Naughty Paris

Paris' famous echangiste club, Les Chandelles, is hosting a naughty Bal Masqué (masked ball) on Halloween night. Get your sexiest little costume -- or even a period gown costume and carnival mask to look more elegantly naughty -- and go check out the action under the cover of disguise! Doors open at 10:30pm (if you're not sure you look good enough to get past the strict door policy, come early), and by 1am it will be packed solid. Entrance is €72 per couple (includes one glass of Champagne or cocktail).

On this day in 1763, the 24-year-old Marquis de Sade was incarcerated for the first time in the tower at Château de Vincennes (by royal decree) for his wild debauchery Although it was also the year of his marriage (supposedly it was his mother-in-law who had him arrested the first time), he was known for his swinging lifestyle with Parisian actresses and courtesans. Prison time didn't seem to be much of a deterrent for the infamous writer (for whom the word "sadism" is attributed). He would return there often, spending almost 30 years of his life behind bars.

They could at least have put a naked man in there, too. We all like a little "tail titillation" in the morning on the way to work!

Saturday night I went to check out the Zinella fetish soirée at Le Continuum (48 rue Duhesme, 18th) with Pleasure Coach Victoria Vesta of DFT. It was billed as a "hotter" night that the Nuit Elastique, and being a journalist it's important for me to confirm these things. ;)

With Victoria, our mystery MIK, et moi, at Le Continuum.


So the club itself is on the quiet north side of Montmartre, with no signs at all indicating there's anything going on inside (we weren't sure we were at the right place until someone opened the door). It was free for women, always a bonus. We checked our coats and headed to the bar. Le Continuum is set up nicely for socializing. The main room on the ground floor is huge, with high ceilings like you're in a church (or a barn), with a bar on one end, and rows of sofas and tables in the center where everyone chats. It's a pretty small community, so a lot of people recognize each other.

At fetish parties you're expected to dress up: leather, latex, vinyl, etc. "Bizarre" is a category, and there were a few "things" out there so well-disguised that we couldn't figure out the gender (imagine the alien costume from the Schwarzenegger film "Predator", but in chains). Uniforms are also allowed; who doesn't love a good soldier or fireman outfit? Just like Halloween! Our Scottish Man in the Kilt (aka MIK) fit right in and didn't have to worry about what would happen if a draft came along and lifted his kilt (do they ever really worry about that?!).

Peeking under the kilt...want to see what I saw? Let's hear it! If at least 25 of you respond to this blog, I'll post the full monty!

There are also a lot of men dressed as women, some more successfully than others. "My purse is cuter than his," said Victoria, nodding to the man at the table next to us.

Next door is the dance floor, but aside from a few good songs at the start, the DJ seemed stuck on undanceable (IMHO) techno. MIK even managed to do a little Riverdance for us, trying to get the "thing" to join in. A couple then decided to co-opt the floor for a public show of affection.

Downstairs is the dungeon-like spaces where the traditional S/M activities take place (whipping, spanking, getting tied up). It's more like the other s/m/fetish clubs -- crowded, low ceilings, dark, not much socializing. You're not supposed to laugh down here, so we headed back upstairs to the bar area. I got my shoes shined. Twice. Then I got picky and started turning people down. There is certainly no shortage of men willing to crawl around on the ground for you ladies! In general, the submissive males seem to outnumber the dominant ones. Perfect if you're looking to practice your flogging technique. But where's the testosterone?! Even the doms are so well-behaved in these clubs that it makes it hard to go back to "regular" night clubs (where the aggressive come-on's seem to get out of hand by 1am).

We met a nice Australian man visiting Paris (he overheard us telling dirty jokes in English), and chatted a bit with the soirée organizer, Michael. By then it was 4am, and this reporter needs her beauty sleep, so it was back to the coat check room, slip into my winter clothes and flat ballerina shoes (ahhhhhh....), and out into the real world with a handfulof flyers for the upcoming parties around town. Until next time!

Hold onto your corsets, ladies, the famous Chippendale male dancers are coming to town November 14th!

The show starts at 8pm at the Bataclan (50 bd Voltaire, 11th), tickets €60-75, available at FNAC and other ticket agents.

Saturday October 21 is another Zinella Soumissions Exquises soirée at Le Continuum (48 rue Duhesme, 18th, M° Jules Joffrin). Billed as the soirée "SM, Libertine, & Fétichistes les plus folles de Paris!" Yeah, we'll be the judge of that! See you there tomorrow night, and don't forget the STRICT dress code: leather, latex, vinyl, uniform or bizarre...you can change sur place. Entry free for ladies, drinks €5. Couples and transvestites €40; men €60. From 11pm.

The American style "Gentlemen's Club" Pink Paradise (49-51 rue de Ponthieu, 8th) has now officially opened "Pink School", a ladies-only night of open bar, pole dancing lesons, and a Chippendales show. There's one tonight from 9pm-11:30pm sponsored by the singles club Cercle Elite, with an after party for both men and women at La Suite (40 avenue George V, 8th). The price for women is 25 euros (that includes both Pink School and open bar at La Suite), or free for ladies if you just go to La Suite (from 11:30pm until dawn). Want your man to join you at La SUite? It's 20 euros and he gets two drinks with that. Not a bad deal, eh?

For invitations, info and photos go to: www.elite2luxe.com

Burlesque star Dita von Teese, aka Madame Marilyn Manson, is appearing at the Crazy Horse Cabaret October 23-26. Prices €90-€170. Reserve your space now!