I have a real love-hate relationship with this video. On the one hand, it does some things right, such as referring to to the “art” as kinbaku, and linking the “rope culture” of Japan to the practice. On the other hand, starting from the Ubiquitous Zen Flute Riff when they show the “happy, sunny” Japan, to the pedantic valley-girl-esque Vanessa Von Auer, Paychologist, it goes into a sensationalistic Orientalist mode. The overall portrayal, passive-aggressive in tone, is that rope bondage is done by the mentally ill as an inadequate substitute for “real” therapy.
Still, it’s worth watching, if only for the chance to see Ageha perform, and to see Hajime Kinoko‘s teaching studio. What do you think of the tone? I know that I tend to be a bit over-sensitive to what I perceive as Asian stereotyping; maybe I’m over-reacting?
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Oh good lord… this video is so overgeneralizing. I completely agree with you, there are parts that got it right. But as a bottom, the parts that got it wrong are almost sickening.
I don’t think you’re overreacting. Your thoughts about this video are spot on.
It is so frustrating to see interpretations of bondage (and other activities that create intense sensation) that minimize the experiences of BDSM to “ways to eleviate self-hatred.”
Hello Gray I thought the tone of the video is fine it focuses more on what’s going on there than what we may have idealized in our heads about it. Moreover, Kinoko’s discussion on bondage safety and taking a student is exactly what K and I believe.