Mistress Snow, PhD
Dr. Olivia Snow is a writer, researcher, and dominatrix in New York City. She's currently a Visiting Assistant Researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles’s Department of Gender Studies, where she studies sex work, labor rights, technology, and policy.She's written for WIRED, The Daily Beast, Jezebel, The Nation, Slate, VICE, and more. She's been quoted in stories on sex work and whorephobia for countless publications includnig Business Insider, CNN, Fast Company, Forbes, Glamour, The Guardian, and The Washington Post.Snow’s research currently centers around the surveillance of in-person sex workers by Big Tech and the violence of financial and social deplatforming. She holds a PhD in literature, and before joining UCLA, she was a research fellow at New York University’s AI Now Institute.
Professor by day, pro-Domme by night, “full-on fucking terror”
Research
Domination
I'm Mistress Snow, a highly skilled and experienced lifestyle and professional dominatrix. A pure sadist since childhood, I have over a decade of experience in BDSM and professional domination. You can read my longer-form biography here. In sum, I am brutal and brilliant in equal measure.My style is, in a word, curious. I want to figure out what makes you tick and then fuck with it. I am not interested in making you feel good. I am interested in making you feel insane.My kink interests are vast but my specialties are corporal punishment and humiliation. I love to make you feel scared, sad, and stupid while devastatingly aroused. I've been told my caning and sounding skills in particular are exceptional—and my personal collection of canes certainly is—but I tend to prefer a single-tail whip or, if you're brave, my Lochgelly tawse. I can be subtle in my sadism, but I prefer to play rough. I’m not for the faint of heart.See some of the horrifying things I can do to you here!I offer in-person sessions exclusively at Pandora’s Box, located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. I also offer sessions in Los Angeles on a semi-regular basis; contact me to inquire about my travel schedule.I accept clients of all ethnicities, races, genders, ages (18+), sexual identities, and abilities, as well as couples. An educator at heart, I also offer instructional sessions.Sessions are purely hypothetical until you have paid a deposit; screenings are mandatory for touring sessions.Still have questions? Check out my FAQ.
Welcome to hell!
Tribute
Curriculum Vitae
NOTE: this CV reflects my transition from the humanities to the social sciences following an abrupt career shift mid-2019. After a dissertation committee member outed me as a sex worker, I refocused my research on sex work and sex workers with the goals of harm reduction, policy change, and emancipation. As a result, however, my CV may appear somewhat fractured, and I do obscure some details to protect myself and my privacy. I am happy to provide a more expansive version of my CV by request.
Education
PhD, The University of Texas at Austin
MA, The University of Texas at Austin
BA, New York University
Academic Appointments
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Visiting Assistant Researcher, Department of Gender Studies, 2022—present
Tech Impact Network Research Fellow, Center for Critical Internet Inquiry (C2i2), 2022—2023
New York University (NYU)
Tech Impact Network Research Fellow, AI Now Institute, 2021—2022
Select Publications
“AI Is Detaining Sex Workers at the Border—and You May Be Next.” The Daily Beast, 2 December 2023. [archived]
“The ‘Mommy Goddess’ and the Mass Reporting of Sex Workers on Instagram.” Jezebel, 30 June 2023. [archived]
“Sex Workers Have Been Banned from Airbnb for Years. Will You Be Next?” The Nation, 26 December 2022. [archived]
“'Magic Avatar' App Lensa Generated Nudes from My Childhood Photos.” WIRED, 7 December 2022. [archived]
“Elon Musk's Reckless Plan to Make Sex Pay on Twitter.” WIRED, 7 November 2022; “イーロン・マスクがアダルトコンテンツをTwitterで収益化することで起こること.” WIRED Japan, 19 January 2023. [English, Japanese archived]
“The Internet's Most Popular Fetish Site Is Flagging People As Sex Workers.” Motherboard/VICE, 11 August 2022. [archived]
“Are You Ready to Be Surveilled Like a Sex Worker?” WIRED, 27 June 2022. [archived]
“I Told My Mentor I Was a Dominatrix: She Rescinded Her Letters of Recommendation.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 5 December 2019. [archived]
Select Peer-Reviewed Publications
Noble, Safiya U; Roberts, Sarah T.; Bui, Matthews; Brock, André; Snow, Olivia. “Structural Racism in Tech: Social Media Platforms, Algorithmic Bias, and Racist Tech.” Handbook of Children and Screens: Digital Media, Development, and Well-being from Birth Through Adolescence. Springer, 2024. DOI:10.1007/978-3-031-69362-5_37.
