EXPOSED: Judicial Birching on the Isle of Man

The Isle of Man is a singular place: part of the British Isles but not within the United Kingdom, deeply connected to both mainlands but governed by neither. This autonomy meant that when the UK abolished judicial corporal punishment in 1948, Mann did not follow suit. In fact, the last time someone on the island pulled down their underwear for a court-ordered thrashing was in 1976 – and it was still technically legal into the 90s.

We’ve often told stories about punishments of this kind here. We’ve filmed tense, squirming monologues from fictional characters waiting for their names to be called; reenacted severe sentences in official-looking concrete halls; even taught our viewers how to make a birch of their own in the traditional Manx fashion. But what are the real tales behind these lurid fantasies? What was it like to take your bare-bottom beating in such a formal, public way?

Blake took it upon themself to find out – and brings us the answers here, in this full-length erotic documentary that ties together news reports, personal accounts and a little kinky speculation. It’s a true exposé, filmed entirely in the nude, complete with an authentic handmade prop and some tantalising explorations of how it might have felt to be a secret spanking fan in the midst of it all.