Dominatrix

A dominatrix (from the Latin dominatrix, meaning a female ruler or Mistress; plural dominatrices or dominatrixes) or Mistress is a woman who takes the dominant role in bondage and discipline, dominance and submission or sado-masochistic sexual practices, which are commonly abbreviated as BDSM. The male equivalent is Master. A common form of address for a submissive to a dominatrix is "Mistress", "Ma'am" or "Maîtresse". 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. The correct pronunciation is identical to dom, by analogy to one-syllable French-derived words like femme or blonde.

Older woman-younger man relationships are much more common in female dominant relationships than among vanilla couples.

Professional versus lifestyle dominatrices
The term dominatrix is often used to describe a professional dominant woman (or pro-domme) who charges money to engage in fantasy play with submissive clients. In reality most dominatrices are not professionals, but lifestyle dominants. A lifestyle dominant is a person who is assertive and in control of their relationships both inside and outside the bedroom. Women who engage in female domination recreationally are known as dommes, dominatrices, mistresses, or simply dominants. A high percentage of dominants are lifestyle dominants, but some simply play the dominatrix role because it is a high-paying profession. It is common for professional dominatrices who are also lifestyle dommes to have both paying clients and a "personal slave or sub" or slaves or subs, who are not paying clients. A personal slave will typically perform a domme's housework and run errands for her. A personal slave may or may not live with his or her Domme. A slave in this relationship has no rights or limits, whereas a sub does (a.k.a limits). Professional dominants most frequently do not engage in any form of sexual contact with their paying customers, as this can be construed as prostitution in some places. Outside of their life as a pro-Domme, they may engage in sexual behavior with a devoted slave or sub. A common form of domination involves chastity where a dominant controls her slaves' sexual access, sometimes keeping them locked in a chastity device except for rare occasions.

The stereotyped image of a dominatrix is of a woman wearing a rubber or leather catsuit and thigh-length boots with high heels or, in a more elegant and teasing mode, black lingerie, stockings and high heels, or some combination of these two alternatives. Many professional dominatrices do indeed wear similar outfits for their work in order to meet client expectations. However, for non-professional dominatrices or Mistress, the question "What does a dominatrix wear?" was best answered by the Australian dominatrix Sarah~(owner of slave kylie; note the lower-case "k") when She said, "Whatever I like!"

In novels and short stories

 * The novel Venus in Furs, by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, deals with a man who is so besotted with a woman he becomes her sex slave. Also, the song of the same name by the Velvet Underground deals with the same subject matter.
 * The novel Ulysses by James Joyce includes a dominatrix named Bella Cohen, from whose hands the protagonist Leopold Bloom suffers from in the episode Circe.
 * In the short story Valtiatar Artemis (Mistress Artemis) there is a dominatrix who has come from space. Valtiatar Artemis is included in the anthology Athena-Artemis.
 * In the novel "Sex, Blood & Rock and Roll", the protagonist is a professional dominatrix who decides to open her own dungeon.
 * In Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series, the Mord'Sith are a rank of dominatrices, clad in skin-tight red leather, who serve to torture, interrogate, and protect against the enemies of their master, the Lord Rahl.


 * The novel "The Pleasure is all mine"

In films

 * Dana Delany portrayed a dominatrix in the film Exit to Eden.
 * The film Preaching to the Perverted, starring Guinevere Turner, depicts a dominatrix.
 * 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.
 * In the 1993 film Love and Human Remains, Mia Kirshner received a Genie nomination for her role as the dominatrix and psychic Benita.
 * The 1999 film Payback, features Lucy Liu as the dominatrix Pearl.
 * In the film EuroTrip, Cooper Harris has an encounter with a dominatrix (played by Lucy Lawless) during the night when the group visits Amsterdam.
 * The German film Die Heilige Hure (which means saint prostitute) deals with a woman's metamorphosis to a dominatrix (Susanna Simon) in front of the Catholic church's double standards.
 * Some argue that Maleficent in the 1959 Disney film Sleeping Beauty is much like a dominatrix in her appearance and her imprisonment and taunting of Prince Phillip.
 * Angelina Jolie plays a dominatrix in a scene of Mr. and Mrs. Smith in which, to her customer's delight, she reveals a PVC outfit.
 * In American Wedding, one of the strippers in the bachelor party is a dominatrix.
 * In Tomcats, the librarian is also a dominatrix.
 * In Moulin Rouge! there is a dominatrix can can dancer
 * In the 2007 Canadian movie Walk All Over Me, a small town girl assumes the false identity of her dominatrix roommate.
 * In The Bank Job one of the members of the British Parliament is photographed during a session with a dominatrix.
 * In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix the sadistic character Bellatrix Lestrange, has many characteristics of being a dominatrix. The character is portrayed by Helena Bonham Carter.

