Adam Wilcox writes on www.wasteland.wordpress.com – Dominatrix, producer and photographer Julie Simone is a staple in the world of erotic domination. In her decade-plus career, Simone has released a successful line of BDSM DVDs and was the first female to be named Best Rigger at the 2004 SIGNY Bondage Industry Awards.
Simone has also received recognition for her photography and painting (which can be viewed at DeconstructedBeautyProjekt.com) and was also featured in the recently produced Dominatrix Diaries documentary pilot.
Julie kindly granted XXX Wasteland an interview to discuss her career as a dominatrix and producer, misconceptions people have about the BDSM scene, various projects she has been involved with recently and much more.
You can visit Julie online at www.JulieSimone.com and follow her on Twitter under the handle @JulieSimone7. She also has a number of erotic websites available, including www.JuliesBitchBoys.com and the newly launched www.FootFetishSluts.com.
Q: Let’s start at the beginning: Can you give us some background on how you entered the world of adult/erotic domination?
I did my first modeling gig when I was in college. I answered an ad and they were paying more for redheads, thirty-five dollars an hour, which was a lot of money compared to my seven dollar an hour job at the time. My first “adult” job was as an outcall stripper. They advertised for models, but that wasn’t what the job was. I’d never been in a strip club before; I’d only seen them on T.V., so I had a very minimal understanding of what I was supposed to do. I was so clueless one of my clients had to teach me how to give a lapdance. He had on jeans and I quickly learned naked girls grinding on jeans is not a good combination. Of course, he didn’t tell me I wasn’t supposed to be naked during the lapdance …
Next, I got a job at a webcam place where I was a cam girl, then moved up to marketing and management. This is when I learned about the Internet and started modeling for adult sites. The domination came years and years later.
Q: What does being a dominatrix represent to you personally?
A dominatrix is someone who is self-aware, self-confident, strong, intelligent, disciplined and can read people. It’s not simply about sex appeal; to be good one has to be able to get into the other person’s head.
How would you describe the erotic domination scene to those who may not be familiar with that side of sexual exploration?
It’s hard to describe; it’s one of those things that one can only understand by experiencing.
Q: I understand you recently attended an adult film festival in Berlin, Germany. Can you tell us about that experience?
The Berlin Porn Film Festival is my favorite of all the film festivals that show my work. It’s an amazing collection of films from gay, lesbian, twisted, funny, fetish to experimental. Every year I go I see mind-blowing films. They don’t shy away from controversial films or topics like so many U.S. festivals do. They want people to discuss and expand their horizons. This year’s most interesting program was called Fucking Different XXX, which had gay and lesbian filmmakers shoot the opposite sex, thus a lesbian filmmaker shot a gay scene and vice versa. It was a really cool project and one I feel fortunate to have seen.
Q: What is one common misconception about erotic domination that you wish you could dispel?
There is no sex in domination – I am not going to be naked. People see all this crap on the Internet that calls itself “domination” that is just porn. It’s really frustrating because it confuses clients and raises their expectations.
Q: Can you tell us about your newly released film, Babes in Bondage 4 ?
Babes in Bondage 4 is the fourth installment of my popular solo girl struggling series and stars Paris Kennedy, Ashley Renee, Skin Diamond, Nikki Sebastian, Mary Jane, Samantha Grace, J.J. Plush, Mina Meow and I have a couple scenes as well. There’s a wide variety of types of bondage and fetishes including duct tape mummification, rope bondage suspension, outdoor bondage, latex, water bondage, humiliation, stockings, bare feet, boot fetish, ball gags, drooling, big boobs and more.
Q: I’d also like to ask about your highly successful YouTube clip from this past summer, Dominatrix in Williamsburg Brooklyn NYC.
That clip was directed by Mistress Stella and was a lot of fun to do. I’ve never done a public scene before – I’m actually quite shy. It was thrilling. I could never have done that scene as a sub. Even as the domme, I had to put on my sunglasses to shield my face. People for the most part ignored us, but there were women who catcalled my “pet,” which was awesome. Women go through that all the time; I’m sure it was really empowering to those women who returned the favor.
Q: You appeared in the pilot episode of the Dominatrix Diaries documentary. How is that project coming along?
I’m not sure where it stands at the moment. It showed at the N.Y. Television Festival and A&E passed on it. From my experience with another project I was involved in, the problem with shows like this is many of the network heads seem only to be interested in it if the slant is more like an intervention, where the people in this lifestyle don’t see what we do as something needing to be “fixed.” It’s sad that it is still seen as a freak show, though many of the people in the lifestyle help perpetuate that idea without realizing it.
Q: You are also a successful bondage/fetish photographer and filmmaker. Can you tell us about those aspects of your career?
I started my website, JulieSimone.com, with a boyfriend and then we broke up. I had to take over the camera and learn in order to keep my site going. I’ve always been a creative person, so I found it really fulfilling, though I’m constantly having to check myself to make sure I get the erotic shots and not just the artsy stuff I like. I’m reminded of a story Bob Coulter told me about this very topic where his wife would tell him before going out on a shoot, “Think porn!” I try to keep a good balance of both.
Q: Let’s learn a little bit about Julie Simone, the person. Where were you raised and how would you describe yourself growing up?
I spent my formative years in Germany, then lived in D.C. I was quiet and weird. I didn’t have a lot of friends. Coming back to the U.S. was hard because the schools here were so far behind the Department of Defense school I went to, so I was bored, which usually means getting into trouble. I wasn’t a bad kid. Other than getting into an occasional fight, the things I’d get into trouble for were being late for something or not cleaning my room. I was very strong-willed and wasn’t going to be told what to do.
Q: What are some of your interests and hobbies away from work?
I paint, hang out with my cats and dog. I love to go to the beach, central park, museums, French restaurants.
Q: Is there one thing about yourself that you feel would surprise most people?
Probably my shyness. And my giggle. People seem to expect me to be this ice-cold humorless bitch, when really I am a nice person. I just like to do fucked up things (to consenting adults).
Q: Are there any current or upcoming projects you would like to mention?
I have a new site, FootFetishSluts.com. I’m known for bondage, but I have lots of fetishes, including smoking and feet. I recently released the first run of a new line of paddles – they’re handcrafted. I stained this batch personally and even painted my name on them by hand. They’re made out of oak, so they’re not going to break any time soon, if ever.
Q: In closing, is there anything you wish to say to readers?
Thank you for featuring me on your site and thank you to the fans for their continued support over the years.