Sunday, April 14, 2013

Thoughts Re: TASSP and Spanko "Celebs"

Hey Team,
Ok, so this has been nagging at me for a few days, and I just need to write it, and get it out there (and thus out of my head).

As you (should) know, TASSP is coming up on June 20th, and so organizing, working, and promoting for the event is in full swing. I have my life reasonably back together, and am catching up, trying to make up for lost time. Everything is going well, and only when I let myself think too hard about it do I want to vomit from stress. :) But that's just me. We have some amazing people coming- from all over the world actually- and it's going to be so much fun, just like it always is. So you should really register asap and make sure you don't miss out.

But anywho, in all of this promoting and working on getting it together, we have been releasing photos from last year's party, and uploading promo clips, etc. Just things to get people talking and excited about how much fun it honestly all is. Plus, cute girls getting spanked. In what world is that bad? Not this one for sure. Unfortunately in doing all of this, I (and the many other people that are working really hard to make this party happen) have suddenly been getting a lot of really negative reactions from people who are either just being assholes or are genuinely just confused, so I thought I would clear a few things up.

What's with all the pictures of the models? Don't other people come to the party?
Of course! The overwhelming majority of people at the parties are not models. But we wanted to share pictures of at least some of the actual events, and there aren't any pictures of anyone else because they don't want their pictures taken! (duh!) Plus, most of the "celebs" that come to the party are there to have a good time just like everyone else. So a picture of a cute girl laughing and smiling isn't about how amazingly hot or famous she is. It's about a girl having fun. Because that's what the party is all about.

I don't want to pay all that money getting there just to watch! Fucking [insert name here] would probably never let me touch her. (we get the sweetest emails don't you see? :))
With that attitude you probably won't get to touch anyone! But you aren't going just to watch. Parties are not about watching. (Though for a voyeur, a party would be heaven.) Plenty of people go and just hang out and watch because they like that, aren't comfortable playing publicly, or are shy. But I would say most play. Playing with the models/celebs as a top or a bottom? Certainly not a guarantee. The way I see it is that everyone there is there to have a good time, and that includes the "celebs." If they like you and want to play, they might. Or they might only do sessions, who knows? Or, you might be a horrible person and no one, celeb or otherwise, will want to play with you!
There are a few times that the party is "watch" only, but that is specifically the educational demonstrations/presentations, which people love, and are not something you have to attend. Those are also given by non "celebs" and celebs alike. We just get people that are the best qualified that we can, and they tend to be amazing.
Come to the party with an expectation of meeting people who have a lot in common with you, that are for the most part kind, wonderful human beings. Hope you hit it off with someone and you play if you are so inclined. And know that if you let yourself, you will have some of the best experiences of your life. :)

It's morally wrong that people do sessions. I would never participate in that.
Well then don't participate in that! That's a pretty easy one to solve!
And please, keep your "moral high ground" to yourself. As someone who (I am ashamed to admit) pretty vocally held that opinion, I can say that it's both wrong, and offensive, and most likely rooted in something about yourself rather than what they are actually doing.
They aren't going to bug you about it, so don't bug them. It's not even something you would notice if you chose not to.
But for some, the ability to participate in a session is important and meaningful. And it's not your right to try and take that away from them, or make them feel ashamed of that fact.

Why all the focus on the models then?
In all honesty, TASSP has been known in the past for being very model centered, and that's not an entirely untrue assessment, but nor do I believe it to be a bad one. (People have things to say both good and bad about every big party in the country).
Paul loved models. He loved having as many pretty girls around as he could. Partially just to show off and have fun, but also because he liked to get work done, and it is honestly really nice to be able to have so many colleagues around all at once- saves a lot of time and money on travel. Plus, a lot of the "models/celebrities" know each other and are friends, and as I've been saying, it's about coming and playing with your friends. They were his friends, and he wanted them there.
It got emphasized so much because just as there are people who don't give a rat's ass about a "famous" spanko, there are plenty who do. Those who want to maybe do private sessions, and those who just think it would be fun to meet them! I personally always wanted to go to a Shadow Lane because I wanted to meet all the people I had idolized in videos growing up. It was fun! And when Amelia came to TASSP last year, I just about died. :) It wasn't what made the party for me, but it was really enjoyable.

