As a person who insists on waking up at 6 AM every morning, I’m not what would be considered a “party girl.” I properly got that out of my system in New York City, where one could find excellent parties three to four times a week. Paris’s kinky parties and clubs have been less than inspiring. They are nothing like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, London, or Berlin. I blame the lack of BDSM culture in Paris. There is a community growing, but it is still new. Inspired by visiting New Yorkers and how NYC has risen from the ashes of 2008 to become one of the healthiest FemDom communities I have ever seen, I decided to take it upon myself to re-venture into the Paris BDSM party scene.
This. . .this is going to take some work.
Immediately, I started my research last Saturday at Nuit Élastique. The tiered admission scheme is 10-25€ for single women, 30-60€ for couples, and 25-60€ for single men. When I purchased my ticket, the balance of the three seemed reasonable, and I looked forward to seeing some couples play, mingling with other women on their own, and meeting some stray subs.
While I have been in Europe for 14 years now, I have to sit on my hands to keep myself from showing up when the club opens, or the party starts on the dot. I fussed and forced myself to show up a little after 21h, 30+ minutes after opening. It felt late, but I was early enough to have an opportunity to scout out the place. The night had already started out with my neurosis out front, but it allowed for time to observe and report back.
Firstly, it was in a nice neighborhood, the 9éme just north of Palais Garnier, and I felt perfectly comfortable walking the whole way there. (Some parties are in neighborhoods where I feel exposed from the Uber door to the venue.) There was no signage from the street, but I figured out the building containing apartments and offices also housed a club. I also figured it was Sauna-Provence hosting the Nuit Élastique party from a process of elimination, not that there was any indication.
During the day, this location is a standard libertine (swingers) club. It still strikes me as strange to have BDSM play parties in swingers’ clubs, but here we are. It is significant in size, 220 square meters, with 12 little nooks and hidden rooms, unremarkably decorated but very clean. I am more than happy to endure tacky erotic posters if everything is clean. Built-in beds and beds with vinyl cushions and mattresses aren’t aesthetically great, but they function well. The only BDSM equipment appears to be a St Andrews cross and a sturdy spanking bench. It’s a space, but nothing that will inspire; definitely bring your own gear.
Bland pop songs played over a television streaming Captured Male videos. Fair enough. The staff was friendly, if not disinterested. The “beau buffet” was outright offensive, with pretzels and imitation crab sticks on paper plates and not the incentive for people to arrive early as advertised. Soft drinks, a variety of beer, champagne, and a small selection of mixed drinks were offered for 3-10€. I chose the champagne because, of course, I did, and I paid 10€ for a 15cl flute. It was drinkable, though.
At 21h30, very few people were at the party, and no women besides me. I was keenly aware I was being scrutinized as I explored the space with my champagne flute in hand, though most of the men chatted with each other over beer like it was a dinner party and as if they weren’t wearing stockings, lacey knickers, and nothing else. It wasn’t long before I was approached with an opportunity to practice my French small talk.
Chatting with the men was pleasant in the beginning. Many of them could hold actual conversations, but the usual few guys immediately went to find out if I would play with them. Getting to the point is a way to get what one wants, but perhaps not a great way. I politely explained I was a professional and was just here to chat and see some inspiring play.
Around 23h, some couples and a lot more men showed up. The couples didn’t jump right in but instead talked amongst themselves. The place started to get full and the air stuffy, but still, no one was playing, probably due partly to the men outnumbering women 20 to 1. A sea of men stopped talking to each other and eyed the couples and me. While I paid a fraction of the cover as the men, I still paid. I was not receiving payment or promotion, but I began to feel a tangible pressure to start entertaining the crowd. I had seen enough, and it was uncomfortably hot and uncomfortable in general, so I skipped out before midnight.
Perhaps more play happened in the remaining 3 hours of the party, but I doubt it. It may feel like a strange observation, but I walked over to the bar area to get a glass of champagne three times. Each time, a man interested in continuing the conversation about playing followed me. None offered to buy me a glass, let alone fetch one while I relaxed. I can, obviously, get myself up and buy my own damn drinks, but I would have appreciated the gesture. After all, these men bombarded me with their needs and expectations. I like playing, but the entitlement turned me off. My educated guess is the lack of self-awareness keeps these guys from finding play partners. A lower cover price wasn’t enticing single women into the party. The entitlement was directly driving them away.
Paris is a fashion-forward city. These parties might serve themselves better by focusing less on what people wear and more on attitudes. They are making money from the many men there, but I wonder how many return after spending 60€, plus drinks, to stand around with other men in a hot club. I wonder how Nuit Élastique could make it more women-friendly and thus more pleasurable for everyone involved.
The review matches in much my experience. I was frequently in Paris around 2000-2010, Nuit Elastique, Demonia, and so. However I think there was more and merrier people in those days. More of kind of a community. But anything erotique in France is always directed to the cash-holding men. From then I don’t remember many real couples playing. Yes, there was pro dommes visiting, playing with own slave, or playing with guest slave. My idea is that play is much more private in France, than in Germany, Netherlands. Even in Denmark, which has a very active bdsm community, there is not much play during public parties. I guess play is reserved for small “private” parties. Prices.. suck. France is expensive. Paris even more so. I was helped then by living in Sweden, alcohol was terribly expensive. Seeing french prices…. I though Oh this was not cheap, almost the same as in Sweden. Now the swedish currency has fallen in value, so anything is expensive abroad, for swedes….!
Wow! I just read this. I can’t believe men weren’t buying you drinks at least!
As for how hosts could improve their parties, it can be done the way some NYC clubs or parties have done, which is to provide women for them to play with. For just a little bit of money, there are women to host as “dommes” to get play going. Some places allow or encourage tips or paid timed mini-sessions, like $x for 10 or 15 minutes. But others don’t and the women are there to get play going and to play themselves.
The clubs can also have play stations, like a spanking area with a spanking mistress, or one for bondage, humiliation, pet play, etc.
There’s an old saying in swinging: no women, no party, no guys, no money. Everything needs to be done to encourage women to attend, stay, and think good things about the party. Sounds like France is tres desole!
Paid mini sessions would definitely bring the women. I wonder how that would work with French law, but a foot party with mini foot sessions would KILL here. I have been invited as a guest domina to parties, even brought a bag full of toys to play, then I ended up fighting with some of the male guests who felt I needed to play exactly how they wanted.
I’ve been to France several times, including to the Paris Auto Show, Le Mans, and to Normandy. I have travelled around the country (literally counter-clockwise) seeing the lavender fields, Cassis, Avignon, Arles, etc.
But is France a macho-based country? I know the French have strong opinions, mostly about the wonder that is France, but are they aggressive in their attitudes towards “submission” as well, and how they treat women? Emily (in Paris) didn’t show that side!
How have you found the submissives there, in your 14 years? Like Americans, or different?
The French are certainly macho, but in more of an uber-gentlemanly kind of way. I have become used to it (maybe spoiled). Even my most platonic of male friends would never dream of letting me pay for my own drink. (I don’t take advantage.) I think it’s a lack of social awareness in any culture.