History Main / AllWomenAreDomsAllMenAreSubs

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[[quoteright:350:[[Film/WalkAllOverMe https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/waom282b_web.png]]]]

->''The popular representation of BDSM often focuses on a very particular and unusual relationship in which a wealthy businessman pays a female dominatrix for regular whippings. These relationships do exist, and their amusingly counter-intuitive dynamics make them attractive to screenwriters and journalists. But they are not typical.''
-->--'''Louise Perry''', ''The Case Against the Sexual Revolution''

When the authors want to [[CasualKink include some BDSM]] into the plot, they might need to have some context and nuance to avoid having the audience [[AbuseMistake mistake it for abuse]]. But what if there's no room for nuances, or they think ViewersAreMorons anyway? Simple! AllAbusersAreMale, right? And UsefulNotes/{{BDSM}} is gender neutral, so the solution here is simple:

Make sure that it's never a woman being dominated by a man.

If you want to know what we're talking about then, quick, think of the last time you saw BDSM portrayed in some way on popular television. What position was the man in? He was wearing a ball-gag and being dragged around by a collar and chain, you say? Well then, you've just encountered this trope. [[AllWomenArePrudes Only slightly less common]] are women in BDSM, and without even checking you can't deny that ''they're'' never the ones tied to a bedpost and being whipped. Well, not unless it's an outright porno. If there was a woman involved, she was a {{Dominatrix}}, without exception. Men might be in a dominant role, but only if they are dominating another man because AllMenArePerverts and because [[DoubleStandardRapeMaleOnMale rape isn't nearly as stigmatized when it's male on male]].

Actually, you might say you've only really encountered this trope when you notice that this is the ''only'' acceptable portrayal of BDSM on TV. If you want to know why, then try to imagine the opposite. The general populace tolerates the BDSM subculture on their televisions only when it can be PlayedForLaughs and no matter what you do, you can't play a man tying up and flogging a woman for laughs. [[DoubleStandard You just can't]].

This trope tends only to be in effect when BondageIsBad is at least toned down. If the villain is the one being portrayed as a BDSM enthusiast, then he stands a good chance of torturing women; just don't expect anyone but a really evil villainess to enjoy it. The main purpose of this trope is to make BDSM imagery viable for comedy. Secondarily, it can also make BDSM relationships palatable enough to the common viewership for our characters to explore the idea... via ancillary characters who only exist until the end of the episode. Even in BondageIsBad it has its uses, suggesting that [[UnfortunateImplications the natural order in relationships is being reversed]].

Another part of this trope is the implication that all men secretly desire to be dominated and all women secretly desire to dominate. This adds to the comedy since it is a reversal of traditional roles and consequently, as the contradiction easily lends itself to pop psychology leading some to propound that at least this part of the trope is TruthInTelevision [[note]] It has been seen that [[PowerfulPeopleAreSubs many men in powerful positions who are into BDSM prefer to be a sub at least part of the time]]. With powerful women, this is even more common. Demographically speaking, though, studies have found that between 65-70% of men in the BDSM community prefer to be, or are exclusively, dominant.[[/note]]

This trope is also most common in television and movies. The more private nature of printed works often prevents them having to appeal to such a wide and public audience, the facilitation of which is the main function of this trope.

Obviously a DoubleStandard. Compare to DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale, DoubleStandardRapeMaleOnMale, and RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil (which this overlaps with far more than it should), as well as BondageIsBad (one of the reasons for the overlap), FetishizedAbuser, and AggressiveSubmissive. On a lighter note, also compare {{Dominatrix}}, PropertyOfLove and FriendlyWar, as well as SafeSaneAndConsensual and SafeWord.

----
!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Manga/DailyLivesOfHighSchoolBoys'': All of the women in this series are bullies, except one girl who is just crazy. The men are terrified of them.
