Dominatrix

A dominatrix or mistress is a woman who takes the dominant role in sado-masochistic sexual practices. The male equivalent is a dominant or master. The term dominatrix generally refers to professional dominant women who charge money to engage in fantasy play with submissive clients. Women who engage in female domination recreationally are known as Dommes, Dominatrices, or simply Dominants, but are rarely referred to as Dominatrixes. A "lifestyle dominant" is a woman who is assertive and in control of her relationships with men inside and outside the bedroom. A high percentage of dominatrixes are lifestyle dominants, but some simply play the dominatrix role because it is a high-paying profession.

Note that a dominatrix does not necessarily dominate a male partner; a dominatrix may well have a female submissive.

The term domme is a coined pseudo-French female variation of the slang dom (short for dominant). There is confusion on its pronunciation, with some pronouncing it identically to dom and some pronouncing the final e as a second syllable, e.g. saying dom-MAY or DOM-may. It appears that more BDSM authorities prefer the first pronunciation (identical to dom), by analogy to one-syllable French-derived words like femme or blonde. [1] [2] [3] [4].

A "pro-domme" is a female professional dominant. Most famous dominatrices (with a few notable exceptions) are professional dominants, since most other people's sex lives remain private.

Notable dominatrices:

• The 19th-century British dominatrix Mrs Theresa Berkley, inventor of the Berkley Horse.
• The author, sex therapist, and counsellor Gloria Brame is a lifestyle dominant.

Fictional dominatrices:

• The film Preaching to the Perverted, starring Guinevere Turner, depicts a dominatrix.
• The television drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation has featured a recurring professional dominatrix character, Lady Heather, who is depicted in a sympathetic manner.
• The film Eating Raoul features Doris the Dominatrix, who, when off the job, is a married mother.
• The film Maîtresse, starring Gérard Depardieu and Bulle Ogier, depicted a professional dominant.
• The 1999 film Payback, with Lucy Liu as the dominatrix Pearl.

See also

• Female domination
• Professional dominant
• Fetishes (documentary)

External links

• The Dominatrix in Print and Other Media — detailed bibliography
• It's a living: Dominatrix — professional domme article
• "I Was a Teenage Dominatrix" — professional domme article from Salon