First, an article sent to me from an old friend at Max Fisch, "Wizernow," who passes along some nuggets that he knows that I will find interesting. This was an article in the Houston Chronicle, which looked at the growing number of women and young girls who are posting smoking fetish videos on YouTube, and the possible impact that it has on the way young people perceive smoking.
I thought the article was pretty fair and not one of those all too common alarmist and judgmental articles on smoking. It seems the author even can't deny some of the attraction of smoking. Heck, it starts off "The sight of Kate Moss sashaying down Louis Vuitton's catwalk in a black, dominatrix-theme ensemble during Paris fashion week — a cigarette dangling from her lips - elicited more gasps among fashionistas than a John Galliano outburst." - Though I doubt that it's true, even if Galliano wasn't there, since what he did borders on unforgivable, and I'm a big fan of forgiveness. 
Anyway, Kate's smoking on UK's "Non-Smoking Day" definitely stirred up a few articles: link - link - link - link, just google if you want more.All in all, the smoking videos fall right smack into the grey areas for a business like YouTube. It's not like videos of people fully clothed and smoking are "adult" or illegal in any way. And tobacco companies aren't at all associated with them, so there's no violation of that. Back in the mid-late 90s I had a smoking fetish site that got a TON of traffic. "Aarkey's Archive of Seductive Smoking" - though I used a different name than Aarkey, which I eventually abandoned online for purposes of privacy.
That site was hosted on a free "non-adult" host. Unlimited storage & bandwidth. Well, my site was a problem for them. I used up more traffic than any other site they hosted - but since it wasn't "adult" they honored the contract. Though they did seem to accidentally delete
And yet, they realize "young people are being exposed to videos that explicitly associate smoking with sex," and "young people view cigarette smoking as more socially acceptable when it is paired with sexual imagery."
I do wonder how I would've responded when I was 13, 14, 15 to being able to find a huge resource like the YT videos out there. Instead I had to content myself with Virginia Slims, Benson and Hedges, More and the commanding "light my lucky" ads. Oh, and Satin cigarettes too, which disappeared after launching their huge ad campaign in the early 80s. I sure know that some of those images got permanently ingrained on my psyche. BTW, don't ask me for a logical explanation of it, but I always thought Capri super slims looked stupid. *shrug*Now that I'm done with that tangent...
The second piece of news is the "Fetisch Film Festival" blog.
They are an "ANNUAL FILM FESTIVAL ABOUT CONSENSUAL S&M AND EROTIC FETISHES. WE THINK THAT ACHIEVEMENTS IN EROTIC ART & FILM DESERVE TO BE DISCUSSED AND HONORED."
They have lots of links and categories and though I haven't had time to dig into the information listed there, I am a big fan of anything that helps promote media that doesn't display kinksters as the comic relief, or the serial killer. And as they "like to give these quality films more attention and support them," they get my full support. It's awesome to hear about movies such as "American Fetish", and "Mistress Superior." Even if American Fetish is about a murder mystery and Mistress Superior looks like a low budget campy comedy. At least AF was sincere enough to get Eric Kroll as their "visual stylist."I guess that something is better than nothing at all, right?
6 comments:
"I am a big fan of anything that helps promote media that doesn't display kinksters as the comic relief, or the serial killer". I completely agree. I can't count the number of times I have seen BDSM references in movies or on television that start out really hot but devolve into one of those two stereotypes. I have seen more sympathetic portrayals out there lately though. D/s, Femdom and S&M are becoming more accepted by the mainstream media for better or worse. Loved that add for pistachios staring Isabella Sinclair. That was hot....
I agree as well. Anything that helps shine some light on "us" can't be bad.
What I find bothersome, though (since this post is, somewhat, about social values) is the polarization of our - American - society and culture.
There is a huge chunk of the population that's waaaayyyy to the right... I know nothing about them (and I don't want to know).
And then there is wave of 'lean to the left' - S&M/fetish generaly acceptable fashions, hot, smoking videos on YouTube...
Ummm... I lost my train of thought (that's what happens when you post @ 6am!! - where's blogger goggles when you need them??? ;-), but I know I was going somewhere... help!!
Verification word: unless - is "blogger" getting lazy??
HMP: Agreed. I think we are a generation and a half behind the acceptance of homosexuals in the media. Slowly getting to a greater acceptance. Characters like Mistress Heather from CSI Las Vegas (even though in the end, there was a pervert murderer) definitely was a positive example of a professional dominatrix.
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OK: The US is enormously polarized right now. I think the 2000 presidential election made that clear, and it certainly hasn't dissipated. But I really try to steer clear of politics here :)
Aarkey and OK:
Just wanted to add that there are *plenty* of right wing folks into BDSM. It seems to draw them like flies to honey. Just check out the personal issues section on Max Fisch. You can find the whole motley crew there; tea baggers, birthers, fiscal and even social conservatives. I used to spend hours arguing with them about politics so I know. Even the ones who blab on about gays destroying the sanctity of marriage have no problem sneaking around behind their spouse's back to see a dominatrix. Doesn't occur to them that they might be slightly hypocritical. It's the same old story. Say one thing and do another as long as you don't get caught.
Sorry to bring politics into your blog Aarkey. I will step off my soapbox now! ;-P
As a former smoker I find anything that even remotely promotes smoking to be disgusting. There is nothing glorious about stink, foul taste, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (tubes and bottles of oxygen--out of water), a myriad of diseases, and lost living.
Well.. Pate... I'm a reformed smoker too. Quit 3.5 years ago after 20 years of it. And I won't for one second pretend that smoking isn't bad for you. However, adult life is full of choices. Even if some of those choicse are purely stupid, addictive ones. With that in mind, I hope that you don't feel compelled to bring it up again. I'll just delete it. I don't like censorship, and as such I'll leave this one up, but this I feel it's inapproprate to come here and lecture me or us. We're not living in a cave. We all know quite well that smoking is bad for your health.
In case it's not clear to you, I'm a smoking fetishist. This blog often has topics about smoking. I'm a chastity & corsetry fetishist too - heck, I might have a fetish for fetishes. With that in mind, please respect this as if it was my house and refrain from telling me about what's wrong with it. I didn't comment on your Cuba Libre blog post with the fact that I'm an ex drinker who's watched alcohol kill, etc, etc.
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