* ''Manga/{{Gintama}}'': The story takes place in the RedLightDistrict of Edo, where they frequently like to remind you is "known for its Dom Queens," & every woman in the series is a cold hard combatant who treat their male friends like punching bags. There's countless amounts of short gags where women in bondage gear are stomping on men, who usually love it, but sometimes don't even know how they ended up there. The sadist Okita could have been the one exception, but he only seems to take notice of women & men who can kick his ass in a sparring match. And even he plays it straight later when everyone gets {{gender bende|r}}d and he becomes the crown princess of the Dominatrix world. Even Sacchan, the resident pervert whose major gags involve wanting to be manhandled by Gintoki and usually getting decked for it, becomes a straight-up masochist in the genderbending arc.
* ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei'':
** One episode features the standard image of a salaryman on a leash by a beautiful blond bombshell as a comedic representation of someone who doesn't understand his proper place in life (that ugly people don't deserve happiness) and suffers as a result.
** The first season almost averted this by flashing some images of girls tied up in shibari position at the beginning of its opening. It was intended to be comical which should have averted the trope, but the comedy is derived from the juxtaposition of the seriousness of showing such images as opposed to the general comedic content of the show.
* ''Manga/SorcererHunters'': Carrot and pretty much every female in the show.
* In ''Manga/HeIsMyMaster'', Yoshitaka never quite gets to do the sick and perverted things he wants to do to his maids. Not even when it would make complete logical sense that he should be able to. The plot always contrives to stop him. It even seems, to all outward appearances, as if Mitsuki (and at one point Anna) would be totally okay with this. But it never happens. He doesn't even seem to consider Mitsuki a viable target. In fact, he ends up being bound and whipped by Izumi and some french girl in one episode. However, there is one picture in the third episode we get where Izumi is imagining where things will go if Anna becomes Yoshitaka's maid, and that's pretty much a full aversion as it is totally PlayedForLaughs (But it was probably only allowed because nothing actually happened).
* ''Manga/IDontLikeYouAtAllBigBrother'' - In both the anime and the manga, a magazine called "SM Colosseum" is discovered among Shuuske's porn collection. This upsets his parents who proceed to lecture him. Up to this point the incidents are the same, but during the lecture the dialogue of the TV version diverges as Shuusuke's father lectures him (with bated breath) on the evils of submitting to one's masochist tendencies. In the manga, his parents get into an argument the lines of which suggest they used to be into S&M and that's why Shuusuke is interested in such things.
** Also, the picture on the cover of said magazine is radically different. The Manga version shows a helpless mostly naked loli-ish girl bound and in distress. The TV version features a MUCH more "mature" looking woman wearing a leather corset and panties, still with cuffs but now wearing a faint smile on her face.
** Not to mention Shuusuke's masochistic fantasies in later chapters (Though he'd probably be happy on either side of the kink as long as he gets to have sex somewhere along the way).
* ''LightNovel/{{MM}}'': The series revolved around Tarou's masochistic instincts, but he's trying to cure them. Meanwhile, all the women are rather dominating, except [[DoesNotLikeMen Arashiko]], who tries to be this to appeal to Tarou. Subverted with the WholesomeCrossdresser, who is a guy but acts dominant. Then again, he's in drag.
* ''Manga/MyMonsterSecret'': Played very much for laughs. In the BadFuture, 70% of women are doms and 90% of men are subs. Sen, who is a proud pervert and a friend of the hero's sister, also enjoys being insulted and abused by her immensely.
* The author's next series ''Manga/ShuukanShounenHachi'' features a manga editor who, much like Sen, likes to be verbally abused by girls, and is incidentally a customer in a BDSM club. As revealed in a scene where he casually takes a phonecall from the hero while a {{dominatrix}} is sitting on his back with a whip in hand.
* Completely Inverted in ''Manga/NanaToKaoru'', with Kaoru being the dom, and his childhood friend Nana being the sub and it all being portrayed in a positive light.
