50 Shades of It's Been Done Before

The Legendary, Bettie Page

American culture has been whipped in the face with BDSM (bondage/discipline/sado masochism) for as long as I can remember, so I can’t understand what all the hoopla is about “50 Shades of Grey” even two years after the book was published.

Do people live under rocks?

If you’ve heard one S&M story, you’ve heard them all.

But some things S&M are definitely worth hearing about, more so than others, whether it’s in books, songs, film or pictorials. So, in my little opinion, I present to you the Top 5 that Brought BDSM to the Masses (In no particular order, darlings!)

1. The Story of O. (BOOK) An erotic masterpiece about female submission published in 1954 by French author Anne Desclos, who wrote under the pen name Pauline Reage. Desclos didn’t reveal herself as author until 40 years after the book was published.

2. Venus in Furs. (BOOK) This book, published in 1870, authored by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch (the term “masochism” is derived from his name)  tells the story of  Severin von Kusiemski, who is so infatuated with a woman, Wanda von Dunajew, that he asks to be her slave and encourages her to treat him in progressively more degrading ways. The Velvet Underground played tribute to Severin in their famous song, “Venus in Furs.”

In Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s private life, he and his mistress Baroness Fanny Pistor signed a contract where he would be her slave for six months and the Baroness would wear fur as much as possible during this time.

3. Bettie Page. (MODEL) Gorgeous 1950s pin-up queen, Bettie Page often modeled for S&M photos — with a big smile on her face.

4. The Cramps. (ROCK BAND) American rockabilly punk rock band, the Cramps have been around from 1976 until 2009 when lead singer Lux Interior passed on. The Cramps, who came on stage in leather and vinyl, had many songs that had BDSM lifestyle lyrics such as “Mama Oom Pow Pow,” “Everything Goes” and “Creature from the Black Leather Lagoon.”

5. Secretary. (FILM) White hot James Spader and super beautiful Maggie Gyllenhaal make a great team in this indie film about a boss and his secretary who explore S&M. The plot is a bit weak, but with so much male and female eye candy, who cares?