And as I said with the pictures, it's a lot easier to market things that you can talk about, lol. I can describe a party to you over and over, but there is something about them that you just have to experience to understand. Being around so many like-minded individuals is a heady, amazing and often overwhelming experience. For those who like to play publicly, it can be a dream. For those who live places where there isn't much access, it's an opportunity unlike any other. And for those who have been going to parties for years, it's the chance you have to see your friends. People who you have grown with and come to love dearly but don't get to see very often.

But I can't put that in a video, or a picture, or a flyer. And if you go to parties, you already know you want to keep going. 19 year old me didn't even think about going to Shadow Lane to meet a bunch of strangers (socialization is hard, lol) and possibly play. I wanted to meet Erika Scott! lol. And I went. And in the end, did all of those things. And now I want to go because I have friends there.

So no, you aren't paying money to come to a party to watch a bunch of models play or pay for sessions. All of those things are available if you want to. You are paying honestly for food and the ability for us to be at a hotel, and are there to have fun, making the most of the time you have, however that may come to you.


I am certain that I have offended some people, and that's probably bad for business. But I don't really care. It stands to reason that if you hadn't been to a party before and you had been following some of our promotions, you would have been confused. If that was the case, I hope this clears things up. If you were one of the people who just felt like being a dick to me/my friends/family, well then you can go fuck yourself. :)

xoxo
Princess Kelley

3 comments:

  1. Somehow, I can't imagine that the people you've 'offended' would ever turn up to a party like TASSP anyway, Kelley. That the gathering seems a little model-centric isn't actually a bad thing - most of those models have helped develop the spanko community purely through their participation, and because they have exemplified something we're all into. Let's face it: if spanking models weren't around, the community would probably have never come out from underground.

    Plus it's not like you can bump into people like that (and I'm including you!) on a day-to-day basis unless you live in their local area - you interact online, maybe meet up once in a blue moon, but the vast majority of spankos that read your blog, maybe send you a note on Fetlife etc aren't ever actually going to *meet* you. TASSP's a great place to do that, and to get a little more involved with the community than maybe your lurkers do otherwise.

    End of the day, though, it's a party, and you go there to have fun. If people are insulted by what you said, or don't consider what goes on at TASSP to be fun or appropriate, they just shouldn't go. I do hope you have a great time this year, though. I'd honestly go myself but it's a little far away and then some. Just ignore the naysayers and be your usual vivacious self, and no doubt the party will be a blast, as it usually is.

    Good luck with it :)

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  2. Good Christ. The only thing I find offensive about this post is some of those emails you've gotten. "Fucking so-and-so would never let me touch her"? Really?? Gee, I wonder why.

    Hon, it's not just TASSP, as you know. All the parties get this attitude from certain people. I call it "sour grapes syndrome." (and yeah, that will probably offend them. Too bad! :-Þ)

    Oh, and if the activities at spanking parties disturb anyone's morals, I say don't go. Stay home and go to church that weekend instead.

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  3. Hello, Princess:

    I didn't want to say this over on FetLife because I didn't want to start a flame war, but it's no coincidence that so many of the troublemakers have a penis as their FetLife avatar. It's truth in advertising, subconsciously self-imposed. They're dicks.

    Please don't let them get to you. I know it's hard sometimes. I had to get up and leave my computer the other day to keep from ripping one of those dicks a new asshole.

    Here are a pair of related comics: http://jerrybear.tumblr.com/post/45171092737/
    http://jerrybear.tumblr.com/post/45171315976/

    I hope they make you laugh.

    --
    Jerry Bear

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