* ''Honto no Kanojo'', being a [[YuriGenre yuri manga]], have both the dom and the sub being females. However, when Yuuka came across a pictures of Moe's parents, it turn out her mother is a dom, and her father is a huge sub.
* ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'' manages to have its [[GenderBender male-turned-female]] protagonist Matsuri embody both sides himself: He tends to act timid towards girls, especially in sexual situations--mostly with Suzu and Reo being deliberately aggressive, but he couldn't even bring himself to stop Yayo and Lu from pulling his clothes off to force him into a group bath. However, while Matsuri ''tries'' to defer to his male [[SempaiKohai senpai]] Soga, he constantly sexually intimidates him by accident.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: While never stated outright the Amazons "cure" criminals and misogynists by teaching them "loving submission", the Holliday Girls will have their pledges wear demeaning costumes, in once case a [[SexyWhateverOutfit sexy cat costume]] with fist mitts. "PG" depictions of bondage are ''everywhere'' and treated as highly enjoyable with men never put in a position of dominance. Women villains often have cadres of male "slaves" who adore and worship them--[[DoubleStandard unlike any time women or black men are portrayed as slaves]]--and both good and bad women often use whips.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Film/{{Maleficent}}'' fanfic is influenced by this trope, as the relationship between Maleficent and Diaval would not be nearly so romantic and sweet with the roles reversed. (A male dark magician who shapechanges a female animal into a human, and she's ''naked'' initially? UnfortunateImplications in spades. Not to mention the impossibility to show a woman half-naked in a movie for kids) Most fanfics that make them into a BDSM couple play this trope straight as a result.
** In ''Fanfic/YourServantMistress'' the inversion of this trope in real life is discussed by the characters - Diaval is initially mistaken for a dom by some jerk who believes that women are "naturally submissive". After Diaval clarifies that he is a sub, the other man treats him with disdain. Maleficent later comments that she is happy to have found a man who is really submissive and doesn't try to tell her how she should dominate him.
* In ''Fanfic/IzukusProHeroHaremLife'', Ochako frequently takes a domineering role in the bedroom with Izuku or the other girls, particularly when playfully punishing Izuku for something, and Izuku is happy letting her do so. Though they're just as happy either way round in more straightforward sex. [[spoiler: This is humorously [[PlayingWithATrope played with]] during Mina's integration into the harem. She expects to easily assume the role of dom over Izuku during their first sexual encounter thanks to her impression of him as a big softie, only for him to defy her expectations. She later has sex with Ochako with the same prior expectations and [[RunningGag the same thing happens]]]].
* Averted in ''Series/{{Vikings}}'' fanfic ''"Let Me Occupy Your Mind"'' - Lagertha and Ragnar are both dominants. Played straight with Athelstan, who is submissive to both of them.
* Inverted in ''Manga/Evangelion303'': [[AggressiveSubmissive Asuka, of all people, is a sub]]. She's pretty embarrassed about it, though, so the fact that she reveals this to Shinji (after they've been in a sexual relationship for a long time [[spoiler: and gotten engaged]]) counts as an overt gesture of trust on her part.
* Taken as gospel in ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' fanfics, from making all females Doms (''especially'' when it comes to Marinette|Ladybug), to outright make them Alphas in 99.9% of the A/O/B [=AUs=], while the main males are made into Subs (especially Adrien|Chat Noir).
** Defied in perhaps the best-known BDSM fic, ''Satisfaction Brought It Back'', however. Both Adrien and Marinette are explicitly switches, and Marinette has spent most of their time together as a submissive, struggling to get comfortable with the idea of dominating him. Also subverted with [[AlphaBitch Chloe]] and [[ShrinkingViolet Nathanael]]'s relationship, much to Marinette's shock, and played straight to equally shocking effect with Sabrina and Kim.
