Playing on the Edge: Sadomasochism, Risk, and Intimacy [Book Review].

An important and recent social trend in the study of sexualities has been the shift in how sadomasochism (SM) is perceived, both in popular culture and in academic research. This includes greater integration in mainstream movies, moving from incidental story lines to the central tenet of the primary Valentine’s Day a movie release of 2015–Fifty Shades of Grey. Indeed, the sex industry has radically shifted and begun mainstreaming soft kink, such as Ann Summers stocking handcuffs and suit ties inspired by the movie (Evans & Riley, 2014). Academic research has charted this transition. While research from a medical and legal perspective traditionally viewed SM as an unsafe sexual practice, current research from other disciplines, such as sociological and cultural, is seeking to move beyond this, examining SM using non-pathological frameworks with a focus on the benefits of engaging in SM (eg see Langdridge & Barker, 2013).