Chains & Whips: Gender Roles in BDSM Erotica Published After Fifty Shades of Grey

Ever since the release of E. L. James\u27 erotic romance novel, Fifty Shades of Grey, in 2011, more novels with bondage/discipline/dominance/submission/sadomasochism (BDSM) content invaded the romance market that target adult women. These novels sparked controversy amongst the public. Some applaud the increased popularity as a way for women to be more open about their sexuality and embrace experimentation with kink in the bedroom. Others criticize these novels as harmful examples of unrealistic, abusive relationships where women are subservient and a man is dominant. Since these novels are a relatively recent phenomena, this research consists of a content analysis of popular BDSM erotic romance novels written in the wake of Fifty Shades of Grey to look for common themes and characteristics of these popular novels with special attention to gender roles. Ultimately, this research revealed that all novels reinforce traditional gender roles where men are strictly dominant and women are primarily submissive. Novels present dominance and submission as a natural, primal phenomena for men and women, respectively. Men tend to be older, wealthier, and have more experience than their female partners who are usually virgins and unfamiliar with the BDSM scene. All novels in Fifty Shades of Grey and subsequent BDSM erotic novels capitalize on an underground, edgy sexuality while safely reinforcing traditional gender roles