--->'''Marinette:''' There's an English expression about ''assuming'' and ''asses'' that I should have remembered a long time ago. I just... always thought of Chloe as more of a... you know...\\
'''Sabrina:''' You thought that ''Chloe'' would be the type of person who enjoys being responsible for someone else's well-being and meticulously planning out scenes where she does the lion's share of the work for someone else's benefit and enjoyment?
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* This trope is a big part of [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0488903/ Punish Me]], as the story is all about a woman dominating a man.
* In ''Film/MrAndMrsSmith2005'', Jane assassinates an arms dealer while posing as a dominatrix.
* ''Film/HighAnxiety'' had [[BattleaxeNurse Nurse Diesel]] as the dom and Dr. Montague as the sub.
* Mistress Lisa spanking Citizen Elliot in ''Literature/ExitToEden''.
* Completely averted in ''Film/{{Secretary}}''. It is the titular (female) secretary who is the (enthusiastically) submissive partner to her male boss.
* ''Film/TheGoodTheBadTheWeird'': One of the protagonists stumbles on this as he crashes into an inn bedroom during an action scene.
* In ''Film/{{Payback}}'', Creator/LucyLiu's character is introduced dressed like a dominatrix, with a man tied up in the background.
* In ''Film/TheManWhoKnewTooLittle'' Joanne Whalley is the female love interest to Creator/BillMurray. They are on a romp through a spy situation that Bill thinks is a pretense set up for him by his brother as a birthday present, but of course its real and the spies are deadly. At one point in the chase Joanne passes through a hotel room where an older couple are trying out a BDSM scene with the man in the sub role, and the woman trying to flog him. Joanne stops her headlong flight long enough to give the old lady pointers on her grip on the whip.
* Despite the wide variation in sexuality portrayed in ''Film/{{Shortbus}}'', this trope is played straight with Severin.
* In ''Film/{{Joysticks}}'', the morbidly obese man is seen tied up by a woman during the moment when he's supposed to be playing ''Super Pac-Man'' in a tournament.
* ''[[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0907680/ Walk All Over Me]]'' is about a CountryMouse girl who decides to impersonate her roommate, who works part-time as a dominatrix. Naturally, all bondage-focused scenes feature either woman as the dominant over the submissive male client.
* ''Film/{{Eurotrip}}'': Cooper's unfortunate visit to Club Vandersexxx in Amsterdam is made comical because he's a lecherous dude being tortured by a dominatrix. If say, it had been his friend Jenny being tortured by a dominator, it would have been seen as beyond the pale.
* Rare aversion in ''Film/TheAddamsFamily,'' and in a comedy no less: Morticia is pretty clearly a switch.[[note]]That is, someone who can play either dom or sub[[/note]] At one point she tells Gomez, "Don't torture yourself. That's my job." But when the villain is stretching her on the torture rack later, her reaction is an appreciative, "[[TooKinkyToTorture You've done this before]]."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* Not really an active trope in text-based literature -- probably it is the ''image'' of a man being the dom and the woman the sub that is offensive or easily taken out of context. Since it is not really possible to separate literature from its context with the same ease as still or moving pictures, positions tend to be based on character symbolism or AuthorAppeal, not this trope.
* May or may not be in ''Literature/TheDiamondAge'' by Creator/NealStephenson. During a portion of the book, Nell works as a scenario director at a bordello (she literally sits in on sex sessions behind one way glass and directs the actions of the actors/prostitutes). S&M seems to be big in this establishment and it is acknowledged (or rather, vaguely implied and only once) that some of their prostitutes act as subs some of the time. However, the only scene which is narrated is described in the book is definitely F/m and as it is used to draw certain conclusions about the effects of Neo-Victorian culture on a person it does take advantage of the secondary purpose of this trope. Also, as the male sub mentioned is a high-ranking authoritarian figure, it also takes advantage of the primary purpose.
* Inverted in Creator/AynRand's work where the subs are always female and the doms are always male. For example: the Roark/Dominique sex scene in ''Literature/TheFountainhead'', which was either RomanticizedAbuse or just really kinky, [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation depending on who you ask]]. The female sub/male dom theme even extends beyond the sex scenes, such as when Dagny wears a bracelet which gives her "the most feminine of all aspects: the look of being chained."