On television

 * The television drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation has featured a recurring professional dominatrix character, Lady Heather, who is depicted in a sympathetic manner.
 * Maisy Gibbons acts as a dominatrix for her client Rex Van de Kamp in Desperate Housewives.
 * In Addams Family Values Morticia has many dominatrix attributes.
 * In a Season I episode of the TV drama House entitled Love Hurts, a patient, Harvey, takes pleasure in the pain inflicted on him by his dominatrix friend, Annette.
 * In a Season 5 episode of Nip Tuck, Christian and Sean repair bite marks from a big time CEO's dominatrix.
 * In Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, Kafuka made Chie be verbally abusive to Usui under the logic that he wouldn't mind being criticized by someone beautiful. Later on, she was depicted with dominatrix attire.
 * On MTV's Jackass, Season 3, Episode 5, Preston is beaten by two Dominatrices in a hotel room. The stunt is titled 'Oklahoma', which is the determined safety word.
 * In Big Brother Australia Series 1, Evictee #1, Andy Silva is a dominatrix

In comics

 * Several of the stories in the comic book series Sin City feature the character of Gail, a prostitute and dominatrix whose speciality is knot-tying. She is one of the authority figures in Old Town, a part of the city run by female prostitutes. In the movie adaptation, she is played by Rosario Dawson.
 * The popular DC comic books character Catwoman bears a strong dominatrix motif: her stylized mask, the skintight outfit and the whip, in combination with her strong-willed and at the same time sultry personality are the most striking of these characteristics. In Batman: Year One, Frank Miller depicts Selina Kyle, before she adopts the Catwoman persona, as a bustier-wearing domme humiliating a man in a Gotham brothel.
 * In the popular webcomic Questionable Content the main character, Marten, is the son of a dominatrix who goes by the name "Veronica Vance".
 * In an omake of the manga Demon Diary, Erutis appears in a mask and bustier, bearing a whip, and calling herself "Bondage Queen". She is quickly written off by Chris and Eclipse for her boyish figure.

In games
in order to convince her to give him her keycard to facilitate his robbery of Caligula's Palace.
 * In the MMORPG Ragnarok Online, the Zealotus monster appears in the Underprison levels of the Glast Heim dungeon. She wears a mask that covers half of her face, sports a whip, and can summon several 'Injustice' monsters to attack players.
 * In the Soul Calibur fighting games, the character of Ivy Valentine is thought of by players as a dominatrix with her bondage clothing, whip-like weapon, and some suggestive attack names (Spiral Dominance, Pleasure Change, and Mistress' Justice).
 * The characters Sofia and Zola in the Battle Arena Toshinden fighting games resemble a dominatrix in their clothing, taunts, and use of a whip.
 * The real-time strategy game Dungeon Keeper 2 features the Mistress as a minion that you as the Dungeon Keeper can recruit - visually, they are portrayed as dominatrices in black leather with a whip.
 * The Tyranid race from the Warhammer 40,000 game refers briefly to units known as the "Dominatrix" who are believed to be in control of the many groups of Tyranids in the universe.
 * In the MMORPG World of Warcraft, the Warlock's Succubus pet is portrayed as a dominatrix.
 * In GTA San Andreas, Mille Perkins, one of CJ's girlfriends is fond of BDSM and in "Key To Her Heart" CJ dresses himself as a dominator
 * In the MMORPG Guild Wars there is playable profession called mesmer, they can wear thigh-length boots, masks and corset's. Mesmer-class also has various spells which refers some dominant action and one of their spell range is called as "Domination Magic"

Dominatrices in media

 * The American author, sex therapist, and counselor Gloria Brame is also a lifestyle dominant.
 * The French professional dominatrix Maîtresse Françoise (pen name Annick Foucault) has written a book about her experiences as a dominatrix
 * Professional dominatrix Mistress Matisse is also a columnist for the Seattle weekly alternative.
 * Georgia Payne is a Los Angeles based professional dominatrix who wrote a handbook on using dominatrix techniques to spice up a romantic relationship.
 * Susan Winemaker is the author of Concertina: The Life and Loves of a Dominatrix, about her experience over several years as Mistress Anna, a dominatrix in London
 * Claire Mansfield is the author of Dominatrix: A Memoir, about her experiences as Mistress Chloe, a dominatrix in London

Dominatrices in music

 * "Hunting Girl" by Jethro Tull
 * "Pretty Tied Up" by Guns N' Roses
 * "Touch, Peel and Stand" by Days of the New
 * "The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight" by Dominatrix
 * "Blood, Sex and Booze" by Green Day
 * "Dominated Love Slave" by Green Day
 * "Erotica" by Madonna
 * "Cool and Unusual Punishment" by NOFX
 * "S&M Airlines" by NOFX
 * "Computer Blue" by Prince
 * "Venus in Furs" by The Velvet Underground
 * "Feiticeira" by Deftones
 * "My Dominatrix" by Beefcake
 * "I'm In Chains" by Tina Arena
 * "Dressed in Black" by Depeche Mode
 * "Bitte bitte" by Die Ärzte

Books

 * Tomi Ungerer: Schutzengel der Hölle, Diogenes 1986, ISBN 3257020163
 * Annick Foucault: Françoise maîtresse, Gallimard 1994, ISBN 2070738345
 * Shawna Kenney: I Was a Teenage Dominatrix: A Memoir, Last Gasp 2002, ISBN 0867195304