The latest site that has been catching my eye is entitled ‘Pro Dommes of NY‘. As the name suggests, it’s a collection of images of professional dommes from New York, stretching back over the last couple of decades. I can’t say I care for it’s sub-title – “…from the icons & super-stars to the mediocre and has-beens.” That last couple of categories seems rude and unnecessary. Despite that, I find the site itself fascinating, although I’m not sure I can clearly say why.
I don’t visit New York that often, and I’ve only played there a handful of times, so this certainly isn’t a trip down memory lane for me. Some of the image and dommes are undoubtedly beautiful (see below), but the same could be said for the images on hundreds of current pro-domme sites spread across the web. I think it’s the element of time that makes it interesting for me. It makes me wonder about the person behind each shot: Where are they now? What do they think about it in hindsight? How did their career and life evolve? The images are public, deliberately revealing, and designed to advertise. Yet, what they advertised was a very private experience, and in many cases the character they’re advertising no longer exists, it has been retired by its creator.
We’re used to cleanly dividing the world into real and pretend parts. A bank manager is always real. Romeo and Juliet are pretend characters. An actor is sometimes real (accepting an award) and sometimes pretend (on the stage). I think pro-dommes blurs these boundaries in unusual ways, and each to different degrees. A session with one is both real (I have the welts to prove it) and pretend. Looking at this tumblr, and in particular the older images of ex-dommes, really brings that home to me.
This image is of Mistress Tess, a NYC pro-domme who is still very much active. Anytime I see a mainstream magazine article featuring a pro-domme they inevitably describe themselves a leading or top domme from wherever they hail from. While I’ve yet to have the pleasure of playing with Mistress Tess, from everything I’ve read about her, I think she’s one of the handful of New York dommes who could make that boast and be entirely truthful. If you’re New York based and would like to see her then check out her website.
Hi Paltego:
Thanks for posting this. It was an enjoyable tour. I found some familiar…er…faces therein.
Though I have no personal experience with her, from what I have heard you are quite right in your assessment of Ms. Tess.
Hey hmp,
I thought you might comment on this one :). I spotted at least one face in there that I knew you’d recognize.
Mistress Tess is definitely somebody I’d like to meet up with if I’m ever back in that part of the world. She has a sterling reputation.
-paltego
I liked what you said about pros being a hybrid of real and pretend. That distinction can be lost on the over enthusiastic newbie. Until he learns the ropes. So to speak…
Thanks. I’m not sure I managed to express it to well, but I didn’t want to write another long post to try and get across a single idea! I’m still not sure I’m exactly clear about it in my own head.
I think for some dommes, the experienced ones who have been around for years, their public persona is somehow more real. Even though it’s a filtered and edited version of the ‘real’ person, it takes on more permanence and physicality. Where for somebody who does it purely for money for a couple of years in a shared dungeon, there’s a more ephemeral sense. They leave less of a mark, and but for these captured images, almost cease to exist when they move on. Not sure if that makes sense, but it’s always a blend of real and pretend, but in different degrees.
-paltego