pretty obvious. It goes deeper than mere appearances, though.

Arguably the most important relationship arc in The Queen is between the fictionalized characters of Tony Blair and Elizabeth II. The story begins with his election as a young and charming Prime Minister in the mid-90s. She’s unimpressed with his newer, touchy-feely approach to governance. He’s thrown off by the formalities of his position: he thinks of himself as an elected politician, and has to adjust to the idea that officially/symbolically he serves her.

There’s a magnificent scene early on where he learns to kneel to her and, rather than declaring himself PM or asking for it, wait for her to grant him the right to run what is officially her government. It’s uncomfortable and they both leave as soon as possible. As the story progresses, however, he comes to really want to serve her, and she learns to accept his service. The second kneeling scene is a thing of beauty—she’s upset, he’s conciliatory—and afterward they stay together to talk, having created a bond.

I spend a lot of time looking for crypto-femdom het relationships in media and this is by far one of my favorites (with Daniel Craig as Bond/Judy Dench as M coming in a close second…).

Narratives like this are everywhere, not because they are inherently part of the act, but because you—the viewer—imbue the act with your narrative. Wherever you go, you’ll see mirrors of your most authentic feelings. The tragedy is that you are so often told not to embrace them.

Faelyn also sent a kind note, for which I am very grateful:

Thank you so much for your web presence! This site and your blog have been an enormous help to me as I’ve been figuring out the nature of my own desires and trying to handle them ethically/sensibly.

Thanks, Faelyn. That really does mean a lot.

-maymay

A young man is pressed against a wall by a larger man, who holds the smaller man’s head near his own.

This gripping photograph is from the Model Mayhem portfolio of Eri Nicholas Vohnson, and was suggested by ohmyfckity, who had this to say:

I came across this picture tonight and just had to share. I love how the younger male is utterly enjoying the dominating older man. There is no fear in his expression and he’s so willing.

This picture took my breath away because the juxtaposition of forcefulness with willingness is searingly sexy. I also like that, in a clearly dramatized scene, both models are wearing very plain clothing. Further, the androgynous look of the smaller man adds several dimensions of power to the narrative, including gender, age, and culture.

Finally, the shorter man’s untroubled expression is particularly interesting in contrast to the taller man’s aggressive stance. Coupled with his queered gender presentation, the image challenges a culture that indoctrinates many people—including men—with the belief that male lust is dangerous, and uncontrollable. Interestingly, homophobic men, like Mark Schwartz, Republican Senator Tom Coburn’s chief of staff, are arguably the group most afraid of male sexuality. According to Mark Schwartz:

Pornography is a blight. […It’s] my observation that boys…have less tolerance for homosexuality than just about any other class of people. They speak badly about homosexuality. And that’s because they don’t want to be that way. They don’t want to fall into it. […] All pornography is homosexual pornography, because all pornography turns your sexual drive inwards.

Ignoring for a moment this statement’s supreme stupidity with regards to pornography, Schwartz’s internalized homophobia can be logically explained. As Figleaf points out:

It seems to me that if you’re sold on that view of men then homophobia is a twisted but logical outcome. Because if you’re raised to believe that you literally can’t resist sexual temptation of any sort but you’re not actually sexually oriented towards other men […] it makes sense that you’d be wildly intolerant of gay men. […If] one believes men are ravenously, uncontrollably sexually impulsive then one must live in mortal paranoia that not only might one inadvertently receive an aggressive sexual advance not only from perceptibly “homosexual” men (who are falsely presumed to be sexually interested in any possible opportunity for sex with any possible man) but equally uncontrollable straight men for whom, after all, must also believe “a hole is a hole.”

Put another way, the shorter man’s androgynous look allows homophobes to more easily view him as “less than” manly. They define masculine sexuality so narrowly, both his appearance and his serenity in this situation breaks the mold.

As for Schwartz, well, one does wonder if his hands are afraid of his penis since, by his logic, masturbation must be the most homosexual act of all.

-maymay

Chains wrap a young man’s wrists as he holds his hands together, bowing his head.

I love the way the lighting in this photograph almost seems to drape itself over the model’s hands and the chain around his wrists. The limited view we get lends itself to many possible narratives. Psychoadept, who sent this picture in, had this to say about the image:

Hard to tell what the subject is wearing, but it’s not hard to imagine he could be in a religious setting, maybe even a young monk. And yet there’s nothing explicitly religious about it, and it makes me think about how many parallels there are between sexual submission and religious “submission,” right down to the control of sexual urges and sexual behavior.