* ''Literature/PaladinOfShadows'' manages an aversion, with a male dom as the protagonist.
* ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'' features the Amazons, the warrior women of Greek Myth who have their men in chais and orange prison jump suits. It's only hinted at though, since it's a kid's series.
%% * Averted in the best-seller ''Literature/FiftyShadesOfGrey''.
* Averted in ''Literature/KushielsLegacy''. The protagonist of the first trilogy is a ''professional'' sub (and top-notch spy) who holds the fact that she almost never actually uses her safe word as a point of pride. There's also the fact that her patrons include members of both genders, and the [[BandOfBrothels Night Court]] includes both Valerian House (specialising in subs) and Mandrake House (specializing in doms). The aversion continues into the second trilogy with [[TroubledButCute Imriel]] and [[spoiler:Sidonie]].
* ''Also'' averted in Creator/AnneRice's ''Sleeping Beauty'' trilogy and ''Literature/ExitToEden'' (both of which contain both femdom and maledom elements), and inverted in Pauline Réage's ''Story of O''.
* Averted in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', which has male-female power dynamics all over the spectrum.
* Played somewhat straight in ''Literature/TheRedVixenAdventures'' with Rolas hinted at being ChainedToABed during his honeymoon with Melanie, and before that the Red Vixen humiliated him throughout his captivity. Though some of the author's Website/LiveJournal shorts indicate Mel is an occasional switch too.
* [[EnforcedTrope Enforced]] in ''Literature/{{Tasakeru}},'' as it's actually a religious tenet for skunks. The origin of their Goddess of Death tells that she was a female skunk (called a "floris" in the setting) who made herself submissive for her male lover. Horrified, the other florises imbued her body with poison so that she could never love again and cast her out for eternity.
* A possible explanation for the stereotype is that in ''Literature/VenusInFurs'', considered the official TropeCodifier if not TropeMaker of BDSM and the novel that caused the practice of "masochism" to be named after its author, the man is the sub (and hence calling all the shots) and the woman is the dom (and hence doing everything she's told).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/{{Conan}}'': During one out-of-studio segment, Conan visits a professional dominatrix and acts out the part of the sub. The entire thing is PlayedForLaughs, partly because Conan is not just a man, but also quite tall and (while not muscular) very fit for his age, implying that he could have easily overpowered her if he wanted to.
* ''Series/{{House}}'':
** The titular character often remarks on his own masochist sympathies. So far as we know, he's joking since we haven't ever seen it and probably never will as might it might compromise his image as a domineering over-masculine character if he was ever spotted in such a situation (but the very fact that we're suppose to pick up on the humor of it automatically makes this trope apply).
** One episode featured a masochistic Asian dude and his dominatrix sexfriend. The episode played the kink for drama. That episode also had Chase mentioning that he was once in a BDSM relationship, House assumed he was the sub and taunted him about it. Though when he went into slightly more detail with his coworkers he stated that it was the other way around, he even tried dominating the patient when he became somewhat uncooperative.
** Another episode averted this by portraying one married couple as enjoying rape fantasies (with the woman being "raped"). But, as it turns out, the wife was poisoning the husband, so either BondageIsBad or she really wasn't enjoying it so much.
* In an episode of ''Series/LawAndOrder'', the male victim is found murdered inside a dog cage where his wife had left him over the weekend for "being bad". Incidentally, she didn't murder him and thanks to this trope she comes off as quirky and sympathetic.
* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' has an episode where Lois goes undercover as a dominatrix in a sex club to squeeze information out of some bad guy, who luckily happens to be submissive.
* One episode of ''Series/{{Alias}}'' features Sydney taking the role of a dominatrix in order to blackmail information out of a male scientist. In the same episode, Vaughn also plays a submissive male for Sydney to dominate. There's even jokes about how this is pretty much their actual sex life.
