The History Of BDSM

BDSM is a category in sexual practices that has gotten a lot of controversies. From the "particular" aesthetics to the roles, still, frown upon. I wanted to share the history of h0w BDSM started, as well as how it was included in history.

What is BDSM?

BDSM is an abbreviation of Bondage, Discipline, Dominance, Submission & Sachomascohism. It's a sexual activity that involves physical restraints, asserting dominance to your submissive partner.

Most times, BDSM doesn't even involve sex, as explained in Cosmopolitan. Most of the time, the relationships are consensual because sometimes they can involve many degrees of pain.

From safe words to understand your partner's boundaries, it's an activity that comes with many responsibilites but comes with the most fun.

The Birth Of BDSM

BDSM began in the Mesopotamia times, according to an article by Skyeler Huntsman on Wordpress.com

Innana or Ishtar, the goddess associated with love and is an important deity in the Mesopotamian Era. At that time, she was known for her reaction to sensual dances that were performed for her. According to that article, she would "whip her followers into a sexual frenzy."

Throughout history, it is proven that most if not all cultures have practiced the BDSM culture at least once. But the waves of leather and whips in magazines started to exist in the 50s with the help of Betty Page.

The Notorious Bettie Page

I cannot tell you how much I love Bettie Page. She was the reason for me exuding sensual energy through photos and video.

Her performances in film, as well as in pictures were notorious, especially because at that time, it was illegal to publish that particular kind of imagery. Men at that time would buy her work in secret.

From 1950 t0 1957, she was busy doing provocative photoshoots that later led to an investigation with the United States senate. She was publicly shamed during that time and wasn't actually appreciated until the 1980s.

Her sensual aesthetics of the 1950s inspired playboy magazine, fashion, and even comic book characters in the '80s. The waves of BDSM, leather and latex fetishes were becoming a part of Playboy & X-rated magazines.

I honestly think she was a huge reason as to why a lot of women like to take more dominant roles in the bedroom. The Queen Of Pinups did more than take pretty pictures. She broke the rules in the sexiest way.

Fifty Shades Of Grey

In 2015, while watching at the movie theatres with my family, waiting on Lucy to play, a trailer plays of the film adaptation of "50 Shades Of Grey."

I was 14 at the time, but my mom covered my eyes, and all I could hear was Beyonce belting out a sultry version of "Crazy In Love."

That movie alone was the conversation of my high school years and made me so curious as to what it was about.

E.L. James wrote the book, and the story is about a college graduate who falls in love with her co-worker, and they both ignite a complex love & sexual relationship.

I didn't even read the book or watch the movie, but it was talked about for a good while in the summer of 2014 and sold 569.7 million dollars. Whoa.

But the reviews. Aw Geez.

Mainly reviews say that it was better than the "horribly written movie," but that didn't mean it was a good movie. On IMDb, It has received 4.1/10. Not many people like the performance of the characters, and to true BDSM fanatics, they saw it as unrealistic and even dangerous.

From the perspective of a switch, this is something that I wish wasn't glamourized. Most things that are put into movies are exaggerated and probably didn't touch upon particular rules, such as after-care and being dominant to your sub, rather than degrading them.

But then again, I haven't watched the movie yet. I shouldn't assume they didn't touch upon those particular topics.

Is it Safe?

In an article from Hell's Coutour, it is explained that there are two acronyms.

SSC (Safe, Sane, and Consensual) and RACK (Risk Aware Consensual Kink) There are well-known within the BDSM community about whether the activity you'll get involved in will be safe or not.

I mentioned earlier about After Care and why taking care of your partner is a MUST in a BDSM relationship. It involves taking care of your partner, especially if pain was involved. This is a sign of a healthy relationship with your bondage partner. If your partner doesn't do this, I highly suggest cutting your losses and find someone who does, especially if you're a submissive looking for a good dominant person in the relationship.

How do I Start?

There is a wide range of available sources to help you get into BDSM safely and with some knowledge of what to expect.

I got into BDSM with influence from one of my previous sexual partners, but that can sometimes be dangerous, especially if you're new to the pain & pleasure scenario.

Here are some sources to help you get started:

Bad Girls Bible: BDSM For Beginners

Women's Health: A BDSM Guide

Greatist.com: A Starter Guide

Bonus Tip: Learn Tips from Non-Mysognicistic Sources. This will benefit you to be a better Dom, as well as a Careful Sub.

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I hope this article informed you and interested you in getting started on BDSM. If you want to support, please tip! If not, please share this article.