We know: we've been teasing this one for a while now! Unlike with the more common gag types, where we had so many options that we basically threw up our hands and "subcontracted" to a third-party curator, this time we decided to take complete ownership—but there were still so many fine candidates that it took us a while to get all our clips in a row.

Not too long ago, that would never have been the case. The first widely noted damsel to turn up with a ball gag in a mainstream Western film was Teri Weigel in Night Visitor (1989), though Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) may be allowed on a technicality, and Japan's Shiryô no wana/Evil Dead Trap (1988) was likewise ahead of its time. But you could count the relevant scenes on one hand until a certain smash hit came along and changed the whole "ball" game.

That movie, of course, was Pulp Fiction (1994). While the infamous "gimp" won't appeal to most of our visitors, there's no denying his influence: a bondage accessory which previously had been considered too kinky for mainstream entertainment quite suddenly began to find new popularity with directors who wanted to bring a certain edginess to their work.

And today, here we are, with no less than Ariana Grande ball-gagging herself in a comedic cameo from Zoolander 2 (2016), and so many good scenes to choose from that only one of the four we've mentioned so far even made the cut for today's playlist (though all four can be found on the site).

For this first installment, we're focusing exclusively on feature films: TV episodes will be coming around in part two. If you simply can't wait, the search bar and the "ball gag" tag are your friends!

Finally, please note that three of the films featured here—Love Object (2003), The Disappearance of Alice Creed (2009), and its remake Reckless (2014)—include so many scenes of interest that we needed two clips to do them justice, though for the sake of variety, only the first clip is on the playlist. Make sure you click "Related Clips" after viewing to get to the second half!