As this picture suggests, constraints often foster creativity. Strict rules of meter inspired some of the world’s most powerful poetry, just as Twitter’s 140-character rule made it a breeding ground for innovation. In an ideal world, I’d only face restrictions (religious or otherwise) I chose to challenge myself with. But in the real world, influence is too often sought via imposition or intimidation, turning constraints that could be opportunities if you were to choose them for yourself into obstacles because they were chosen for you.

Equally horrifying, I think, is the hypocrisy spawned by self-righteous sanctimony. It’s amusing (to say the least) that devout Catholics appear to be the group most easily stimulated by Donna M. Hughes and Margaret Brooks to bandy baseless accusations of child molestation at me, especially when the media is afire with evidence of decades-long coverups by the Catholic Church of that exact crime. Just as the Catholic Church continues to conflate homosexuality with pedophilia, so-called prominent feminist Donna M. Hughes and Margaret Brooks are conflating speaking about sex with child sex trafficking.

As Thomas has suggested on numerous occasions, I think [Donna M. Hughes and Margaret Brooks are] not really interested in protecting children. I think they’re interested in shutting down the conferences and silencing kinksters. Is it any wonder, then, that those who try to impose their own sexual morality on others find such fertile ground for their disingenuous crusades among the religiously zealous?

Among all the parallels between sexual submission and religious “submission” is this one, as well: consent is moral, oppression is not.

-maymay

A young man is blindfolded with a thick leather belt. He holds his arms, which are bound in electrical cord, up near his head.

This photograph was suggested by Aching Blossom, and I have to agree that the most distinct part of the image is the model’s lips:

[My] favorite part of this image is the vulnerable look on his face, and the mouth especially. But notice how he’s bound with what looks like an electrical cord and they obviously tried this more than once, and tightly, because he’s got impressions in his skin where the cord used to be. So despite the improvisational wrist binding and belt-blindfold, there’s a real passion going on in this scene that’s reflected in the model’s face.

For those who eroticize power, as I do, the fact that vulnerability is sexy is viscerally understandable. That’s a part of what I find so hot about pervertible toys like belts used for bondage or neckties used as blindfolds; they bring to mind a certain authenticity that can feel like being given a welcome treat or heighten the feeling of being controlled by highlighting the whims of a lover.

Utilizing everyday objects for sexual purposes is very common and I find that it can be just as much fun as “gearing up” with specialty sex toys or specific fetish equipment. Yet, for the reasons Margot Weiss, Ph.D., elucidates in her research paper, Mainstreaming Kink: The Politics of BDSM Representation in U.S. Popular Media, marketers have tapped into the allure and exoticism of SM sexuality to sell an ever-widening array of products creating an overwhelming pressure to purchase and consistently keeping “real BDSM"—itself a mirage conjured by consumer culture—available only to the socioeconomically privileged:

There is no question that mainstream representations of BDSM have increased dramatically, spreading further and further into popular culture. Instead of challenging systems of sexual privilege and power, mainstream representations of SM (both normalizing and pathologizing) reinforce the normativity of the distanced viewing subject.

[…]

As SM becomes more mainstream, the desire for something real, raw, and hard grows. This desire is elusive; it reveals itself when viewers are left feeling hollow and empty, disappointed that they were not sufficiently shocked or turned on (or, ideally, both).

[…]

Using the language of disappointment, they are protesting the failure of transgression, decrying the ways sexual strangeness is disciplined out of existence.

The sex appeal and sexuality you saw on the TV, in that magazine, and in the window display today are a marketer’s snake oil. This holiday season, remember that the best things in life are free.

-maymay

achingblossom:

Oh that mouth…

thebinder:

just beautiful

sexual:

via fc07.deviantart.net

In an ornate courtyard surrounded by pillars and arches, a man wearing only a steel chastity belt stands with his arms at his sides and his head bowed.

This photograph is an old one sourced from Jan Thor’s website. If you’re into sexual teasing and denial, as I am, you probably know that Jan’s website is one of the oldest about the topic. (I first found it in 1996, when I was 12.) I believe this picture is doctored; neither the man’s tattoo nor his chastity belt exist in the original photo. This version was suggested by xilefc, who wrote:

I saw your posting on Male Chastity and Orgasm Tease and Denial, then checked out your profile, which led me to MaleSubmissionArt. WOW! It made me think of a photo found on an older chastity site done by a German lady. The photo is of a male in a chastity belt from the back. His head is lowered and he appears to be in deep contemplation, perhaps as to his enforced chaste condition? Certainly it is open to interpretation, depending on one’s knowledge and/or experience with male chastity. As someone who has worn full s/s CBs since 1993 (unfortunately not 24/7), I find this photo a real turn on.

