Dominatrix in literature

Dominatrices in literature

A leather dominatrix outfit from the Yva Richard catalog (c. 1935).

Venus in Furs, the classic 1870 novel on masochism by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, introduced the cruel, aristocratic Mistress Wanda, the archetypal dominatrix.

Rosa Coote is a fictional dominatrix appearing as a stock character in a number of works of Victorian erotica, including The Convent School, or Early Experiences of A Young Flagellant (as the notional author) published by William Dugdale and "Letters to a Lady Friend or "Miss Coote's Confession" in the magazine The Pearl (1879-1880). Her counterpart is Mrs Lechworthy, who also appeared as a stock character in a number of works of Victorian erotica.

L'Homme-chien aka La Comtesse au fouet (1906) by Pierre Dumarchey (Pierre Mac Orlan) is the story of a dominatrix who turns the male hero into a "dog-man". Under the pen-name Miss Sadie Blackeyes, he wrote many popular flagellation novels.

Ironwood (1988) by Don Winslow. This first novel in the series features the imperious Cora Blasingdale, cruel headmistress of a private school for girls. An ongoing power struggle between her and James, the narrator of this tale, ends in a classic turnabout, and a painful lesson in humility for Cora.

An example of a dominatrix in comics is Catwoman, a supervillain associated with the Batman franchise.

Dominatrices on film

Some notable mainstream films with depictions of dominatrices, in an even mix of comedies and dramas, include:

Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS (1974); Nazi exploitation classic introduces Ilsa, first in a line of sadistic "Nazi bitch" dommes who freely use whipping, torture, and sexual slavery in German prison camps.
Maîtresse (1976)
Personal Services (UK, 1987), set in a Femdom brothel. (Article has link to watch this movie)
Batman Returns (1992) Michelle Pfeiffer as the latex-clad, whip-cracking Catwoman.
Tokyo Decadence (1992), about a Japanese call-girl
Exit to Eden (1994), Dana Delany is the mistress of an S&M resort.
Oblivion (1994) and Oblivion 2: Backlash (1996), sexy Musetta Vander as "Lash", a Bettie Page look-alike with an electrified whip.
Preaching to the Perverted (1997); a fetish-industry domme is the hero of the story.
Payback (1999), Lucy Liu as a fierce dominatrix call-girl
Dancing at the Blue Iguana (2000); Jennifer Tilly is a pole dancer and part-time domme.
EuroTrip (2004), Lucy Lawless camps it up as a German domme (see below)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Angelina Jolie poses as a domme in a memorable scene. (see below)
Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical (2005, video at YouTube) Kristen Bell in a fantasy song and dance number.
Barb Wire (2006), Pamela Anderson (see below)
Walk All Over Me (2007), Tricia Helfer and Leelee Sobieski (promo film)


From "Barb Wire"	from "EuroTrip"	from "Mr. & Mrs. Smith"

Vintage fetish films and modern videos

Silent stag films featuring kinky scenes of bondage, whipping, and spanking date back to the 1920s. However, the earliest films to depict the classic leather and corset-clad dominatrix are Irving Klaw's fetish film loops from the 1950s. His most famous model being the legendary Bettie Page, who alternated between playing a stern dominatrix and a humiliated submissive. (Most of these film shorts have been re-issued on DVD by Cult Epics as Bettie Page: Bondage Queen.)

In the 1980s, the explosion of the home video market led to the mass production of a wide variety of BDSM and spanking fetish videos. This industry continues to thrive due to the Internet and the evolution of digital media. The majority of these underground videos require a strong dominatrix character to administer various forms of discipline. Thus, a new class of adult video performers emerged to meet this need. Some have become well-known for playing dominatrix roles such as Alexis Payne (House of Milan, Shadow Lane, etc.), Stephanie Locke, Mistress Jacqueline Omerta (before she went on to form Pacific Force), Irene Boss of MIB Productions and Isabella Sinclaire, owner of GwenMedia and Ivy Manor Videos.

Television

To date, the most visible dominatrix on television has been the recurring guest-star role of fetish club owner "Lady Heather" (played by Melinda Clarke) on CSI. So far this character has appeared in five episodes.

Other TV shows (see also Spanking on television) with memorable dominatrix appearances include:

Jennifer Garner as an undercover domme in Alias
Jack of All Trades episode featuring the Marquis de Sade
Secret Diary of a Call Girl starring Billie Piper
Tia Carrere on Nip/Tuck
Sharon Lawrence in Desperate Housewives
Kadee Strickland roleplaying in Private Practice
The Nanny, Fran Drescher (video)
Eliza Dushku in Dollhouse
Mendol Ikemen Idol, a Japanese comedy-drama, with a dominatrix cast member.

Isabella Sinclaire of GwenMedia appeared as a BDSM consultant on the Spike TV series 1000 Ways to Die. The episode featured a session with a dominatrix that resulted in the client's death due to a severe latex allergy. (This segment can be watched on YouTube.)

In the fall of 2009 Sinclaire also appeared as a latex-clad dominatrix in a humorous television commercial for Wonderful Pistachios airing in the U.S. In the ad, she places a single pistachio on a chair, steps back, then cracks open the nut with her whip. The voice-over tag line is "Dominatrices do it on command." (This ad can be seen on YouTube.)