Been There/Done That

Show and Tell Sundays at Passional

by Nadia Stadnycki

Every Sun., 7-9 p.m., $10, Passional Toys, 620 S. Fifth St., 215-829-4986, passional.net

While the rest of you were glued to the tube on Superbowl Sunday, I was coming unglued at Passional Toys. The off-South boutique is now hosting Show and Tell classes, in-depth tutorials for those looking to spice things up in the bedroom (or cubicle, or elevator ... ). I attended the kickoff session, Fetish Toys: Bondage, Percussion and Sensation.

For anyone drooling over an image of me handcuffed to a bedpost writhing around in black leather knee-highs, allow me to burst your bubble. More than a dominant or aggressive desire to bruise a partner, fetish sex aims to increase and prolong pleasure through sound, physical stimulation and psychological role-playing. Passional owner Kali Morgan gave us a basic schooling on the rules, the toys involved and how they should be used. After explaining a few essential elements of play (that it is "consensual, safe and sane"), she blindfolded us and touched us with some of the more vanilla of the toys, including a feather, silk scarf, rubber massage mitt and hemp rope. Amy, a Passional employee, was the model and recipient for the rest of the playthings. She flinched as Morgan demonstrated how to use floggers, clamps, handcuffs and ropes as well as a variety of "percussion" toys that add noise to the affair.

Although group bondage situations are rare, the class was actually calming and comfortable due to Morgan's matter-of-fact approach to the topic. "The more elements you add, the more chance you can screw something up," she told beginners. "If you're new, just add one thing. Less is more."