What was likely a sincere effort by an anonymous source to help people navigate the world of BDSM, the BDSM Test has become a source of confusion for many. Likely you took the test and shared your results without even realizing the harm it has done to our community. It has been taken by hundreds of thousands of people (perhaps more) and created a huge mess within our lifestyle.
How did something that looks like a good idea go so wrong? The test created archetypes for roles which do not exist within BDSM. Everyday new people get results that tell them they are this thing or that, increasing the confusion.
For example, Rigger and Rope Bunny don’t exist in the way the Test uses them. They are actually Rope Top and Rope Bottom and aren’t roles, but instead two (or more) people enjoying rope bondage within a scene. Furthermore, a rigger is someone with experience in rope suspension. The test points all people interested in any types of bondage to rope bondage and then doesn’t even define that kink properly.
Rope requires a significant amount of safety and isn’t the type of bondage we would suggest for new people. Perhaps try some wrist cuffs or bed bondage restraints, rather than tying someone up who may not have a good reaction and them being stuck in it until their partner figures out how to get them loose. So the test is both confusing and problematic how it addresses bondage. And that’s just one set of archetypes!!!
Let’s look at another instance where the BDSM Test creates roles that do not exist within BDSM: Brat Tamer/Brat. There is an entire new generation of people involved in what they think is BDSM in roles that do not exist within BDSM. The correct term for this kink is Sadist Top/Masochist Bottom. It’s a scene specific kink where a masochist bottom asks for pain by acting somewhat bratty, from a top who gives them pleasurable pain. The kink has nothing more to do with Dom/sub than any other kink people enjoy in play scenes.
There is no such thing as a Bratty submissive nor a Dominant who is a Brat tamer. Before this test injected our lifestyle with its confusion, brattiness outside of a negotiated play scene was an unsubmissive characteristic that Dominants would not tolerate. You can thank the BDSM Test for one of the biggest relationship-killers to hit BDSM power exchange dynamics.
Those are just two sets of archetypes the BDSM Test has messed up. Most of the others are also written poorly and given as results to people who likely don’t fit them. Speaking of results, we took the test multiple times answering all the questions exactly the same and were given different results. The anonymous creators could not be reached to ask about their algorithm or about cleaning up their mess. So it will continue to create havoc in our BDSM Community with no accountability.
As educators we are held to a high standard, accountable to our rich history and the years of experience those involved have invested into creating a lifestyle that works and is fulfilling. We shouldn’t be haphazardly pointing people in the wrong direction, we should instead be helping people explore and find the place they fit best according to their own goals.
