Latex and Pop Culture: The 90s

Now that we've discussed the history (however brief) of latex as a material used in clothing and it's place in kink through the years let's review a sample of it's influence in 90s. (And a little history of my own.)

We'll begin in 1991 with Kane Roberts "Twisted" from the album "Saints and Sinners". Somewhere between alt and hard rock the video centers around two models with the most 90s fetish fashion and hairstyles to grace the scene. Shot in black and white with overt tones of bondage and kink (even a little rope use) "Twisted" feels like two different videos; one the singer himself belting into his mic, the second an intimate found footage of two kinksters enjoying themselves. While rather tame lyrically, for the time the imagery was salacious.

In 1992 we find a classic club song that has stood the test of time; "Rhythm is a Dancer" by SNAP! Shot at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex it features Thea Austin effortlessly wearing a full latex catsuit as she belts out the lyrics on elevated catwalks. A techno futurist vibe pervades every shot, even if some of the costumes worn by the extras are a bit laughable.

Skip ahead to 1995 and we find, of all people, Traci Lords branching out into a nascent techno track found in the original Mortal Kombat film. Heavy on the BDSM themes with a dash of James Bond (for some reason) this video is a hell of a trip. What can't be overlooked is the use of latex fashion and rope work throughout the thing. While the editing may feel disjointed to say the least, there is a certain raw kinky sensuality in parts of the cinematography that is begging to be properly utilized...it just never quite is.

Also in 1995 we find one of the definitive video of the decade centered around kink, bondage, latex, and sexual freedom; Madonna's "Human Nature". Written as a response to criticism by the media, it referenced her previous work "Express Yourself" and stood as an unapologetic, occasionally cheeky, declaration that should would not be apologizing for being herself. From a latex fetishist perspective this video is absolute perfection; a mix of rubber and vinyl, gloves and corsets, and a primal choreography. The lyrics themselves are kinksters theme, encouraging self acceptance and rejection of the overly moralistic standards of the day.

And with that we'll take a short break, to return with kinky media from the second half of the 90s and move on to the 2000s.