ABSTRACT
It’s hard to believe sadomasochism once hid underground. One has only to pick up a magazine or turn on HBO to observe that the cultural visibility of sadomasochism (S/M) has increased dramatically in the past three decades. Sadomasochistic images appear in fashion and in advertising campaigns. S/M themes punctuate popular books, movies such as 2002’s Secretary and music such as Madonna’s 1992 album Erotica. Internet sites with explicit S/M content have proliferated, and books “explaining” S/M to potential participants can be found in the sexuality section of many major bookstores.
