As a writer, there are a couple of characters I take special pride in having invented – and they are remarkably similar.

In my story “The Bath Attendant”, the title character allows the beautiful female lead to stay after hours at a swimming bath, then forces herself on her. The added twist is that he’s physically unappealing to our heroine: “No, he definitely wasn’t her type: A big, thickset man, his crew-cut hair was a remarkably light shade of blonde, and the backs of his hands were covered with blonde hair. Yes, his entire body was probably hairy. Nicole shivered at the thought.”

And in my recent story “Outdoor Service”, a grotesque, flabby male character (although with amazing sexual stamina) ended up taking over the story (and its attractive female characters):

“She turned her head and saw that the fat man had began to undress. His skin was pale; he had a big belly and chubby legs. And Rachel almost burst out laughing at the sight of his cock. It was now hard and stiff – but was almost the spitting image of its owner: A bit short, but rather thick and very pale. Its head was almost spherical and as bright red as the head of the fat man himself.”

This kind of contrast holds a fascination so strong that it may well be called a fetish – which I tentatively name “transgression”. It is of course a variation on the general erotic obsession with contrast (as in interracial sex, big cocks/tight pussies, older men/younger women). There’s also a hint of non-consensual sex and rape play in the women being “taken against their will” – or at least overstepping their own limits of what they find sexually acceptable.

But I believe “transgression” is more than that: It is a fetish that works by exaggeration current gender stereotypes.

Like it or not, we live in a culture that objectifies females as “the fair sex”. And I put it to you that this has cast men in the interesting role of “the ugly sex” (or “the scary sex”, if you like). Coupled with society’s just as stereotypical notion of men’s uncontrollable sex drives, this conjures up a male character so ugly no woman will voluntarily sleep with him, but possessed by sexual urges so strong he forces himself on any attractive female in sight.

But – what’s in it for the object of his desires? Perhaps – as so often in the affair of sexuality – it is a trade-off: If the attractive female (who will have many other more likable suitors to choose from) can overcome her repulsion, the grotesquely ugly male can satisfy her desires with his equally grotesque sexual prowess.

I don’t find it hard to apply this to classic stories like “The Beauty and the Beast”. I mean: Suppose the beauty doesn’t fall in love with the beast despite his ugliness – but because of it.

This article was orginally featured on BDSM Book Reviews.
“The Bath Attendant” can be found in Frank Noir’s “Tales of Lust – Vol. 1″ . “Outdoor Service” is in Frank Noir’s “Tales of Lust – Vol. 4″.