by Kit Murray
murrayki@mnstate.edu
In today’s society, we are able to openly discuss sex and every topic that surrounds and bounces off of it. A great example being that “Fifty Shades of Grey” is coming out for Valentine’s Day this year. But the movie is already causing concerns for many with reservations about putting images of sexual experiences out in the open, especially BDSM, which encompasses bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, sadism and masochism.
This is the time we live in, where nudity is free to us at the touch of a button. For crying out loud, Kate Upton is practically the reason Game of War is attracting such a large audience. I think it’s liberating for a topic that’s so often considered taboo.
I first realized how accustomed we are to constantly hearing about sex a few years ago when I was out with a friend of mine at an ice cream shop. We had gone to Granny’s Pantry, and a song was playing by Rihanna called, “S&M.” The lyrics are, “Sex in the air, I don’t care, I love the smell of it. Sticks and stones may break my bones but chains and whips excite me.” At the same time, little kids were standing next to me with buckets; trying to find the best candy to gather while being educated on the dark ideas we have as adults for nights in.
To this day I still find it hard to accept the idea of my future child having to hear artists talking about how much fun sex can be. Personally, I think I would do a much better job as a parent enlightening them than Rihanna would.
It’s hard not to have these questions come up. Are we too comfortable with how casual it has become; less of a private activity and more of a public sphere of fabricated ideas and misconceptions? Or, maybe this could help others see what we all share as humans; that it is a privilege to experience pleasure and be able to bask in the relief it provides.
I can’t help but try to weigh the benefits of this new phenomenon. Sex education is helpful, but misunderstanding BDSM and like behaviors in relationships may be destructive. We’ll have to wait and see the effect this film has on the audiences.
“Discussing sex in public is something I think has helped society. It means that it’s easier to get information about sexual health and information that could be vital to people that dare not ask parents or adults. The problem with this new acceptance of public sex talk is that it has created the monstrosity of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey.’ The openness of people’s sex lives within society means everyone is trying to one up the last story,” said Phillipa Revitt, media productions major at University of Lincoln.
But is it so wrong to enjoy a relationship with someone and maintain a mutual fetish? If we ask permission to do what we’re inflicting on our partner, testing out new ideas for pure enjoyment, what kind of issue, if any, are we causing?
Emma Heaps, media production major at University of Lincoln, had similar thoughts as well.
“‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ is showing what is not acceptable,” she said. “There are already teenagers and adults being physically and mentally abused, and I feel like this film shows that it is acceptable when it isn’t. We should be showing happiness and safety, not abuse.”