Although I think that Jan is actually a man, I share xilefc’s excitement for this image. Chastity play, as it’s often called, happens to be an extraordinarily popular kink and yet it remains surprisingly undiscussed in real-world gatherings, particularly BDSM groups. Further, the name itself is a bit of a misnomer. The word “chastity” contains heavy implications of morality and even religion, which don’t necessarily have anything to do with this kind of sex, no matter your spiritual beliefs. A better name is orgasm control, since the entire so-called chastity fetish is really a fetish for the intersection of power dynamics and sexual pleasure.

-maymay

A thin, winged man kneels in front of another winged man holding a sword. The kneeling man’s head rests directly over the genitals of the standing man.

This is a striking photograph largely for its layered imagery and intense symbology. Of course, the picture is of winged humans but, beyond that, the opposing colors of the men’s wings (white in the case of the kneeling man, black for the upright man), their stances, and the ornate sword in the picture all provide elements with which to compose a compelling narrative. Do you see religious references, a mythological one, or a cultural one here? All of these contexts can and often do have certain power dynamics at work in them.

I’m most clearly reminded of the phrase “blind faith” because I think the kneeling man’s eyes are closed. Although such absolute surrender to a force external to oneself can be a sexy thought, especially for those of us who enjoy giving up control in a sexual context, the reality is that submission isn’t about blind faith. While elements of faithfulness often play a part in a relationship where dominance and submission are explored healthily, to be competent at the act of submission requires a great deal of knowledge not only of oneself, but of one’s dominant partner(s). This isn’t knowledge that’s possible to acquire without deliberate and genuine communication from all parties involved.

-maymay

apocalips:

ireensarrows:

male:CameraObscura - Ekaterina Zakharova (photographer)

Wearing his shirt pushed down to his waist, a man stands before a bed. His head is bowed and his long red hair is pulled over one shoulder.

This photograph was suggested by Madam Harkonnen, who wrote:

I get a strong sense of narrative in this light, poised photograph: the cloth tangling his arms in a suggestion of things to come; his hair just brushed aside to bare his shoulder for someone, and long enough to wrap around his neck.  Now he’s just waiting with elegant composure for a word or a touch…waiting for the storm to break over him.

This picture strikes me as almost more angelic than most images depicting angels do. The white light, clothing, and bed linens set a simple but, in the absence of much else, surreal tone. However, it’s the model that carries the image.

The man’s hair is especially worthy of note because, while I think its length is beautiful on him, it’s also transgressive. In some religions, long hair is often thought to be appropriate only for women, as this Christianity-inspired article showcases, saying that Men should look like men, and women should look like women. God is not interested in, nor does He accept, “unisex.” While god may not be interested in gender presentation, I am, because not all cultures, or religions, agree on what is manly or womanly. Moreover, as gender isn’t a dichotomy, it’s very possible to mix gender signals of one kind with signals of another, resulting in additive gender.

-maymay

In an empty brick room, a naked man kneels on hardwood floors, stretching his arms above him.

A few things about this picture help me project submission into the narrative I see here. Obviously, the fact that he’s kneeling is one. Another is how empty the space around him is. It’s desolate, and simple—spartan. It makes the entire picture about him, and therefore in my fantasy it makes him the sole purpose of that room, the sole provider of activity and comfort and pleasure for the (dominant) viewer.

The fact that he appears to be stretching or exercising is the other thing I can use to project submission here. I like fantasies in which I am a possession, and therefore treated as a valuable, precious thing, free of the pressures of real life, but no relationship can survive on one-way streets; taking care of oneself is one’s own responsibility. Moreover, as Bitchy Jones recently asked,

why don’t submissive men dedicate themselves to looking hot? Like, a lot. What could be more submissive than that?

-maymay

derekisme:

morning exercises

A man in a suit is blindfolded with his tie as another man also dressed in a suit holds the back of his head and leans down to place his mouth near the blindfolded man’s ear.

This is a fantastic photograph for all the reasons soft-core erotica can be sexy: the narrative exposed by the picture rather than the visual stimulus of the image itself. This picture is great in all the ways artsy-fartsy photographs are not. (And look, no monochrome necessary!)

Another noteworthy point in this image is the use of the man’s suit tie as a blindfold. I own three ties, and though I ostensibly purchased them for work I would much rather use them as sex toys. Many facets of menswear can be extremely useful bondage, ties and belts chief among them.

-maymay

derekisme:

well dressed lovers