Stewart, Terah; Snow, Olivia; Linder, Chris. “Dear Kathleen: An Immersed Reflexive Inquiry of Sex Work, Sexual Violence, and College Students.” New Directions for Higher Education. 2024. DOI: 10.1002/he.20516.
Works in Progress
Canaries in the Coal Mine: Sex Work and Surveillance. Under contract at UC Press.
A Cultural History of Dominance: Power, Pleasure, and Pain.
Select Conference Presentations, Invited Talks, & Guest Lectures
“Dignity, Justice, and Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of Sex Workers' Labor and Human Rights Organizing.” Latin American Social and Public Policy Conference, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. 28-30 March 2024.
“Kink at Pride: Resisting Queer Exclusionary Rhetorics.” Solidarity: What Love Looks Like in Public, American Studies Association, Montréal, Québec, Canada. 2-5 November 2023.
“Kink Pride/kink shame: BDSM and Homonormativity.” SEX Pan!cs, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland. 12-14 October 2023.
Tech Crimes Summit. University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia. 16-18 July 2023.
“Queer(ing) Consent in Anti-Queer Times.” Southern Sociological Society, Myrtle Beach, SC. 29 March-1 April 2023.
“Closed Source: Platform Futures.” Staying on the Grid: Platforms, Psyches, and Paths: REDCAT, Los Angeles, CA. 21 January 2023.
“FSC Summit: The Threats We Face in the Coming Year.” XBIZ, Los Angeles, CA. 9-13 January 2023.
“SWERF n’ TERF: Exclusionary Feminists, Insurgent Critiques.” The Roof Is on Fire, American Studies Association, New Orleans, LA. 3-6 November 2022.
“Transforming the Face of Tech.” Social Justice Institutes, Carlow University, Pittsburgh, PA. 19 October 2022.
“Decriminalization of Sex Work as Harm Reduction.” Social Justice Institutes, Carlow University, Pittsburgh, PA. 30 March 2022.
“Whorephobia & Sex Worker Discrimination.” #SexTalkTuesday, SSSH.com. 5 January 2021.
“Self-Advocacy in the Face of Adversity.” Love Thyself V: Self-Acceptance and Confidence. 19 July 2020.
Teaching
Course list & syllabi available upon request.
References
Available upon request.
Media
Select Publications
“AI Is Detaining Sex Workers at the Border—and You May Be Next.” The Daily Beast, 2 December 2023. [archived]
“The ‘Mommy Goddess’ and the Mass Reporting of Sex Workers on Instagram.” Jezebel, 30 June 2023. [archived]
“Sex Workers Have Been Banned from Airbnb for Years. Will You Be Next?” The Nation, 26 December 2022. [archived]
“'Magic Avatar' App Lensa Generated Nudes from My Childhood Photos.” WIRED, 7 December 2022. [archived]
“Elon Musk's Reckless Plan to Make Sex Pay on Twitter.” WIRED, 7 November 2022; “イーロン・マスクがアダルトコンテンツをTwitterで収益化することで起こること.” WIRED Japan, 19 January 2023. [English, Japanese archived]
“The Internet's Most Popular Fetish Site Is Flagging People As Sex Workers.” Motherboard/VICE, 11 August 2022. [archived]
“Are You Ready to Be Surveilled Like a Sex Worker?” WIRED, 27 June 2022. [archived]
“I Told My Mentor I Was a Dominatrix: She Rescinded Her Letters of Recommendation.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 5 December 2019. [archived]
Podcasts & Radio Shows
“Charge: Outlet Your Feelings with Dr. Olivia Snow.” All Humans Are Human, episode 146, 11 April 2024.
“Sex workers know the future of the internet w/ Dr. Olivia Snow.” There Are No Girls on the Internet, season 4, episode 7, 7 June 2023.
“M3gan with Mistress Snow!” Horror Vanguard, episode 263, 3 May 2023.
“Terror, with Olivia Snow.” The Data Fix, episode 3, 20 January 2023.
“Reckless Monetization, Surveillance Kleptocracy, & Olivia Snow's Villain Origin Story.” The American Vandal, season 7, episode 3, 7 December 2022.
“Don’t delete your period app. Here are other ways to protect your health data.” Embodied Radio Show. WUNC 91.5 North Carolina Public Radio, 23 September 2022.
