Text by poppyscarlett and video Cnr_Aphilia
Voyeurismus: a vignette of deviance
In the depths of night, a cold heavy boot crunches brittle fallen leaves. A golden glow comes through a parting in the curtains just ahead. Behind the window, through this sliver lies an object of gratification totally unaware that there is a person hiding outside their window.
As the boot’s owner comes closer to the window, their heart rate intensifies. The rapid beating is not the result of concealment or the clandestine nature of this evening’s outing but a combination of all the above. The Voyeur's gaze is more nuanced than a glance and more significant than a stare. It has a gravity that is sometimes felt but never observed.
This vignette of deviance describes a form of Voyeurism that may be exciting, it may also be unethical and illegal.
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Voyeur
The word Voyeur comes from the French word of the same spelling and means "the one who sees". During its adoption to the English language in the early 20th century, it gained a particularly erotic undertone and was used to describe people who become aroused or gain some form of pleasure from observing intimate or private acts without consent.
The contemporary use of the word is multiplicitous and can describe the nefarious acts above or the consumers of salacious celebrity scandals. Voyeurism can be illegal and have significant lasting impacts on its victims. Upskirting has become such a problem in the U.K that it is now punishable by up to two years imprisonment.
As with many kinks or fetishes, the nomenclature is shared with the psychological and criminal branches of society. The nature of voyeurism in a Kink setting is different to that of the "Peeping Tom" as both parties consented. The critical difference is found not in the action but in the consent of all parties involved.
Watch our video about Voyeurism:
Voyeurism is not just about looking, it’s about corroding the opaque wall of privacy and turning it transparent without being caught. Voyeurs don’t always need to climb through bushes in the middle of the night, or take photos on busy trains to find satiation. The excitement of voyeurism is derived from the fact that the acts being observed are private to the person carrying them out. Arousal can be found in the sight of a partner in the shower, or in bed as they masturbate or engage in play with others.
In consensual voyeurism, Intimacy and power imbalance maintain the invisible one-way mirror of privacy and ensure play is exciting as well as safe. Power is created when a continuous imbalance of commodity is present between 2 people. Examples of this are imbalances of capital between the rich and the everyone else. In the case of Voyeurism, it’s privacy.
When we think of intimacy, we often think of tender moments of embrace or confiding in a friend. Intimacy is concerned with accessing deep emotional states and can also be harmful or taken without consent. Kink uses intimacy but in a different way. During play, Intimacy is only felt by the voyeur as they secretly access their subject's private realm.
