A phrase this seems to be occurring more and more frequently in the fetish world is “The New Flesh.” This term, coined by Canadian director David Cronenberg, has been appropriated by the denizens of the Torture Garden and others to refer to the emerging fusion of fetish and technology. The human body has become obsolete, and must now be augmented, extended, and enhanced. This movement is only a part of a growing expansion and extension of “traditional” BDSM sensibilities.

With a nod to Mr. Cronenberg, I use the term “New Breed” to refer to the new generation of BDSM player. Where is the line drawn between these generations? That’s a very difficult question. In general, the New Breed are children of the ‘70s and early ‘80s. We’ve grown up in a mass-media culture that has bombarded us from our earliest days with imagery of violence. Some of the first memories I have are of television coverage on the Vietnam War. Exactly how much influence on our psychological development these images has had remains to be seen.

The attitude of many younger BDSM players is exploration, both of the body and the mind. Boundaries are becoming mutable, and some are disappearing altogether. We have studied the past, and have not forgotten our roots, but we live in a world of increasing complexity and change. We are not being constrained by what has come before us. Adaptation is the only way to avoid extinction, and we have embraced the challenge.

This is not to say that older players in the scene lack innovation or the desire to expand their horizons. In my interactions with others in the scene however, I have noticed a sharp division in the attitudes and interests between older players and younger. Many older heterosexual players that I have met embrace a more “traditional” flavor of BDSM: The ubiquitous black leather vest. Male Dom, fem sub. Flogging and bondage. Keep it in the bedroom so that the neighbors don’t find out. In stark contrast, the younger generation has opened up to a variety of other influences, espousing a fusion of body modification, technological fetishism, and edge play. Many of the old guard who have been considered radical by their peers are finding a new audience of eager, sometimes rabid listeners who want their experience. I have little personal exposure to the gay Old Guard. I know only second hand anecdotes and accounts. It is for this reason that I do not cover their flavor of BDSM to a greater degree.

None of these approaches to BDSM is wrong. There is no “right way” to do what it is that we do. There are as many ways to play as there are players. It is increasingly obvious that there is a gap, both generational and stylistic, between the New Breed and the Old Guard. It is the responsibility of both generations to begin eroding this gap.

Every generation tends to think that it is more radical and innovative than the ones that came before it. I think that what separates my generation from others is our ability to synthesize new ideas from a multitude of influences. In the generation behind ours, this is even more apparent. To many, this flexibility is interpreted as a lack of respect for tradition and protocol. In most cases this is not the intent. Many younger players are well versed in the traditional ways, but simply do not find them to be applicable to the way that they view BDSM.

One of the more common traits of younger players is the rejection of traditional roles within the realm of BDSM play. The majority of the switches that I know fall in the 25 to 32 year old age group. One of the pitfalls of being a switch is the discrimination from both full-time Tops and bottoms that goes along with it. Many monosexuals seem unwilling or unable to believe that a person can fully and equally enjoy both roles. In this they are mistaken.

This essay will try to illuminate the interwoven threads of the New Flesh and the New Breed. I will briefly cover the various cultural phenomenon that are being absorbed or borrowed by the new generation of BDSM players. These are the things that I know have helped mold my experiences

The vast majority of people who are pierced probably have no idea about the history of modern piercing and modification. The modern body modification movement can be largely traced back to a handful of men, including Doug Malloy, Jim Ward, Sailor Sid Diller, Jack Yount, and Fakir Musafar. In the early 1970’s in Los Angeles, Malloy began holding T&P (tattooing and piercing) parties. At this point, body piercing was almost entirely an underground movement among gay leathermen. In 1976, with Malloy’s support, Jim Ward opened Gauntlet, the first piercing only studio in the United States. Many of the most skilled piercers and body artists in the field today began their careers at Gauntlet.

In 1989, RE/Search publications released a book titled Modern Primitives. This book featured interviews with figures such as Fakir Musafar, Leo Zulueta, Jim Ward, and others who had contributed to the field. This book helped bring body modification even further into the open.

Whereas activities such as these, which encourage exploration and play with the body were either unknown, or done in extreme secret thirty years ago, many are now quite mainstream. Information on traditional techniques is being shared, and new techniques are being developed constantly. The new generation has grown up with body modification being a common cultural phenomenon. This has led to erosion of the body taboo.

The most commonly used elements of body modification in BDSM play are probably play piercing and cutting. Branding and tattooing are used less commonly, often to show ownership of a submissive. Permanent piercings are also used for longer-term infibulation activities.

Popular culture has embraced numerous facets of the fetish aesthetic. Print advertisements for cigarettes feature a patent-booted, whip-wielding dominatrix. Television ads for a certain brand of breath mints have featured black latex-clad lovers who try to embrace, only to be stopped until they have taken their mints. The old saying is that sex sells. This has never been truer. Now it seems that the saying should be revised to say that kinky sex sells. Successful advertising reflects the sensibilities of the culture that creates it. Thus the increase in the use of alternative sexual imagery would seem to indicate that western culture is becoming more comfortable with the ideas of fetishism and BDSM

Although it is turning more and more into a mass marketing tool, the Internet is still one of the most revolutionary developments for the exchange of information ever developed. There have been several major impacts to BDSM caused by the Internet. It has destroyed all traditional models of the way that ideas are propagated. In the past, new ideas tended to sprout up in major metropolitan population centers. They then spread outward in a ripple effect to the hinterlands via various methods such as word of mouth, and print and broadcast media. The ideas required a carrier who was interested in spreading them. That model does not apply to the Internet. Someone in the rural mid-western United States might now have his or her finger on the pulse of fetish fashion in the Netherlands. It has made possible a sense of community for isolated fetish practitioners who might otherwise have no outlets, and might believe themselves to be alone in their feelings and practices.

The amount of information, accurate and inaccurate, available online continues to grow. Great care must be taken when using online sources to learn about scene activities. The best way to learn is always from an experienced teacher. Failing this, consult all available sources. Compare and distill them with a large dose of common sense.

Besides being a repository for information and source of community, the Internet is also a valuable resource for meeting possible play partners. When using the net in this capacity, there are a number of important measures such as the use of safe calls that should be employed to ensure the safety of all parties when meeting in person for the first time.

BDSM doesn’t belong to any one segment of the population. Gay, straight or in between, young or old, every person who pursues this lifestyle has a different perspective and set of expectations. Younger players are challenging the status quo. New ideas are mixing with traditional values to redefine our culture. This should not be seen as an unfortunate dilution of the ideals of BDSM, but as a necessary evolution. Most of us who practice the lifestyle to one degree or another do it for the same reasons. Physical, emotional, and in some cases spiritual fulfillment. There are ample quantities of outsiders who are more than happy to apply their morals to our lives, and to decry us as perverts. Within the BDSM community, there needs to be a movement toward understanding and acceptance. It is naïve to expect unity among so diverse of a culture, or to expect even basic understanding to appear overnight.

The New Breed is not trying to destroy the scene. We’re not trying to belittle the works or accomplishments of the Old Guard. We know that without the work of others, there would be no scene at all. If we play differently, that’s because we are different. Not better, not worse, just different.

BME: Body Modification Ezine (www.bmezine.com)

Carse, James P. Finite and Infinite Games Ballantine Books. ISBN: 0345341848

Mitchell, Tony (ed.) Fetish: Masterpieces of Erotic Fantasy Photography Thunder's Mouth Press. ISBN: 1560252537 Vale, V. Modern Primitives Re-Search Publications. ISBN: 0965046931