“What Sex Workers Can Teach You about Media Correspondence.” On the Whorizon. Episode 22, 15 August 2022.
“Dissecting Artificial Intelligence: Being Aware of the Impact that Algorithms, Apps and Platforms May Have on You with Dr. Mistress Snow," Stripped by SIA, episode 122, 5 June 2022.
"A Conversation with Dr Olivia Snow," Securing Bridges with Alyssa Miller, episode 10, 2 June 2022.
“Cross Platform Data Sharing and Why It's Dangerous with Dr. Olivia Snow," GetYourNewsOnWithRon, episode 96, 24 May 2022.
“Matka Joanna od Aniołów; or, Mother Joan of the Angels with Mistress Snow," Horror Vanguard, episode 191, 4 February 2022.
“Dungeons, Domming, and Doxing with Mistress Snow PhD," The Manwhore Podcast: A Sex-Positive Quest, episode 392, 14 July 2021.
“The Educated Domme," What Women (and other wonderful humans) Want, episode 37, 13 April 2021.
“Snow Cap," Candy Girl, episode 33, 11 September 2020.
“Writing about Sex Work,” RiteGud, episode 22, 16 July 2020.
“The Lure; or, In Conversation with the Alluring Mistress Snow,” Horror Vanguard, episode 69 (nice), 3 May 2020.
“Under the Heel with Mistress Snow, PhD,” Nostalgia Trap, episode 188, 9 April 2020.
“Cam; or, Breaking the Ice with Mistress Snow,” Horror Vanguard, episode 57, 8 March 2020.
“Busting Balls with Mistress Snow, PhD,” Sluts and Scholars, episode 127, 6 February 2020.
Press
McNeill, Zane. “Washington State Enacts Comprehensive Worker Protections for Strip Club Dancers.” Truthout, 26 March 2024.
Brewster, Thomas. “A Hollywood-Backed Nonprofit's App Promises To Identify Sex Traffickers. But Critics Say It Endangers Survivors.” Forbes, 4 October 2023.
Maiberg, Emanuel. “Kick Revisits Moderation Policy After CEO Laughs at Sex Worker ‘Prank’ Stream.” 404 Media, 25 September 2023.
Cheung, Kylie. “The Problems With Ashton Kutcher’s Anti-Child Sex Trafficking Organization Are Bigger Than Him.” Jezebel, 21 September 2023.
Andrzejewski, Alicia. “Academics Don't Talk about Our Mental Illnesses. We Should.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 5 July 2023.
Berlatsky, Noah. “Twitter ‘Blue’: Sex workers, censorship and the fight for online visibility.” Index on Censorship, 19 June 2023.
Schwedel, Heather. “Is It a Good Thing to Be ‘Technically Excellent’ at Sex?” Slate, 5 May 2023.
Sung, Morgan. “For Bluesky to thrive, it needs sex workers and Black Twitter.” TechCrunch, 3 May 2023.
Silberling, Amanda. “Sex workers explain why blue check stigma and #BlockTheBlue aren’t so straightforward.” TechCrunch, 2 May 2023.
Lu, Conan. “Abortion in the Age of Surveillance Capitalism.” Harvard Political Review, 28 April 2023.
York, Jillian. “Twitter Used to Make Us Smarter.” The Information, 21 March 2023.
Perry, Sophie. “‘The more queer women in porn, the better’: Is OnlyFans empowering or objectifying women?” PinkNews, 8 March 2023.
Leibert, Emily. “Bing's AI Chatbot Is Reflecting Our ‘Violent’ Culture Right Back at Us.” Jezebel, 16 February 2023.
McAllister, Lizzie. “More Pornhub fans face being forced to register ID to access raunchy online content.” The Daily Star, 14 February 2023.
Cho, Hannah. “Sex Workers Say They Face Hurdles to Banking Access.” Columbia News Service, 1 February 2023.
Cheung, Kylie. “Twitch’s AI ‘Porn’ Controversy Is a Creepy Sign of Things to Come.” Jezebel, 31 January 2023.
Biron, Bethany. “Sex, art theft, and privacy: Lensa exploded overnight — and now the avatar app is dealing with public backlash. Here's what you should know.” Business Insider, 16 January 2023.
Mok, Aaron. “Pornhub is requiring viewers in Louisiana to verify their age with a government ID as part of a new state law.” Business Insider, 4 January 2023.
Moon, Mariella. “Louisiana residents will now need a government ID to access porn online.” Engadget, 4 January 2023.
