This is my first Rambling to be foisted onto the unsuspecting public.  I subject our members to a couple of these a month.  In fact, they've been treated to this one, too.  In any case, our subscribers all seem to survive with most of their brain cells intact. 

Typically my rants are fun, entertaining, enlightening (and irreverent when at all possible).  We do a lot of that.  This Rambling's a bit different - kind of a time out from the fun and frolicking for an injection of serious reality of sorts. 

I do that every now and again, too.

Anyway, at Darker Pleasures, we're believers in every adult’s freedom to choose his or her personal forms of entertainment and to indulge in them to his or her heart’s content.  That should be a given considering the fact that we've elevated breast bondage and tit torture to an art form.  That said, we also believe that the on-line adult entertainment community has a responsibility to do its part in keeping the Internet from becoming the “cesspool” that many out there claim it's already become. 

Because of this, we want to make a few things perfectly, one-hundred percent, undeniably crystal clear:

* First, I can't stand child pornography or child exploitation in any guise, period.  End of sentence.  There's not a soul that works for Darker Pleasures that can.  We haven't, don't, and won't ever have it in any form on our site.  We won't write about it.  We won't shoot it.  We won't draw it, display it, or knowingly link to it.  Just looking at this trash promotes the very crime that it depicts, and encourages low-lifes across the world to victimize kids that much more. 

In the United States, and in many other countries, just possessing child porn, even in a deleted format, is a crime, and though a lot of my political and moral views may not jibe with those of our esteemed government, that's one point Uncle Sam and I can stand side by side on.  I guarantee, if any of us at D.P. get wind that anyone we come in contact with is doing child porn, you can bet the farm on the fact that we'll take vacation time if necessary to help bury 'em. 

We'd like you to help us out by making sure you don't give your business to any web site that displays or promotes child porn or their simulations, and report any sites that do. 

* Second, we Darker Pleasures folk believe that animals may have been put on this planet for a lot of reasons, but satisfying the sexual appetites and desires of man and woman-kind isn't one of them.  Sorry if I sound callous, or even a bit hypocritical given what Biff and Buffy Biblebelter have to say about us, but such is life.  Besides, D.P. isn't even in the same ballpark. 

Animals have no say in what we do to them.  Consent is beyond them.  They can't stop us, and they can't call out for help.  Bestiality is blatantly illegal in most states, and if a state doesn't have a law specifically addressing it, chances are it's still considered something like cruelty to animals. The last time I checked, that was illegal, too.  So, ditto here on all the stuff I said about child porn - don't support it and do report it.

* Third, Darker Pleasures, its staff and management, just as firmly believe that, regardless of the obvious beauties of the human body, children should be properly and legally educated by the right people - namely their parents,  guardians, or - if you're of a mind - their school systems, and they should be exposed to the world of adult fantasies as adults. 

That's why we have a warning page with no hard stuff and no nippleage that tells folks to read our horribly long legal disclaimer before they can enter.  It's why we have links to the ASACP and have our site rated by the ICRA.  That's also why you won't find any freebies in the tour, and why we don't have any feeder sites tossing pictures out like TGP candy.  Sorry, but we don't want any parenting-deprived kiddoes glomming onto free pics and P2Ping them to each other through AOL (AOL copyright, trademark, and all that gibberish Time/Warner yada yada). 

I promise you, we're worth the pittance we charge without having to pony up public pics that kids can trade.

Now, while we try to do our part because it's our responsibility and because we believe it's right, parents should be doing the same thing.  Push the little "off" button on the remote control every now and then.  We're certain it'll work.  Let the screensaver actually get a workout, and get involved with your kids.  Contrary to popular belief, the Internet is not the world-wide babysitter. 

Watch what they do when they’re on the 'Net, and consider installing software that will help you protect them from their own immature curiosities or some chatroom pervert's pathetic attempt at Internet trickery when you can’t be there with them.  Remember, though, that software filters are no substitute for your time and guidance, they're just one tool that helps some folks get the parenting job done. 

The best tool for raising children is a caring mom and/or dad.  Be involved and be responsible.

* Finally, fun terms like "breast bondage," "breast torture," "tit torture," "nipple torture," and all the other breast-related bondage/torment/torture phrases we use, have a variety of definitions.  While all of them typically include the inflicting of some kind of distress on particular chesty female body parts, our definition - and the one used by BDSM enthusiasts planet-wide - also includes the consent of the tormentee - ergo, it is NOT real torture. 

Webster defines torture as punishing or coercing by inflicting severe pain.  We get paid to make it look good, and we do, but none of our models are actually punished or coerced in any way, nor is any pain they may experience terribly severe. 

We hope this won't send too many folks scurrying, but if so, such is life, 'cause Darker Pleasures, is adamantly against any real-life non-consensual bondage, torment, torture, or demeaning of any kind, as well as any picture or video that is acquired through coercion or against the will of anyone.  Like child pornography and exploitation, bestiality, and giving adult stuff to kids, tying up or hurting anyone without their consent is illegal in every civilized country I'm aware of.  If it isn't illegal, I'd argue against that country being terribly civilized. 

It's yet another one of those cases I'd agree with our government. I know, that's twice in one essay. Scary, huh?  But while non-consensual stuff is - and should be - illegal, let's talk about this consent thing for a bit. 

