History of Feminism

Since the foundation of any form of organised BDSM
(Bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and
sadomasochism) communities, consent has occupied a
place of central importance. This is reflected in the popular
mantra that BDSM play should be 'safe, sane and
consensual', and the more recent revised phrase 'risk
aware consensual kink', which critically interrogates the
possibility of both entirely safe behaviours and completely
sane subjectivities, but retains the notion that consent can be clearly and simply negotiated when it comes to BDSM play. This paper compares understandings and discussions of consent within the vastly popular 50 Shades erotic novels to the current wave of writings on the topic in the BDSM blogosphere.

The 50 Shades series has arguably brought BDSM to a far larger audience, and to far greater popular attention, than any previous media product. The books include references to BDSM contracts, safe-words, and checklists of activities, for example, and several conversations between the lead characters centre around sexual consent. However, communication about what Ana (the heroine of the novels) desires sexually is poor, and Christian Grey (the hero) frequently violates their arrangements in the relationship more broadly, for example by controlling Ana's working life, eating habits, finances, and social time when she has explicitly asked him not to do so. The issue of consent is a tension between the main characters throughout the series.