[Originally I had Judy's first role-play taking place in October 1975 as described
here
. Then I decided to write about another one occurring about a month earlier.
The story about Michelle wielding a knife is
here
.]
********
I know from my own experiences that there are women who want to do role-play games involving rape scenarios. The girlfriends who tried these had various motivations and reactions to these events.
Role play can be intriguing, even addictive, as the plots become more complex. Video games didn't exist in the 1970s (well, the first Pong consoles had appeared in bars). Gaming with real people, often in public locations, had an intensity that nothing from a computer would ever match. Sometimes there were real risks involved, even if these were only psychological ones resulting from emotional stress. The lines between playacting and reality could get blurred.
One of my girlfriends at the City College of New York in September, 1975 was a fellow junior, Judy Weinberg. She had heard about some roles I had tried with other women in the previous months and now she had a proposal of her own with me as her co-star.
We were having a late lunch with beer at the West End Cafe near Columbia when she brought up the topic of role playing. I remember saying to her, "Sure, what have you got for me?"
She hesitated for a moment and said, very seriously, "I was thinking of a game where you, or rather your character, rapes me."
I was surprised by that and I said, "Why would you ever want to do that?"
She had given it some thought, "I'm actually very afraid of it but I want to confront my fears, in a controlled sort of way, so I can overcome it."
I thought about it and said, "I don't really get it."
"Didn't you ever want to know about some experience without actually having to be in it?"
I did have something for her, "Well, sometimes I imagine what it's like to be a soldier in a battle but I'm actually glad I've never been in a war."
"That's sort of the similar, it sounds."
"Yeah, but I don't imagine getting killed or wounded."
"No, but do you imagine killing other people, right?"
I thought about my childhood, about the time my dad took me to the movies to see
The Longest Day.
I remembered paintings and illustrations reproduced in
Life
magazine depicting Civil War battles like Chancellorsville and the Crater at Petersburg. The high drama of some of those events had set me to wondering how I would behave myself in those circumstances.
I said, "Okay, yes, sometimes it seemed exciting. But it's not about killing other people. It's really if I would be brave and competent as a soldier. And it's definitely not about being a victim."
She thought about that, "Okay, it's not a perfect analogy. But I do find my fantasy exciting too, in a sexual way."
I had to know more, "Who have you imagined in these things?"
"It varies. Sometimes just a stranger, almost faceless. Sometimes, even you, but as a stranger to me."
That didn't exactly seem flattering. I thought sarcastically,
that's cool,
but I didn't respond directly.
I said, "If I may ask, have you ever masturbated while thinking about this?"
She looked at me levelly and smiled, "Oh yes, and quite successfully too."
I looked at her and I knew most people at the college saw her as a personable but low-key, studious-looking young woman. In fact, she was indeed all of those things. But as her lover I was discovering other sides of her complex and passionate personality.
A few moments later I asked her, "I assume you've got a scenario for us then?"
"That's right, I've got a plan."
That wasn't too surprising. I was finding out that for women role-plays went beyond plot and script; they usually had stage directions too. It was like creating a scene in a movie or on the stage with some improvisations by both participants.
I said, "So what have you got for me?"
"I think this should be done up at school, on South Campus, at night."
I hadn't expected it would be outdoors, "That sounds incredibly risky."
"Not as much as you might think. It will be late; we'll take a cab up there. Probably we can go behind Wagner, in that space between the building and the wall."
I was trying to picture this. She had considered more and added, "Those security guys, the Penn Guards, they just go through the motions." The university had started a contract with a new company and the new batch did seem as inept as the previous ones.
I said, "So who are we?"
"I'll just be a student, someone like myself. You'll be a stranger. Whether you're actually a student or not, I guess that's up to you."
As I sipped my beer she had another detail for me, "I think we'll borrow the switchblade that Michelle has, the one her uncle gave her. You'll have that."
"You're kidding me."
"No, I think it makes it all the more authentic."
I thought,
buying a rubber one from a toy store is not good enough I guess.
Michelle had used that knife on me during one of her role-plays and she had scared the hell out of me. Then Judy had one more specification.
"Can you get a ski mask somewhere?"