Daly, Ciaran. “Some Pornhub users now have to give the site a government ID to watch adult clips.” Daily Star, 4 January 2023.
Silberling, Amanda. “You must now verify your drivers license to watch Pornhub in Louisiana.” TechCrunch, 3 January 2023.
Holland, Lia and Mariah Grant. “Democrats' double standard on financial surveillance will be more dangerous in 2023.” Fast Company, 21 December 2022.
Clark, Nicole. “Lena's viral AI art creations were bound to hypersexualize users.” Polygon, 20 December 2022.
Oliveira, Isabela. “Efeito colateral: app Lensa sensualiza imagens de mulheres em excesso.” Gizmodo Brasil, 14 December 2022.
Djudjic, Dunja. “Popular AI App Lensa Opens the Door to Nonconsensual Nudes of Both Children and Adults.” DIYPhotography, 12 December 2022.
Naraharisetty, Rohitha. “Generative AI Puts Us on the Brink of a Deepfakes Crisis.” The Swaddle, 12 December 2022.
Sottile, Zoe. “What to know about Lensa, the AI portrait app all over social media.” CNN, 11 December 2022.
Demopoulos, Alaina. “The inherent misogyny of AI portraits – Amelia Earhart rendered naked on a bed.” The Guardian, 9 December 2022.
Meyerowitz, Anya. “Megan Fox complains that her AI profile photos have been sexualised by viral app.” Glamour UK, 9 December 2022.
Klebanov, Sam. “AI art app makes waves on social media and conjures a tsunami of controversy.” Morning Brew, 9 December 2022.
Rogers, Reece. “What You Should Know Before Using the Lensa AI App.” WIRED, 9 December 2022.
Brewster, Thomas. “Amazon, Ashton Kutcher And America’s Surveillance Of The Sex Trade.” Forbes, 9 December 2022.
Weekman, Kelsey. “People Have Raised Serious Concerns About The AI Art App That’s All Over Your Instagram Feed.” Buzzfeed, 8 December 2022.
Cheung, Kylie. “Trendy Portrait App Lensa Is Accused of Creating Nonconsensual Nudes, Child Abuse Content.” Jezebel, 8 December 2022.
Bandara, Pesala. “Users Complain That Lensa AI Selfie Generator Is 'Sexualizing' Their Photos.” PetaPixel, 8 December 2022.
Gomez, Jade. “AI Portrait App Raises Ethical Concerns.” Paper Magazine, 7 December 2022.
Harrison, Maggie. “There's a Problem With That AI Portrait App: It Can Undress People Without Their Consent.” Futurism, 7 December 2022.
Procida, Billy. “Elon Musk and Twitter should cash in on adult content.” Mashable, 29 November 2022.
Rose, Adrie. “Sex workers face unique challenges when trying to unionize.” Prism, 18 October 2022.
Weissman, Sara. “Punished, then vindicated for her past,” Inside Higher Ed, 13 July 2022.
Grace, Asia. “Dominatrix claims DoorDash banned her over sex work: ‘It’s dehumanizing.’,” The New York Post, 6 April 2022.
Seitz, Jacob. “Dominatrix says she was banned from ordering DoorDash,” The Daily Dot, 6 April 2022.
Beachum, Lateshia. “She was less than a year from finishing a master’s degree. Then classmates discovered her OnlyFans page,” The Washington Post, 12 February 2022.
Valens, Ana. “2021 proved a challenging year for online sex workers—and a wake-up call for our allies,” The Daily Dot, 15 December 2021.
Hall, Jake. “This Is What Porn Will Look Like 25 Years from Now,” MEL Magazine, 5 November 2021.
Specter, Gregory. “Academia, Your Whorephobia Is Showing,” Pedagogy & American Literary Studies, 18 March 2021.
Ellsberg, Michael. “Meet the College Professor Who Moonlights as a Dominatrix,” The Daily Beast, 28 November 2020.
Ellsberg, Michael. “Dr. Dungeon: Professor by Day, Dominatrix by Night,” 28 November 2020.
Gawronski, Quinn. “Inside a Hidden New York City BDSM Dungeon,” Medium, 8 October 2020.
Valens, Ana. “S L I C K: Yes, Daddy,” Autostraddle, 9 July 2020.
Valens, Ana. “Social distancing is making everyone hornier—sort of,” The Daily Dot, 11 April 2020.
