Do you get offended by some gender stereotypes?

[Kaito]

This was brought to my attention recently, and I just wanted to get some of your opinions on this idea.

I own the book "Complete Shibari: Land". It's a beginning bondage book talking about how to tie up a rope bottom. In it, the author continually refers to the rope bottom as a "she". All of the pictures are of female bottoms. My girlfriend found this mildly offensive, because the author didn't even entertain the idea of having a male rope bottom.

To everybody out there, rope bottoms and tops, switches and subs, would you get offended by having a book stereotype the rope bottom as either male or female? My input was that the author should have used "Rope bottom" and "Rope top", and maybe have some male pictures in there as well to show how to deal with male anatomy.

Thank you to any and all responses

 

[cd228]

Hello there

I have to admit, that I am not familiar with the book, but I am to some extent familiar with shibari.
Shibari is from Japan which is still to this day a very patriarchical society. It is dated all the way back to the Edo-period and as many other things from Japan the tradition is very important. This might be why the bottom is illustrated with a female.
Shibari is not just common bondage but is to be considered as an art form. Perhabs the pictures in the book are of female bottoms, simply for the aesthetics to honor the female form and the art of shibari.

I am myself a heterosexual male, which might make me a little biased when I am saying that I would not be offended. I can understand that illustrations of males being tied up could be useful, and the fact that the rope bottom is refered to that instead of "she". Nevertheless, shibari is an artform from a different culture where sex roles are considered differently than in the west.

Also, it depends on the perspective whether you see the rope-bottom as being "negative" and stereotypical. You can also see the rope-bottom as the beauty and center of attention.

This is becoming way too long for a reply, so I'll stop here, hehe