Research Essay– Sex & Spectacle: Analyzing the Commodification of Sadomasochism in Pop Culture
Introduction
Sadomasochism, or S&M, is exceptionally prevalent in pop culture today. Despite the increase in S&M depictions, there have not been any noticeable changes in the public’s opinions on S&M. Several contributing factors include erasure through normalization and continued portrayal of S&M practitioners and participants as victims of various mental health issues or previous traumas. Erasure through normalization leads to a loss of shock factor, an essential part of the noticeable uptick of Bondage, Discipline, Domination, Sadism, Submission, and Masochism related imagery in ads and marketing. Also, portrayal of S&M practitioners as trauma ridden individuals results in flawed opinions of S&M, identifying individuals as people capable of fixing or needing saving. Media’s use of S&M exploits the viewer's comfort and simultaneous infatuation with the mysterious. Because of this, the media does not put any effort into changing the general public's attitude on S&M and, in actuality, perpetuates harmful stereotypes attached to the public opinion of S&M, BDSM, and other fringe sexual practices.
Sadomasochism
Sadomasochism is a subsection of BDSM, a combination of three acronyms standing for Bondage and Discipline, Domination and Submission, and Sadism and Masochism. BDSM relates to elements of control and pain in the presence of sexual practices. Various techniques are utilized for unique and specialized sensations and emotions. Sadomasochism is a combination of sadism and masochism. The former defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “the derivation of sexual gratification from the infliction of physical pain or humiliation on another person” and the latter defined as “the derivation of sexual gratification from being subjected to physical pain or humiliation by oneself or another person.” Sadomasochism is also abbreviated to S/M or S&M. For this paper, S&M and Sadomasochism are used interchangeably. Although commonly categorized into three specific elements and aspects, BDSM elements can blend, and practitioners may participate in one, two, or all three. Typically, practitioners use play to explore BDSM and its corresponding elements. Play is a predetermined setting where participants often take on different personalities, behavior, and actions. If the participants are responsible, they will ensure explicit consent of specific behaviors before the start of play, where it may break character or be odd to ask such questions. Consent in BDSM is of utmost importance. Practitioners may use various techniques to check in and confirm that all parties are still enjoying the scene. Many participants utilize the acronym RACK, which stands for Risk Aware Consensual Kink. The goal of this acronym is to guarantee all parties understand the possible risks of play. This ensures that all parties can discuss possible ways to manage that, and all actively consent to the play after adequate education on possible risks. (Freeburg & McNaughton, 2017, p. 4) An example of this is the stop light system. In this situation, the sadist might ask for a color, and the masochist would respond with either red, yellow, or green. Green indicates the masochist still feels good about the scene, yellow indicates that the masochist and sadist should check in, and red is a full pause. This is one of the many methods used to ensure physical and emotional safety for all participants.
Pop Cultural and Media Significance
S&M has completely saturated media, and its presence in pop culture is undeniable. Since the 1980s, explorations of what S&M represents and its usage in media have increased ten-fold. It is near impossible to note an origin of S&M as it has always existed to some degree. However, the explosion of S&M representation may have coincided with the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement due to BDSM’s prevalence in queer spaces. Interestingly, some of the stereotypes surrounding BDSM today may also have arisen around this time. The AIDS crisis and federal government propaganda could have led to the sex-hesitant society we live in today (Lowery, 2004, para. 9-11). Since the AIDS epidemic, there have been countless uses of S&M in mainstream media and pop culture. For example, in 1993, Madonna dressed as a dominatrix for her tour, The Girly Show (Erotica (Live from The Confessions Tour), 2017), or, more recently, Rihanna’s song, S&M, gained immense popularity (Melina Matsoukas, 2011). In terms of literature, the most notable representation by far is Fifty Shades of Grey. Written by E.L. James and released in 2011, this book has sold over 100 million copies and spent over two years on The New York Times Bestsellers List. (Tripodi, 2017, p. 93)
Today, these representations of S&M still exist but, in many ways, no longer invoke the same reactions they once did. Weiss (2006) states, “Twenty years ago, SM was (at least in fantasy) something dark and mysterious, unspoken and invisible; today, representations of BDSM are everywhere.” (p. 111). The spectacle and uniqueness of S&M in media are lost. We are no longer shocked when we see elements of S&M attire at the newest celebrity gala. So how did society become so saturated with S&M elements and why?
