Pornography in Mainstream Media? : The Fine Line Between Authentic BDSM & Stigma-Driven Drama

Photo courtesy of The New York Times

As any reader is most likely aware, topics relating to sex and BDSM are often banished from public realms of discussion, considered to be “taboo” and “inappropriate”. However, as society progresses to a more open and exploratory age, many peoples’ sequestered desires to pursue such forms of self-discovery/expression draw them towards highly dramatized, inaccurate, and problematic instances of BDSM-esk media. In a market starved of any mainstream content concerning sex, some directors have decided to capitalize on the lack of such films, and, in an effort, to boost profits, produce movies to intentionally shock the public, exciting the masses in a way that had never before been socially acceptable. Thus, society has been forced to suffer the burden movies such as Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) and 365 Days (2020) pose to the inexperienced and unaware, threatening to completely disrupt how younger individuals view healthy relationships.

Movies such as those listed above present two primary issues: 1) They inaccurately portray a misunderstood and stigmatized community through dramatization and the alienation of such topics (which we’ll discuss later in this article), and 2) They are generally problematic and lean into stereotypes which further divide our modern society. In regards to that second point, both films share a surprisingly similar number of key story elements; a young, innocent, and less wealthy woman suddenly encounters a mysterious, rich, dominant man who has developed a complete obsession for her. Over time, the man “corrupts” the woman, revealing to her desires she didn’t even know she possessed. Both movies make an effort to show how helpless the women are, reinforcing the belief that only men can be dominant sexual figures while only women can be submissive. It plays on the tired trope in which superiority and power are connected to high concentrations of wealth, and how these women are “lucky” to be given the chance to interact with such a desirable, strong partner.

Beyond their troubling themes, however, both pieces of media go on to deliver painfully obvious messages connecting BDSM and desire with criminal activity and abuse. Laura Biel, the main character of 365 Days, is literally kidnapped by her handsome, mafia-boss boyfriend, Massimo Torricelli, and held prisoner in his mansion; she is required to stay his prisoner until she either falls in love with him or “somehow” contains her feelings for him over the course of one year, at which point she will be set free. Eventually, Laura does fall in love with him, being unable to resist his masculine charms, in a turning point eerily resembling an individual suffering from Stockholm Syndrome (in which a victim of abuse adopts a positive perception of their abuser). Anastasia Steele, the main character of Fifty Shades of Grey, becomes a victim of physical abuse, as her partner, the “sexy” and commanding Christian Grey, engages in highly aggressive BDSM scenes with an individual he knows has little knowledge of such practices. Both films, in a supposed effort to acclimate society to mainstream sexual topics, instead do the opposite, demonizing and criminalizing what should be safe, acceptable practices. BDSM is meant to bring participants enjoyment, fun, and connection with their partner/s, but individuals such as Christian Grey take what could be a healthy dynamic/relationship and introduce BDSM as a weapon of abuse, monopolizing the delicate power structures of sex in order to hurt a partner who doesn’t know any better. While this does nothing to better the public perception of BDSM-topics, it goes on to deal real harm to younger viewers, who may think the actions of those they’re watching on screen are acceptable, therefore leading them to replicate such dynamics in their lives going forward.

In addition to this, both movies lead society farther and farther away from the point at which such subjects will finally be normalized, as they assign the discussion of sex with themes that are often thought of as unattainable. The depiction of Christian Grey and Massimo Torricelli as hyper-rich playboys makes the very idea of BDSM seem “unavailable” to the general public. Movies often serve as windows into worlds that we as viewers do not have access to, and dramatizing BDSM to such an extent, while perhaps enticing viewers to the idea of it, drives the public perception of it away from something that is entirely positive. There is a massive distinction between what people privately desire and that which they publicly denounce as unacceptable, and, while online, anonymous forums for BDSM have certainly grown with the influx of new, inexperienced users, the public as a whole has turned its back on such garish forms of media.

The backlash, low ratings, and criticisms these two films have received since their debut are entirely deserved, and, while society is correct to attack such damaging instances of media, many fail to see the harm they have wrought upon the communities they are trying to sensationalize. Whether we like it or not, movies like Fifty Shades of Grey and 365 Days will forever be tied to the BDSM community, even if the community itself rejects them. BDSM has always been viewed externally as something to be publicly feared and privately desired, which limits so many peoples’ access to practices and spaces they could find highly enjoyable/beneficial to them as a result of social stigma. Our world will be at its happiest when those around us are able to fully and freely meet their desires safely and without fear of judgment, and, while we may one day hope to reach such a point, we will, in the meantime, have to deal with those who attempt to dramatize such ideals in order to turn a profit.

Citations

“Fifty Shades of Grey.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 13 Feb. 2015, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2322441/?ref_=vp_close.

“365 Days.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 7 June 2020, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10886166/.