"16th-century Venice, most women would either be wives, nuns or prostitutes.
A very fortunate, select few might become courtesans.
These beautiful women were schooled in all social graces as well as poetry, literature, music, politics and philosophy. They were the only women who were allowed to be a man's equal in public and in private.
Dangerous Beauty is the story of Veronica Franco, the most famous courtesan of her day. She entered the history books not because she beguiled the aristocracy of Venice but because she defied the Catholic Church.
How Franco found herself the subject of a witch-hunt and a landmark trial is one of the sub-plots of Dangerous Beauty, a sumptuous melodrama."
--from the Calgary Sun
So many themes hit upon in this film struck a chord with me. And that was true from the first time I watched it in the theaters several years ago, when I was still working in an office and doing "normal" work. I could relate to the main character's struggle to be recognized as a full-fledged, multi-dimensional human being, beyond the limiting categories of gender and social status. To be regarded not simply as an attractive accessory to men, but as someone who could stand on her own through the strength of her intelligence, skills, creativity and spirit. And at the same time, to celebrate the sensual without apologies for the fact that it is both pleasurable and profitable. And then there are the timeless forces of oppression: here in the form of the Inquisition, which thinks it has an easy target in this fiercely passionate and beloved woman. Well, that's about all I'll say. Go see it for yourself!
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In many ways, I came well prepared when I embarked upon my career in professional domination. Yet one thing that did catch me off guard were the online review sites. It was strange to realize that anyone could surreptiously rate me as we scened together. In fact, one of the most high profile dommes in the area told me she was glad she retired before this process got rolling. For a brief time, I was a bit overly suspicious of certain types and uneasy at the thought that I was being spied upon (It also didn't help that a Seattle escort also named Xia was getting mixed up with me on one site. It took several emails to straighten this out and get my profile to accurately reflect the activities I do and do not get into!).
But I've made my peace with this system as best as I can. I understand people's desire to be as informed as possible. And while I find their typical tone to be on the disrespectful side, I think that can be attributed to the reviewer wanting to save face in front of his peers. After all, it's a rare day that most men would openly and publicly submit to a woman. I find it especially interesting that reviews rarely mention feminization, which is a fairly common form of domination -- particularly in concert with slut training, which is one of my specialities.
In the end, I cannot imagine anyone who sees me on a regular basis writing a review without consulting me. So the kind of person that would write a review without my knowledge is by definition going to be someone with whom I did not really connect with in the scene. The beauty of professional domination is that there are so many amazing women out there, all with their own unique take on things. And I certainly do not claim to be the right fit for everyone, nor do I desire to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Those who have taken the time to read my personal website and correspond with me know what I'm all about. If you are just looking at my photos and hoping to fulfill some Asian/Eurasian domme fetish, you will probably be disappointed as I do not easily fit into stereotypes. With a little homework, it's not hard to ascertain whether there is compatibility there.
It's really all a part of a larger trend. There's now a site called RateMyProfessors.com for college students to rate their instructors. I wouldn't be surprised if we get sites devoted to reviewing doctors, therapists, hair stylists and the like. Some say that the days of private interaction are fast coming to an end, what with the internet and other pervasive technologies. And so it goes. . .