* ''Series/CriminalMinds''
** Shown once (and implied several times) in the episode "Pleasure is my Business".
** Played with. When there is a pair of [=UnSubs=] working together, the woman is usually the dom, unless the man is the dom or the team is two men, but it’s generally treated as TheReveal, since serial killers as a demographic don’t tend to be big on subverting gender roles.
** Outright averted in one episode centered around a ''Literature/FiftyShadesOfGrey'' expy. Not only are the victims women who were experimenting with the culture in a submissive role, a regular BDSM practitioner says that most of the women in the culture are "[[PowerfulPeopleAreSubs high-powered executive-types looking for a submissive outlet.]]"
* ''Series/SexAndTheCity'' dealt with BDSM several times, only once was a woman the submissive. Even that fell into the trope however, as Miranda's dominant boyfriend was just a complete asshole and the show treated his bedroom behavior as an extension of that.
* Michael and Jan on ''Series/TheOfficeUS'' are repeatedly implied to be this. "Implied" as in "we can't actually ''show'' it happening in a prime-time broadcast show in the US." There's not much reading-between-the-lines required.
* ''Series/{{Castle}}'':
** Like many {{police procedural}}s, ''Castle'' played the trope straight in an episode where the victim-of-the-week is a sociology [=PhD=] student studying BDSM by becoming a domme. Her female boss at the dungeon is also a domme. Also played for laughs when ''Beckett'' interrogated a client of the dungeon using dom psychology.
--->'''Castle:''' [[PassThePopcorn We're gonna need popcorn.]]
** There are hints that Beckett and Castle are into BDSM, and Castle is the one who uses safe word, and Beckett might have a dominant streak.
* One episode of ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'' started with Echo coming back from a job as a dominatrix and explaining to her handler how BDSM is about trust.
* One of Belle's clients on ''Series/SecretDiaryOfACallGirl'' asks her to dabble in this in one episode. Of course, she vamps it up to the nth degree.
* Subverted in ''Series/{{Rome}}''. It's initially hinted that Octavian will be an abusive husband because of his sadistic tendencies, but we later see him and his wife having mutually rough sex and loving every second of it.
* Used and mildly averted in ''Series/{{CSI}}'': Lady Heather is a female dom, but the episode that introduced her had her teaching a male client to accept his dominating tendencies, and later having one of her professional male doms teaching that client's new wife to be a sub (while the client watched). Another episode involves a professional dominatrix who [[spoiler: sometimes played the sub and was killed by her (male) client during one such session]]. In both episodes the woman-as-dom is the dominant theme, however.
* ''Series/DesperateHousewives'':
** Subverted in episode "A Spark To Pierce The Dark." In the episode, Carlos ties Gabrielle (Creator/EvaLongoria) to the bed under the impression that they're going to have kinky sex, but he then leaves the room because he's too tired. Eva Longoria herself has stated that she enjoys bondage in real life and is a submissive.
** Played with when it's revealed that Rex likes to be dominated, and has been seeing a neighbour who secretly works as an escort and dominatrix rather than admit his needs to his wife. When Bree eventually finds out (because he had a HollywoodHeartAttack at the dominatrix's house) she's initially confused and uncomfortable with the idea. She eventually agrees to try dominating him but is motivated by the desire to make their marriage work and not by any dominant tendencies of her own.
* The American remake of ''Shameless'' shows Kevin and Veronica in a BDSM relationship with Veronica as the dominatrix.
* Subverted in an episode of ''Series/GeneralHospital'' where Maxie is handcuffed and having sex with Cooper in a hospital closet.
* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' has Irene Adler, a professional {{dominatrix}} notorious among the rich, famous, and kinky as The Woman. While it's mentioned that some of her clients - including the one who commissioned the detective's services in the first place - are female, Irene herself more often refers to her male clients and the pieces of confidential information she gleaned from them during the course of 'recreational scolding.'
