Kinky sex has always been something people have wanted to read, watch and learn more about, even if they weren’t sure it had a place in their own life. The recent popularity of the 50 Shades of Grey series has brought this back to the forefront with millions of readers – male and female – making the book a worldwide phenomenon. But the world of BDSM is nothing new and here we’ll take a look at its historical roots, its current impact on society and where the genre may be heading in the future.
The History of BDSM
Way back in the 1700s the Marquis de Sade set the stage for what would become the world of serious kink and, especially, BDSM. BDSM wasn’t discussed much in public or literature before this point but his pivotal work, 120 Days of Sodom is now considered the first – and most extreme – form of mainstream pornography in the history of literature. His book catalogues everything from tame whippings and light spankings to extremely violent sexual play which is only ever something people think about in the safety of fantasy.
Much later, in the late 1800s the book Venus in Furs was published. It’s the story of a man who convinces a woman to make him her slave, effectively turning the morals and cultural expectations of the time on its head. Several years later the book Psychopathia Sexualis was published which was meant to be a book of interest only to medical professionals, hence its Latin name. But as soon as people realized it was little more than a collection of case studies about perversions they had never even heard of, it became a best seller and remains popular today.
This early interest in kink proved that the market was ready for something more and, as time went on, more and more book publishers rushed to fill the void. Pulp novels, trashy romances and early erotic photography all took off and have sold well since the moment they were introduced to the public. Over the ensuring decades, the adult entertainment industry has continued to grow and diversify.
Today’s Mainstream Fetishes
In modern times, human sexuality came out of the shadows and began to be better understood and appreciated both due to his health benefits and a more open approach to sex in general. Magazines like Penthouse and Playboy went from being protested and burned in public squares to launching the careers of journalists like Hunter S Thompson and featuring mainstream stars such as Marilyn Monroe.
Today there is more choice than ever before thanks to the vast offerings people can find online as well as the diversity found in old school magazines and adult erotica. The popularity of ’50 Shades of Grey’ has launched a whole new genre of mainstream erotica aimed primarily at women as well as a film industry that caters to niche audiences including lesbians, gay men, heterosexual women, people with fluid genders and, of course, even more choice for straight men who have always been the backbone of the adult entertainment industry. This diversity not only means being able to showcase different fetishes for the public, it has also made it easier and safer for people to explore their own sexuality and to learn and celebrate the things that really turn them on.
Where Sexuality is Set to Go
The future of the adult entertainment industry is about as bright as you can get. Advancements in CGI effects have some speculating that more extreme porn will be able to be produced without concerns over the health or safety of participants and, in the mainstream, a better understanding of sex has made the industry safer than ever before.
Society, too, has begun to accept that celebrating and displaying sexuality is nothing to be ashamed of and medical researchers are finding more and more links between a healthy and happy sex life and a person’s overall physical and mental health. Simply put, the world is finally beginning to see that being happy in bed means you’re more likely to be happy in life.
