It Pleases the Gods: the Rise of Rubber Fetish
The following is a re-post from our good friend Rubber Rants. Though this article is not specifically about superhero fetish, it sheds some light on how the fetish world evolves over time, and how new communities find their place in the pantheon of kink. We consider rubber part of superhero fetish, so we think you'll enjoy this essay.
For more posts and Tumblr images, please visit Rubber Rants (NSFW).
It Pleases the Gods: the Rise of Rubber Fetish
Rubber Rants
Standing on the top of the Mayan temple—surrounded by hundreds of miles of jungle filled with the wails of howler monkeys—I stand and listen in awe as my guide describes how, a thousand years ago, naked teenage boys were tightly wrapped in rubber straps, laid on the stone alter in front of me, and tortured for hours “to please the gods.”
A reporter covering a story in Central America, I’m lucky enough to have a notepad to cover my awkward boner. I hate myself for thinking that those are my kind of gods.
Rubber comes from the sap of trees native to the Americas. By the time Columbus “discovered” it, groups like the Mayans had been using it for thousands of years. But, it didn’t take long for the Europeans to put it to use in everything from wine flasks, to shoes, to raincoats.
From the very beginning, rubber’s biggest bonus has been its versatility. Its ability to play to man’s imagination. But, aside from pleasing some gods, its use in fetish was relatively limited until WWII caused an explosion in its use as gear. The war and post war demand for the material also promoted new synthetic forms of rubber that could hold up to more wear and tear.
As the as the post-WWII leather clubs grew, so did rubber fetish. But price was a problem. Back then, rubber fetish was mostly just based on what you could get your hands on…items that just happened to be made out of rubber but had another purpose: a fireman’s coat, fishing waders, medical gear, diving gear, or the bicep-length gloves designed to go up an animal’s ass.
Pieces that were specifically molded or tailored for fetish were rare, expensive, and flimsy. So, it’s no wonder that the first dedicated rubber clubs were formed by relatively rich kinksters, like the 25 or so members of the New-York-based “Five Senses” (started in 1964 and quickly renamed “The V Senses”)—so called because the members were obsessed with the feeling, look, sound, smell, and taste of rubber.
Author Pablo Greene may not be in rubber, but the hot rogues flanking him sure are
Today, things are very different. Rubber is the fastest growing market segment for traditional fetish suppliers like Mister S. It seems like a new rubber fetish supplier pops up every week. Because it’s become a fashion staple (thanks to entertainers like Katy Perry and Rihanna), mass production of new, durable forms of rubber is making supply streams (in a variety of types and colors) cheaper and more available.
And, the “new guard” of kinksters is eating it up—because it fits the new guard mentality beautifully. As opposed to the seriousness of the old guard leather rules, rubber is impossible to take seriously. It covers you and yet reveals every curve of your body. It conveys cold when you’re cold. Heat when you’re hot. And, you’re going to sweat your balls off either way. You can piss on it, wrestle in the goop of your choice, or buy it molded in unlimited shapes ranging from puppy hoods to Reagan masks (if that’s what does it for your particular BDSM scene).
And my personal favorite: the stretchy, elastic constriction that makes it the perfect bondage material.
That definitely pleases the gods…
For more info on the history of rubber kink, pick up Tim Brough’s book: “Skin Tight”.
NYC Superheroes at GGNY Halloween Party
It was a blast! Thanks again to GGNY for hosting such a fun event. If you attended and you would like us to add your photo to this gallery, email us at editor@beastwithinbooks.com
NYC Superheroes has a new web site
If you would like to check out NYC Superheroes (a social club for those into superhero fetish), we have a shiny new web site. It contains a link to our Facebook page, as well as our mailing list (so that you can have a discreet way to receive updates).
NYC Superheroes Community
I get a ton of questions from my readers about superhero fetish:
"Where do I find parties for superhero fetish?"
"What bars have events featuring spandex, lycra, sports gear and superhero fetish?"
"If I'm visiting NYC, how can I find other people who want to gear up and socialize (or play?)"
Starting today, we'll post regular updates to keep you up to date on how to find events related to superhero fetish in New York. Eventually, we will be expanding to other places, so if you have a tip, send us an email at beastwithin0808 at gmail dot com (use subject "NYC Superheroes Group" .
For September and October we have A LOT happening:
- An excursion to the official New York Comic Con Villains! party at the McKittrick hotel from 3-5 pm. Our superhero fetish group (join us on Facebook) will be heading out for drinks after the event, too.
- NY Comic-Con October 9-12 at Javits Center.
- Author Pablo Greene will be making an official appearance at NYCC, and our Superhero-Fetish group will meet up on October 10 at 3 pm (location TBD) to visit the expo floor, take photos, and meet 'n greet.
- Official outings during NY Comic Con. Several amazing groups like Gay Geeks of New York and Geeks Out will be hosting badass parties, and our superhero-fetish group will attend.
- Events throughout October, including two superhero-themed events as we head into Halloween. More details to come.