Methods of Commodification
Much of the S&M saturation we experience results from media’s obsession with sensationalism and spectacle. Media achieves this by maintaining the ignorance, privilege, and comfort of the audience while simultaneously introducing an element of surprise or shock factor the S&M aspects. As highlighted by Weiss (2006), media primarily does this in two ways. The first is to normalize S&M until it dissolves into mainstream culture. This feels extremely prevalent today. Words like safe word, kink, and fetish are tossed around with little awareness of where they come from and what they mean. This process does not move the general public attitude surrounding S&M or BDSM toward greater acceptance or education but rather a perceived greater acceptance. One danger here is when non-BDSM participating individuals believe they understand the BDSM community and its corresponding practices because they have seen a commodified version of S&M in the media. The second way is the painting of S&M individuals as “tortured souls” to justify their actions providing those who know S&M practicing individuals with justification to “heal” or “fix” them. Interestingly, this has the opposite effect as the first method but is equally if not more harmful. Believing that BDSM is dirty or deviant and that its practitioners need fixing is still a common today. However, these claims are not backed by any evidence. In fact, “…kinksters are psychologically balanced, have beneficial personality characteristics, and possess higher levels of well-being than their vanilla counterparts.” (Freeburg & McNaughton, 2017, p. 6)
These elements can be seen in media all the time. Take, for example, 50 Shades of Grey. In this piece, Grey, the sadist, admits to having been abused by his mother, painting Grey as a man with complex trauma he attempts to cope with through S&M. This is not to say that S&M and sexual trauma cannot coexist. Consider Hammers (2014) piece on pains prevalence in sexual trauma processing in which Hammers argues that BDSM can offer victims spaces to validate their experiences and reconnect with their bodies. However, in 50 Shades of Grey, Grey is highly manipulative, does not appropriately approach consent, and pressures Steele, the supposed masochist, to stay in a relationship with him, despite her obvious discomfort towards participating in BDSM. It is common for media to either dull down the S&M elements or make the rest of the plot as “normal” as possible. Take for the example, “The Secretary”, directed by Steven Shainberg and released in 2002. This film follows a young woman, Holloway, as she begins an S&M-involved relationship with her boss. The film, despite these elements, utilizes a straight, white, and cisgender storyline that ends with a domestic scene so drastically different from the S&M-related scenes earlier in the movie. Weiss (2006) highlights these points in an analysis of the film stating, “My problem with [the ending] is that their interaction was more conventional… he takes her up to this room and lays her down, and then she sort of becomes his housewife.” (pp. 116-117). By minimizing the S&M elements, the characters and their S&M lifestyle are normalized, but the wow factor remains.
For media and pop culture, it is crucial to stand out. There are likely hundreds of ads, products, or movies that share similar plots or topics. If one want to sell, they need something fringe. In this sense, S&M is a great option. It is sensational but also feeds into many people's fantasies. Ones they are uncomfortable with because of a society where BDSM is perceived as dirty or deviant. This encourages sales while maintaining the initial fantasy related reason the consumer is engaged with the content.
Effects of Commodification
Because pop culture's commodification of sadomasochism does not progress the public toward a more embracing and educated mindset, inevitably, there will be specific issues that arise. While this paper has already discussed the perpetuated belief of BDSM as dirty, gross, and unnatural, it has not yet covered some of the indirect effects of pop culture commodification. A major effect of this commodification is the perpetuation of institutionalized sexism. It is prevalent for the media to portray women as submissive masochists. Both 50 Shades of Grey and “The Secretary” utilize this. Women can enjoy masochistic behavior, this is not where the issue lies. The issue is that the media fails to accurately showcase that in healthy S&M play, the masochist holds much of the control in the dynamic. They decide what they are comfortable with and uncomfortable with, and in many ways, it is the sadist serving their needs. However, the media fails to highlight this. As a result, there is perpetuated imagery of women as submissive and without control. They are perceived to be at the whims of the sadist who is usually a man. In turn, causing continued disgust and misunderstanding surrounding what S&M and BDSM are and are not.
Ultimately, the most significant and most detrimental effect of pop culture commodification relates to the misinformation it perpetuates. Because media mainly utilizes S&M for its wow factor, there is little work done to ensure that the representation is accurate. Also, there is no reason to shift this perspective as pop culture benefits from the audience’s “perverted” interest and therefore investment in the material. As pop culture continues to separate the general public from BDSM by normalizing certain practices but demonizing the greater holistic BDSM community, it begins its demise. It is clear that S&M in media has worn through its shock factor, and as that is the primary reason for pop culture's heavy consumption, pop culture will have to move on to something new.
Conclusion
Pop culture, despite the representation it gives S&M, fails to shift the commonly held narrative toward BDSM. This is because it relies on a system that both sensationalizes and demonizes BDSM practices, achieved through over-saturating media until it is no longer unique while also blaming BDSM on previous mental or psychological issues. Several examples of this include 50 Shades of Grey and “The Secretary”. Both examples utilized the techniques mentioned earlier that depicted one of the most notable effects of this lack of accurate or adequate representation is the perpetuation of harmful gender stereotypes. This, in turn, gives BDSM a poor reputation, and the cycle continues. Until we, as the public, stop feeding into the sensationalism of BDSM and instead choose to deeply engage in individual research, the issue will continue.
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References
Melissa N. Freeburg, & Melanie Joy McNaughton. (2016). Fifty Shades of Grey: Implications for Counseling BDSM Clients. VISTAS 2017.
Hammers, C. (2013). Corporeality, Sadomasochism and Sexual Trauma. Body &Amp; Society, 20(2), 68–90. https://doi.org/10.1177/1357034x13477159
Lowery, A. (2004, October 28). From Freud to America: A short history of sadomasochism | Magazine | The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https:// www.thecrimson.com/article/2004/10/28/from-freud-to-america-a-short/
Madonna. (2017, September 29). Madonna - Erotica (Live from The Girlie Show 1993) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5HBkKDMg7I
RihannaVEVO. (2011, January 31). Rihanna - S&M [Video]. YouTube. https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdS6HFQ_LUc
Tripodi, F. (2017). Fifty shades of consent? Feminist Media Studies, 17(1), 93–107. https:// doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2017.1261846
Weiss, M. D. (2006). Mainstreaming Kink. Journal of Homosexuality, 50(2–3), 103–132. https:// doi.org/10.1300/j082v50n02_06
