Against sado-masochism

The keynote of Code d’ Odalisque – in contrast to other existing forms of adult slave play – is that it is strictly non-violent. There are no sado-masochistic elements in Code d’ Odalisque. Indeed, an odalisque, by definition, is preserved from SM play. The odalisque lifestyle is for women who love sexual submission but who do not want to be subjected to pain, abuse and violence. This, in fact, was the very motive for the creation of Code d’ Odalisque – it responds to demand among a group of women who could not find men who understood the distinction between sexual submission and sado-masochism. These women wanted a lifestyle of sexual submission, serving a Master’s bed, but didn’t want to be whipped, slapped or beaten. They complained that, just because they were submissive, men automatically assumed they wanted to be treated like a punching bag. The original drafts of the rules and protocols of Code d’ Ode, first made in the 1990s, were written for this purpose. It is a code of adult slave play in which women can be submissive but are not subject to violence. It offers submissive women a system of sexual service but spares them from pain and erotic violence. The fact is that many sub women often fall victim to abusive and violent dominant men in their lives. Their search for fulfillment as a submissive will often lead them to men who enjoy sado-masochism. There, of course, sub women who enjoy sado-masochism. But there are plenty of sub women who don’t. Code d’ Ode offers them a non-SM alternative.

There is no argument with consensual sado-masochism. What consenting adults do to each other is up to them. Nevertheless, it is a point of concern that sado-masochism is the default position in contemporary slave play. You can see this on BDSM blogs and in associated pornography. It is in fact quite hard to find depictions of non-violent slave play. Almost universally on-line slave play is associated with whipping, beating, nipple torture and inflicting pain. Women are depicted beaten, bruised and agonized. Some people find this erotic. See, for example, this picture: 

There are men – and women too – who find this sort of thing a turn on. Women are flogged and brutalized; there is a certain sub-culture in which this is regarded as very erotic and where people who don’t regard it so are stigmatized as “vanilla”.

This is completely antithetical to slave play under Code d’ Odalisque. An odalisque is regarded as a rare treasure, not a piece of trash. They are objects of pleasure, not pieces of shit to be abused and tortured. Who ever treated slaves with such contempt anyway? Historically, even in the worst of periods, slaves were valuable items and no decent or profitable Slavetrader would scar and maim them – that would devalue his property. An odalisque – a dedicated pleasure slave – is a very expensive sort of slave. She must be preserved from violence and have her beauty respected and protected. The protocols of Code d’ Odalisque set out exactly what an odalisque can and cannot be used for. She is used for her Master’s hedonistic explorations, but he cannot use her for his sado-masochistic thrills. She is an inherently sexual slave but is protected from any form of sexual violence.

Women who become involved in odalisque slavery often report very bad experiences with sado-masochistic men earlier in their life. As submissive women they are often easily manipulated and intimidated by dom men and find themselves pushed into being used as pain slaves. They tell tales of being used by men – some with some serious unresolved psychological issues - who get a kick out of inflicting violence upon women. Code d’ Odalisque has a mission to such women. It offers them a safe haven.

Again: consensual S&M between adults is fine. It is not our thing, but whatever. All the same, violence ought not be the norm in contemporary erotic culture regardless of whether it is consensual. Frankly, men who need to beat up women for thrills have issues, but in a free country they can address those issues in private with any consenting partner if they like. Code d’ Ode is outside of all of that. Odalisques are slaves but they are cherished objects, kept in luxury to be used in hedonistic joy. There are no dungeons and whips and nipple clamps. It is specifically for submissive women who want a system of non-violent sexual slave play. It exists for such women. That is its hallmark, its reason for being. It offers a non-SM alternative to the ugly and violent pain-focused play that has come to extend right through the contemporary BDSM scene.