There are three ways you can stay in the loop for all the NYC Superheroes group
- Join our NYC Superheroes FB page for updates
- Follow NYC Superheroes on Twitter
- Join our How to Kill a Superhero mailing list below for updates delivered to your inbox
Real Stories of Superhero Fetish: Helpless Hero
We are proud to bring you the latest real story of superhero fetish today by Helpless Hero. This series of essays brings to you the stories of real members of the superhero fetish community.
If you want to send us your story of superhero fetish, please email your entry to beastwithin0808@gmail.com and write "Guest Blogger" in the subject. And don't forget that author Pablo Greene's book series How to Kill a Superhero tells a fictional tale of a man with a superhero fetish.
My Superhero Fetish: Helpless Hero
My fetish is an intersection of three fetishes – spandex, superheroes and BDSM. My ideal scenario is to play a spandex-clad superhero who gets into trouble. Over the years I have met a few dozen guys who share the same or similar fetish, and there probably are many more.
Like many guys, the roots of my superhero fetish goes back to my childhood. I watched the original Superman TV series in the ‘50s, as well as the Batman shows in the ‘60s. The episodes I remember most are ones where the hero was in distress – Superman weakened by Kryptonite, for example, or Batman tied up. The most memorable time I have ever spent in a movie theater was watching the scene in the original Christopher Reeve “Superman” movie in which Lex Luthor hangs a big chunk of Kryptonite around Superman’s neck and pushes him into a pool. I still love that scene to this day. And Christopher Reeve posing in his Superman costume is, to me, one of the most beautiful men ever.
For most of my life I was either in doubt or denial about my sexuality, and I didn’t make a connection between sexuality and my interest in superheroes. I thought I was alone (not to mention slightly crazy) in my interests. I used to feel allone, because I never heard or read of anyone who felt the same about superhero fetsih, and I assumed I was the only one who felt this way. That reinforced the notion in my mind that I was somehow perverted or unique in my interests.
But in the mid-1990s, I got access to the Internet and its communities. I used to visit various chat forums, Yahoo groups and specialized web sites that no longer exist. It was in those places that I saw pictures and stories of guys who have interests just like me. What a rush that was. I was able to express my interests, understand them better, and learn about guys who felt things remarkably similar to what I was feeling. What’s more, the rise of online commerce sites meant I could purchase what previously I had only dreamed of having – superhero costumes and other spandex gear that were of much higher quality than what I found previously in local costume shops during the run-up to Halloween.
Over time, I acquired a Superman and a Spiderman costume, along with spandex items like singlets, Speedos and full-body spandex suits. I wore them around home, acting out favorite fantasies, and taking pics of myself in gear that I shared online.
My first in-person experience occurred when I met a guy on-line who was into wrestling and seemed open to my fantasy about being a superhero in trouble. (This was before websites existed that catered to very specific fetishes, like Spandexguys and GearFetish.)
I went to his house, where I put on my Spiderman costume and he wore his wrestling gear. I had no experience in wrestling, but that didn’t stop me. We wrestled all afternoon, and I lost every match, after which he taunted me, called me names and occasionally would unmask the defeated hero. Eventually I was drenched in sweat and had a hard-on that wouldn’t quit. It was awesome, and confirmed every inkling I had about my fetish interests -- that playing a superhero in trouble was something that satisfied a deep (if somewhat unexplainable) desire within me.
After that I had occasional in-person meetings with other guys, but most were not very satisfying from the perspective of my fetishes. Usually they just didn’t share (or even understand) what I was after. This may sound weird, but while my fetishes have a very strong erotic element, I am not into it for sex. I simply get a rush from being in costume and role-playing a superhero in trouble.
Over the years, in addition to costumes of well-known superheroes, I assembled an array of spandex body suits, and for each of them I created a superhero character of my own imagination. I found websites that specialized in spandex and/or superhero fetishes, and I hired photographers to take pictures of me in costume and gear. I also put together and posted online photo stories depicting my heroes getting into trouble.
Still, my in-person exploits were few and far between. One day, I came up with an idea – what about a dominatrix? I figured dominatrixes are experts in making fantasies involving BDSM and role-play come true.
This proved to be a breakthrough idea. I arranged a session with a woman, explaining that I wanted her to capture and humiliate Superman. I was very upfront in telling her that I was gay and explaining my fetish interests. The experience turned out to be better than I could have imagined. Her role-playing and verbal skills were excellent, the setting was great, and we hit it off immediately. I got exactly what I wanted, and she found she really enjoyed defeating superheroes.
One aspect of the session exceeded my wildest dreams. First, a little background about my dreams:. There’s a dark side to my fetish. I enjoy seeing superheroes not only get into trouble, but also hurt or even killed. It’s just fantasy, after all. They always return to play another episode. As we were role-playing Superman vs. an evil villainess, she continued to press Kryptonite against the hero. She was really into it. And I realized that she wanted to kill Superman. Well, this is what I had hoped for but was afraid to tell anyone for fear of looking too weird or sick. So, Superman met his end – I was ecstatic and she was thrilled, too. After that, we had many others sessions. The characters and scenarios differed, but the format was pretty much the same – a superhero lured into a trap, captured, tied up and tortured. My ultimate fantasy.
Want to share your superhero-fetish story with us? Email your entry to beastwithin0808@gmail.com and write "Guest Blogger" in the subject.