* ''Series/{{Elementary}}'' implies heavily that Sherlock himself is a submissive or at least a masochist. And by "implies heavily", we mean we see the handcuffs within five minutes of the first episode and hear him note that he's [[INeedToGoIronMyDog only holding the gimp mask for a friend]]. One episode begins with Sherlock receiving a call for help from a dominatrix he met through "mutual friends" and refers to as "Mistress".
* In ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' after Penny moves in with Leonard, while Sheldon moves to her old apartment, Sheldon has a nightmare where they have BDSM play in his old room with Penny as the dom and Leonard as the sub.
* Priti Patel in ''Series/SpittingImage'' arouses Govey in her house of kink by making a series of statements that every conservative thinks, but generally do not say in public, because it wouldn't be PC. She is able to say such things because she is an Asian woman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfddokPIu8Q
* Inverted and subverted in ''Series/MrRobot'' with Tyrell and Joanna Wellick. [[spoiler: Though Tyrell at first appears to be the dominant one both personality-wise and in bed, he is later shown to be nothing more than a HenpeckedHusband dominating his wife at her request.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Podcasts]]
* In ''Podcast/MetamorCity'' SexShifter Evan/Eva Selindi is a sub in male form while their female persona is a dom. Their girlfriend Morgan is a switch though.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Back when ''VideoGame/CityOfVillains'' came out, the enforcing of this trope was used as the explanation for the inability to tailor the appearance of a Mastermind's minions. The game already allowed for giving minions lines to speak and emote commands (meaning they could be visually abused in various ways), and as a result the designers wanted to ensure all minions would be clearly male or sexless. Familiarity and the dwindling of roleplayers dedicated enough to go to the trouble of individually roleplaying their minions has led to this being less noticeable, but the design restriction is still in place, and for the same stated reason. The people who ''do'' abuse their minions do seem to all be either dominatrices or male [[BadBoss Bad Bosses]] where the abuse is clearly nonsexual.
* Averted in ''VideoGame/ArTonelico3''. [[spoiler:Finnel is a sub who wants Aoto to dominate her.]]
* Averted in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', where the romance of Iron Bull has him dominate the Inqusitor, regardless of the latter's gender or species. It's portrayed in a caring, lay-down-your-burden-while-in-the-bedroom way.
* ''VideoGame/FableI'': {{Downplayed|Trope}} in that there's only one dom/sub option, a female professional {{Dominatrix}} and the male PlayerCharacter in an OptionalSexualEncounter. The PC might be a legendary OneManArmy at the time, but...
-->''"Me Mistress Hedwig. You little puny man. Do what Hedwig say."''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation'' has a tendency to use BDSM imagery for comedic purposes, and when that is the case, this trope tends to apply. One exception was in the ''Videogame/MetroidOtherM'' review when he depicted Samus being dragged around on a leash, but it's arguable because she's still wearing her suit and doesn't look like a girl. More to the point, it illustrated Yahtzee's opinion of ''Other M''[='=]s writing. A clearer exception was [[Franchise/TombRaider Lara Croft]] being flogged by her developer.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* Played straight in most of ''Creator/{{Humon}}''s naughtier comics, especially the one about the dark elves. That's a given, as they're like drow in some aspects. The relationship between Sister Sweden and Brother Finland in ''Webcomic/ScandinaviaAndTheWorld''. It is probably safe to say Humon has a deep abiding interest in this sort of thing.
* Pretty much the case in ''Webcomic/Collar6'': most of the Doms we've seen so far were female. Exceptions include the unnamed Epic Mustache Guy who appeared in two strips, a male dom seen in a flashback, and Michael Kappel, who was co-Dom to a sub with his wife. [[ImprobablyFemaleCast Most of the subs are girls, too]], but that has been changing in recent strips, as male slaves started appearing.
