Service top
Encyclopedia
Within a BDSM
context, a Service Top is a partner who is the active participant, applying the activities or techniques of BDSM "play" upon (a) bottom
partner(s), but who does not dominate the bottom, and instead acts upon the wishes and desires of the bottom. The application of various BDSM techniques may be requested, or even directed, by the bottom partners(s) who have de facto
control of the context.
Most professional Dominatrices
and Masters are considered Service Tops. Many non-professional kink players enjoy offering Service Topping for the enjoyment of the bottom(s), as well as for their own pleasure and satisfaction.
Service tops are considered by some devotees of BDSM to be failing at maintaining a "proper" BDSM relationship dynamic, as the stereotypical archetype of the Top within some kink communities is typically the Dominant-Top. There is not, however, "one true way" to maintain a BDSM relationship dynamic, and a mutually negotiated Top/bottom power exchange that varies from the stereotypical is just as valid as power exchanges that are arguably more traditional.
One niche that a Service Top could fill would be assisting in the punishment or training of a sub by a Dom or Domme. However, they can also act as free agents, negotiating with consenting bottoms and catering/customizing activities and/or intensity to the tastes of the bottom(s). Since not all bottoms are submissives, the partially or fully inverted power dynamic can meet the needs of both the service-oriented Top and the non-submissive, sensory-seeking bottom.
Regardless of how much creative control is transferred to the bottom, it is the Service Top's responsibility to monitor, maintain and ensure the safety of the bottom during play. This could include declining a request by the bottom should the Service Top feel it is not safe or not in the best interest of the bottom. Some bottoms elect passivity during scenes and may prefer not to verbally communicate once a scene has begun. A successful Service Top will be able to intuit if a bottom is in non-negotiated distress, through reading body language, periodic "check ins," and other means of gauging the bottom's emotional, mental and physical state. Other bottoms may enjoy (and in fact require) the freedom to communicate at will, and even be bossy in some cases. Both professional and non-professional Service Tops are responsible for establishing their own boundaries and expectations with regard to the specifics of the power exchange (or power balance) during pre-play negotiation.
As far as training or service incidences outside the BDSM community go, a professional Service Top can serve as an extremely useful member of society, indeed. Especially when the alternative is ignorant- and therefore dangerous- application of BDSM principles.
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
context, a Service Top is a partner who is the active participant, applying the activities or techniques of BDSM "play" upon (a) bottom
Bottom (BDSM)
In BDSM, a bottom or submissive is the partner in a BDSM relationship or a BDSM scene who takes the passive, receiving, or obedient role, to that of the top or dominant....
partner(s), but who does not dominate the bottom, and instead acts upon the wishes and desires of the bottom. The application of various BDSM techniques may be requested, or even directed, by the bottom partners(s) who have de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
control of the context.
Most professional Dominatrices
Dominatrix
Dominatrix or mistress is a woman or women who takes the dominant role in bondage, discipline and sadomasochism, or BDSM. A common form of address for a submissive to a dominatrix is "mistress", "ma'am", "domina" or "maîtresse"...
and Masters are considered Service Tops. Many non-professional kink players enjoy offering Service Topping for the enjoyment of the bottom(s), as well as for their own pleasure and satisfaction.
Service tops are considered by some devotees of BDSM to be failing at maintaining a "proper" BDSM relationship dynamic, as the stereotypical archetype of the Top within some kink communities is typically the Dominant-Top. There is not, however, "one true way" to maintain a BDSM relationship dynamic, and a mutually negotiated Top/bottom power exchange that varies from the stereotypical is just as valid as power exchanges that are arguably more traditional.
One niche that a Service Top could fill would be assisting in the punishment or training of a sub by a Dom or Domme. However, they can also act as free agents, negotiating with consenting bottoms and catering/customizing activities and/or intensity to the tastes of the bottom(s). Since not all bottoms are submissives, the partially or fully inverted power dynamic can meet the needs of both the service-oriented Top and the non-submissive, sensory-seeking bottom.
Regardless of how much creative control is transferred to the bottom, it is the Service Top's responsibility to monitor, maintain and ensure the safety of the bottom during play. This could include declining a request by the bottom should the Service Top feel it is not safe or not in the best interest of the bottom. Some bottoms elect passivity during scenes and may prefer not to verbally communicate once a scene has begun. A successful Service Top will be able to intuit if a bottom is in non-negotiated distress, through reading body language, periodic "check ins," and other means of gauging the bottom's emotional, mental and physical state. Other bottoms may enjoy (and in fact require) the freedom to communicate at will, and even be bossy in some cases. Both professional and non-professional Service Tops are responsible for establishing their own boundaries and expectations with regard to the specifics of the power exchange (or power balance) during pre-play negotiation.
As far as training or service incidences outside the BDSM community go, a professional Service Top can serve as an extremely useful member of society, indeed. Especially when the alternative is ignorant- and therefore dangerous- application of BDSM principles.
See also
- Top and bottom in sex and BDSMTop and bottom in sex and BDSMIn human sexuality, the terms top, bottom, and versatile describe roles during sexual intercourse, particularly among gay and bisexual men. A top is a person who penetrates, a bottom is one who receives penetration, and a versatile engages in both activities...
- Top (BDSM)Top (BDSM)In BDSM, a top or dominant is the partner in a BDSM relationship or in a BDSM scene who takes the active or controlling role over that of the bottom or submissive partner....
- Bottom (BDSM)Bottom (BDSM)In BDSM, a bottom or submissive is the partner in a BDSM relationship or a BDSM scene who takes the passive, receiving, or obedient role, to that of the top or dominant....
- Switch (BDSM)Switch (BDSM)In BDSM, a switch is someone who participates in BDSM activities sometimes as a top and other times as a bottom or sometimes as a dominant and other times as a submissive. Partners may switch roles based on mood, desire, or to allow each partner to experience their preferred activity...
- Female dominanceFemale dominanceFemale dominance is those BDSM relationships and BDSM scenes in which the dominant partner is female. Often a dominant woman, she may prefer to be called a Domme , Femdomme, Domina, or Dominatrix, depending on context or personal preference...
- Male dominanceMale dominanceMale dominance, or maledom, refers to BDSM activities where the dominant partner is male.Maledom scenarios are common in BDSM fiction, including works such as the Story of O and the works of John Norman and Adrian Hunter...
- Dominance and submission
- Sadomasochism
- Topping from the bottom