Despite what the aforementioned Buffy and Biff Biblebelter might try to shove down the throats of their legislators, doctors, relatives, neighbors, family pets, and any homeless person that'll listen, the United States Constitution Bill of Rights allows us to engage in free speech, fantasy, free enterprise, and the right to freedom from unreasonable intrusion into our private lives. 

And while, unfortunately, there's a bit of disagreement about how to interpret that particular document under our current administrative watch, no one can argue that there are millions of people happily practicing some form of S/M (sado-masochism), BDSM (Bondage, Discipline, Sadism, Masochism and a few variants thereof), and/or D/s (Dominance/submission) around the world.  Even Time Magazine and Psychology Today have gotten into the act, writing at length about the SM lifestyle and its legitimacy in America.

And while their practicing might range from simple fantasy entertainment in the comfort of their own home or closet, to deeply involved voluntary and public lifestyle choices, to everything in between, there's no arguing that they're a significant portion of the population. 

Thousand upon thousands of web sites devote themselves to these folks.  Besides entertainment, scores of these sites provide educational articles like our own ABCs of Breast Bondage and Tit Torture that cater to experienced D/s folks as well as people new to the game and people that just like to fantasize about it.  There are scads of others that provide generic articles on sex and sexuality. 

If your fantasies involve women throwing themselves at your feet so that you can tie them into pretzel-like shapes and heap loads of anguish on their wildly bouncing titties - trust us - the women pictured in Darker Pleasures voluntarily subject themselves to as much pain as they can willingly tolerate. Some do it for money, some do it because they enjoy it.  (OK, they all do it for money regardless of whether or not they enjoy it.  Word's gotten out that we really pay our models, dang it all.)  But money, groaning, welts and bruising aside, it's still done with the model’s free will intact and unimpaired. 

As far as our stories are concerned, they're fictional pieces - fantasy for the dominant, the submissive, or both - just another literary fantasy genre.  Instead of depicting the wild west, outer space, vampires, or mystery, we depict female bondage and breast torment.  And our genre even includes the others.  What a deal. 

Oh, and about that demeaning-to-women thing... Half our members are women.  Well, maybe not half, but a bunch.  I can tell you that these gals don't feel demeaned.  Hot, horny, turned-on, envious, and scads of other things - but demeaned isn't one of them.  Actually, women are generally my best customers.  No slight against the guys, but we all know what kind of attention span us gents have after Mr. Happy's workout's over. 

Many of the women that are into our brand of kink disagree adamantly with your stereotypical feminists.  In fact, as of 1999, N.O.W. (that would be The National Organization for Women) did a one-eighty and advocated a stance in favor of sexual freedom, including D/s and BDSM.  How's that for shooting the "porn demeans us" folks right where it hurts?

And as for the assertion that guys that dream of doing some lovely lady's knockers are homicidal rampaging perverted stalkers that are looking up your wife's or daughter's address on Mapsco even as I type...  Well, I've done it - not the homicidal-stalking-perverted-address-looker thing, but the dream-of-tormenting-a-fine-pair and the really-honestly-getting-to-do-it-in-the-
land-of-the-waking thing. 

Just ask Christine Dannemont.  And I guarantee that I have more respect and compassion for women than three-quarters of the Biblebelter clan out there. 

Sex and fantasy are just that, sex and fantasy.  The argument that a person's healthy BDSM fantasies and activities reflect some kind of twisted revulsion of lady-kind may be Freudian, but Freud isn't a lot of folks' cup of tea, especially ours and the gazillions of folks out there like us.  If anything, you'll find that folks that are involved in BDSM and D/s things have a greater care, respect, and understanding for each other, and for members of the opposite gender, than your typical Biff and Buffy Biblebelter.

Bottom line, in Darker Pleasures it's fantasy, or it's consensual, or it's both.  Every adult web site should be the same.  Personally, I'd suggest being very discriminating when you're viewing material in sites that depict graphic torture or rape.  If you think the acts portrayed are anything less than honestly consensual, leave the site and contact its webmaster.  I dang-well hope people do the same to me and Darker Pleasures. 

In fact, they have.  And I answer them - ASAP.  If you're not satisfied with the response you receive, take your business someplace that will assure you that its content is consensual and can show you they're Title 18 U.S.C.§2257 statement to prove it  (By the way, ours is here.).  If you don't, like child porn and bestiality, you may well be supporting the commission of a crime. 

Think about it.

If we don't regulate what we do, you know full well that Buffy and Biff will see that the government does.  In fact, they are, and the problem with most government enacted legislation is that it hurts many people that are just minding their own business.  There are tons of laws and acts before any number of governmental bodies at this very moment that would take away your freedom to view this site, as they'd take away our freedom to present it to you.  In order to stop the perception that the Internet - “The cesspool that it is” - should be regulated, it's up to both of us - me and you - to do our part. 

Let's make sure that we can keep satisfying your fantasies without wondering when big brother will kick our door in... or yours.

I realize that this philosophical interlude may not have done much to further your search for the ultimate breast-based sexual high, but it'd be grossly irresponsible if we didn’t at least try to give you the scoop. 

Thanks for listening, now go and do...

~Matt Nicholson~
Webmaster and Jack-of-All-Trades - Darker Pleasures

Ramble back at the Webmaster