* ''Webcomic/{{Sunstone}}'':
** The main couple of the comic are Allison and Lisa, a lesbian couple who are in a dom/sub relationship. The other couple, however, inverts this trope, with Alan, Ally's friend, as a dom and Anne as his sub. Ally and Alan also used to be FriendsWithBenefits and took turns between the two roles, though this didn't work out well as both of them prefer the dom role ("our aftercare consisted of critiquing each other's performance").
** Harper and Tanya is another example where the Dom is male and the sub female.
* In ''Webcomic/SandraOnTheRocks'' Tatiana is a closeted {{Dominatrix}} who fantasizes about dominating her boss and long time crush Domenico. In a crossover with ''Webcomic/MenageA3'', she thinks Gary would be the perfect sub, and sets up a photoshoot with Sandra and Gary dressed as dom and sub.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Played with in ''[[Literature/ChakonaSpace Forest Tales]]'', in foxtaur society (a largely matriarchal one), vixens are expected to be dominant, but after Garrek's hormones are messed up by his sister raping him with mating pheromones he becomes very aggressive during sex. When he seeks help with it, the village shaman hooks him up with the one submissive vixen in town.
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[[folder:Web Videos]]
* Lighter example because you can only have chains in fanfic and also nobody will hesitate to throw a punch, but Website/ChannelAwesome. The boys tend to be easily dominated and enjoy it (WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic likes dommy women so much that he's willing to be snuffed by them if they play a good song), while the girls are MasculineGirlFeminineBoy at least or FetishizedAbuser at most.
* ''WebVideo/BumReviews'': Doug's AuthorAppeal comes back in the ''Film/FiftyShadesOfGrey'' review, as Chester has a mistress into blindfolding and whipping.
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[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'':
** An early version of the episode "The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers" featured audio of a man saying "Yeah, spank me."
** Inverted with Mrs. Cartman and her German fetish videos.
* All the time in ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', with instances including Lois and Peter's sex life ("the safety word's banana") and some of Quagmire's escapades, like being with two dominatrices, and being tied to a chair and blindfolded by several Asian women.
* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'':
** Hayley and Jeff's relationship is explicitly shown to be this, though in an episode where Jeff becomes more assertive, Hayley is obviously turned on by his new attitude to the point of being ecstatic at the thought that Jeff might hit her.
** Inverted in the episode "The Missing Kink" in which Francine consistently goads Stan into spanking her. In the same episode, during Roger's musical number "He's got a kink!" Toshi's mom, Hiko, is seen tied up and being flogged by her husband, Hideki.
* Averted in ''WesternAnimation/CloneHigh'' when Joan's foster dad Toots is seen whipping Cleo's drunk foster mom as she is tied to a bedpost. Probably more easily-acceptable in this case as Toots is a blind man who would have real trouble doing anything to Cleo's foster mom without her enthusiastic consent.
* Averted in ''[[WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers The Venture Bros.]]'', where Princess Tinyfeet is shown to be an enormous masochist. The Monarch is able to get into the Venture compound by bringing her as a bargaining chip to Sgt. Hatred. When Hatred sees her tied up and gagged, he believes she's being held hostage until the two villains reveal that she requested to be brought in that fashion.
-->'''Monarch:''' She insisted that we drive her here in the trunk! She is a ''FREAK''!
* ''WesternAnimation/UglyAmericans'':
** Mark and Callie's relationship is a good example of this trope. Callie proves to be a heavy sadist throughout the series, using a variety of methods to torture Mark. Being that Callie's a demon, this one actually makes perfect sense.
** Inverted in the clone episode when Clone-Mark tortures Callie instead.
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->'''Groo:''' Fear not, friend. We are here to save you!\\
'''Angel:''' Groo, Groo... I think he's happy there.\\
'''Groo:''' ''[naively]'' As a slave?\\
'''Customer:''' Don't judge me.
-->-- ''{{Series/Angel}}'', "[[Recap/AngelS03E14Couplet Couplet]]"