BDSM: The real shades
Thank Fifty Shades of Grey for the rise in rope and chains
Leah Fink
Staff Writer
Chrissi Klassen has been working at the Little Shop of Pleasures for almost two years, and has seen a major shift in the last year occur in how people view sex stores. Two years ago, one of the stores two locations in Calgary was not doing well. Now both locations are thriving.
The staff at the Little Shop of Pleasures knows the difference is because of Fifty Shades of Grey.
“Before Fifty Shades of Grey came out, people considered sex stores weird and seedy, and places where only strange people go,” Klassen said. “There has been a major shift. Now people see them as something more fun with cool stuff.”
Illustration: ©iStock.com/07_av
The last book of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy came out in January, completing the series that has become an international sensation with over 65 million copies sold worldwide. The popularity of the series has sparked a sexual revolution and changed the way some people view sex stores.
The story centres around a BDSM (Bondage, Dominance, Submission and Masochism) relationship, and because of its extreme popularity, has introduced a lot of people to the concept of that lifestyle.
Klassen says she has spoken to a lot of customers about new products and provided a lot of information on their use. “There are some products that can be dangerous, but if you know how to use them they can be fun,” she said.
When the trilogy’s popularity started to rise and people were coming in with specific questions about items, all of Little Shop of Pleasures employees were required to read the book to know what sections people were referencing and some of the basic themes, Klassen explains.
Stores that used to mainly sell lingerie and vibrators are now making a healthy profit on handcuffs, floggers and blindfolds, introducing people to their kinkier sides. These things that used to be considered hardcore have now become mainstream.
If you’re interested in buying some new toys, Klassen recommends going for quality. “You will enjoy it much more and it will last longer,” she said. Klassen especially recommends the brand Sinvention, for high quality bondage gear, and a lifetime warranty on all of their leather goods.
She also mentioned that the Fifty Shades trilogy is not a very accurate portrayal of BDSM, and recommended some books that could better serve people new to the scene, such as Screw the Roses, Send me the Thorns: The Romance and Sexual Sorcery of Sadomasochism by Philip Miller and Molly Devon, which she describes as one of the more definitive guides to learning about BDSM, and Two Knotty Boys Showing You the Ropes: A Step-by-Step, Illustrated Guide for Tying Sensual and Decorative Rope Bondage by Two Knotty Boys.
Although author E. L. James originally wrote the story as Twilight fan fiction, there is no denying it has had an impact on many people’s sex lives.
I would point out that BSDM does not mean Bondage, Dominance, Submission and Masochism as written in your article. A simple google search would have turned up the real definition. How about interviewing a member of the legitimate BDSM scene? There are plenty of bloggers and twitter accounts that would have been happy to add real world source material.
Wikipedia has some pretty accurate material on the subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BDSM
Demystifying sex is the least of our concerns when it comes to BDSM. Practicing it unsafely, with no real education on the subject is downright dangerous. Hell, most people aren’t responsible enough to drive safely, they certainly shouldn’t be experimenting with possibly life threatening things with no guidance.