Curriculum Vitae
Rates:
1 hour: $400
2 hours: $700
3 hours: $1000
4+ hours: contact me
Nervous and want to see me in the flesh before you commit to a session? Meet me at a bar or coffee shop for a consultation starting at $100.Want to spend more time with me outside of the dungeon? Let's go to dinner. I don't eat meat (I don't mind if you do; I do eat fish) but am otherwise open to anything. $200.
Interests (specialties & favorites noted):
Ballbusting ❄
Body worship: foot, leg, armpit
Bondage: rope, chains, mummification
Caning
CBT
Corporal punishment (including sjambok, Lochgelly tawse) ❄
Cuckolding ❄
Face slapping
Fetish (shoes, stockings, leather, etc.)
Financial domination
Fire/wax & ice
Humiliation: spitting, verbal ❄
Medical ❄
NT
Roleplay
Sensory deprivation ❄
Sissification
Smoking, human ashtray ❄
Smothering & (clothed) facesitting
Spanking, OTK
Tease & Denial
Tickling ❄
Interested in something you don't see here? Ask me about it! The list above is not exhaustive, and I delight in the weird, the demented, and the ridiculous. My newest obsession is butterfly boarding, as I've chronicled on Bluesky, and I adore snatching sounding virginities.
Hard limits:
Nudity
Race play
Sex
Switching or subbing
Anything ending in -job
Photo Gallery
photos by Mistress Nina Mar
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you do outcalls? No.
Do you offer phone sessions? You can call me on NiteFlirt or SextPanther, but please give me a heads up as I rarely drop by there otherwise.
Do you tour/can I see you when you're traveling/can I fly you to [city]? I do not tour as such but do travel often and regularly post my travel schedule on Bluesky. I'm currently accepting requests for Los Angeles, CA on a rolling basis.
What is your tribute? $700/2 hours minimum, not including gratuity. Tribute depends on the length and intensity of the session, equipment needed, expertise involved, and my mood.
Can I see you with another mistress? Yes, I love double sessions! I'm happy to work with any of my colleagues at Pandora's Box, as well as several independent mistresses in New York City. Contact me for specific inquiries.
Mistress Snow and Mistress Audrey
What screening information do you require? You must provide at least one of the following:
a link to your LinkedIn profile or another website that verifies your employment (e.g., IMDb)
your work website
a photo of your government-issued ID or work ID badge
an email from your work or school email address
Can I [literally anything] in lieu of providing screening information? No.
Can you wear [leather, heels, stockings, etc.]? I have a formidable fetish wardrobe that can accommodate most requests. Latex and leather will require advance notice and additional tribute. If you want to bring something specific for me to wear, my sizes are...
bra: 32C
corset: 24
dress: 0/2 (XS/S)
shoe: 9/39.5 (Pleasers: 10, boots: 40)
waist: 25/26 (0/2)
How should I prepare for a session? Please arrive clean, sober, and ready to communicate your desires and intentions without being weird. If this is your first time seeing a pro-Domme, I recommend reading Ms. Maya Midnight's Complete Newbie's Guide to Seeing Pro-Dommes.
Can I buy your [shoes, panties, stockings, etc.]? Possibly; feel free to ask.
What are your limits?
Negotiation/haggling
Nudity
Race play
Sex
Switching or subbing
Whining
Anything ending in -job
What equipment/tools/toys do you have? I have a vast collection of implements and my canes, my sjambok, and my Lochgelly tawse are my precious treasures.
Do you sell content? I will sometimes take custom requests; I do not have a fansite.
Do you sell nudes? No.
Can I bring [toys, food, weed, etc.] to our session?
equipment/toys: feel free to bring your own items from home, which I reserve the right not to use
food: sure but I reserve the right to make you fuck it
alcohol: I will entertain the idea a glass of wine or a cocktail but will not session if you are noticeably intoxicated
drugs: you are welcome to smoke or otherwise consume weed in session, but I don't smoke anything other than cigarettes (yellow American Spirits preferred)
Will you accept [clothing, shoes, service, food, anything that is not cash] in lieu of cash? No.
Can you train me in [sounding, shibari, caning, etc.]? Possibly; feel free to inquire.
Can I be your mentee? Not at this time; I'm currently at capacity!
The following form is for inquiries not covered elsewhere under my research or domination tabs. If you'd like to schedule a meeting, please use my Calendly. If you'd like to schedule a BDSM session, please apply to serve or contact Pandora's Box directly.