Gag

Revision as of 06:44, 21 May 2006

Overview

A gag is a device designed to cover or be inserted into the mouth to prevent the wearer from talking or crying out. in BDSM gags have a very strong symbolic value. They prevent the submissive from talking or communicating with the dominant in anything but the most basic way. This enhances the loss of control that the sub experiences in a scene which in turn can magnify the D/S dynamic between the players. The gag is also an invasion the sub's body which is another strong D/S signal. For many fetishists, the Freudian symbolism is part of the bondage ritual--the mouth is very intimate space, and controlling verbal control as well as the movements of the tongue and jaw can be very erotic for some subs.

Safety

Note: Gags are profoundly erotic, but can KILL someone who is left unattended. Placing a gag on anybody is very risky, as it involves a substantial risk of asphyxia, particularly if the subject's nose is blocked by the gag. Using a gag on somebody who is ill, or affected by some condition such as the common cold, catarrh, hayfever or the flu, is also quite dangerous, as most gags inhibit breathing through the mouth. Vomiting and choking is also a risk, which further blocks the airway. For this reason, a gagged subject should never be left alone.

In practice, no gag is effective enough to completely silence someone without inhibiting breathing. Most gags that do stop the subject from making intelligible speech still allow loud inarticulate vocal noises to call for help. Thus, a pattern of noises, such as three grunts in rapid succession, is sometimes used as a safeword by BDSM players. It is also common to use an additional non-verbal safety mechanism, such as a solid object held in the hand, which can be released by the gagged person as a sign that they are in distress.

Most conventional wisdom dictates that this type of bondage be used with supervision and care. Practitioners of self-bondage need to be particularly careful with gag use.

Motivations

Some people are sexually aroused by the sight of gags, or activities involving gags. One specific paraphilia relates to scenes on television in which the captor gags the damsel in distress to stop her screaming for help. Some people are sexually aroused by such seemingly mundane imagery, even if there is no nudity or sexual act present, sometimes going as far as to search video stores and websites for certain scenes.

Other people appear to find that being gagged exacerbates their sense of helplessness within a BDSM scene, and desire to be gagged for that reason. Gags also have connotations of punishment and control, and thus are often also used as a form of humiliation to the wearer.

There are a number of different designs of gags which are used in BDSM play.

Ball gag

Ball Gags

A ball gag, as the name suggests, is a ball which is forced into the sub's mouth and then held in place by a stap running through it and then tied behind the back of the neck. Ball gags are the most common type of gag used in BDSM play. They are very effective at preventing the sub from talking. When strapped in tightly they are almost impossible to spit out. Visually they look very dramatic, distorting the face and forcing the mouth open. It forces the submissive to feel very vulnerable, and due to the strain it places on the mouth and jaw, it is impossible to forget that the power of speech is being denied. Ball gags can be handmade, but commercial versions are readily available at various price points, from plastic balls with holes for breathing pre-drilled in, to soft "jelly" balls that conform more to the interior of the wearer's mouth. (The jelly variety is better for long-term use; a ball-gag with breathing holes is mandatory for any sub with a history of asthma or other breathing problems.)

A less common design is to have the ball attached to a leather plate which covers the mouth and is held in place by a strap. Gags of this design are less effective than the tradition ball gag as the sub is more able to spit the gag out. They also tend to be less effective in silencing the sub. They do, however, work very well with hoods as they require a much smaller mouth opening than a traditional ball gag and the hood helps keep the gag in place.

Ball gags come in different sizes to suit different mouth sizes. Using the correct sized gag with greatly enhance the experience of wearing it. Too small a gag will be ineffective at silencing the sub and the visual impact will be diminished; using too big a gag will put the sub's jaw under strain which will quickly become painful. There is also a real risk that the sub might choke or retch.

Bit gag

Bit Gags

A bit gag is based on a horse bit and is often used in pony play. As a tool for silencing a sub it is much less effective than a ball gag, however the visual impact is as great (some might say greater) than a ball gag. The risks of wearing a bit gag are much less than a ball gag since it does not obstruct the airway.

Bit gags are also valuable tools for humiliation exercises, since they tend to cause the wearer to drool freely.

Penis gag

Penis Gags

A penis gag is a gag based on a rubber penis or dildo (usually only a few cm long) which is attached to a leather plate (to prevent it being swallowed) and forced into the sub's mouth. Particular care must be taken when playing with penis gags; because of their size, they tend to get pushed further back in the mouth. This means that there is a much greater risk of the wearer choking. Some in the BDSM community suggest that penis gags are better as an idea than in practice. They can move around the mouth much more than a ball gag and that makes them less effective in gagging the submissive and making it easier for the sub to spit the gag out. They can be made more effective by using them in conjunction with a hood or a ring gag.

There are also gags that feature a dildo/penis attachment on the outside of the face plate, so that the submissive can be used by play-partners as a very literal sex toy. Care should be used in this type of scene--broken teeth or facial injuries can halt a scene in a very distressing way.

Ring gag

Ring Gags

Ring gags are similar in concept to a ball gag but replace the ball with a metal ring which forces the subs mouth open. In BDSM play the main reason for doing this is to make it impossible for the sub to refuse to accept any thing place in his/her mouth (usually a penis!). This makes ring gags particularly effective in scenes that have a strong D/S element.

Ring gags come in various dimensions and sizes, and most are measured according to the inner diameter, not the actual size of the ring itself. Most come wrapped in leather or rubber--metal alone can chip or damage a sub's teeth.

Inflatable gag

Inflatable Gags

An inflatable gag is a rubber balloon (often attached to a leather plate to hold it in place) with a valve and a pump. Once inserted into the subs mouth it is inflated to fill the subs mouth in much the same way as a ball gag. Inflatable gags are very effective in silencing the wearer but they also block the airway and for this reason the sub should never be left alone while wearing it.

There are myriad other ways to silence a submissive--lingerie casually stuffed in the mouth, with care taken that the fabric doesn't obstruct the airway; medical tape, applied in layers; cleave gags wound around the submissive's head very tightly. Many BDSM practitioners, however, prefer the stringent look and feel of leather mouth gags.

Funnel gag

A funnel gag consists of a funnel with a tube leading from its spout into the mouth, usually with straps to hold the tube in. Such a gag is used to force the bound person to drink something (often the dominant's urine).

Warning: It is very easy to choke during such forced drinking

See Also

• Head harness
• Hoods