Episode 413: A Cultural History Of Kink

In the previous episode, we began a fascinating conversation about the long history of human interest in kink and BDSM. Today, we’re diving deeper into the subject and discussing how major cultural events have played a role in shaping kinky interests. We’re also going to talk about how kink and BDSM have been portrayed in the media and some of the controversies around how it has been presented.

I am joined once again by author, historian, and journalist Peter Tupper. He runs the History of BDSM blog and wrote the book A Lover’s Pinch: A Cultural History of Sadomasochism.

Some of the specific topics we explore include:

How did WWII influence BDSM practices and communities?
What’s the historical connection between BDSM and fascist politics?
How are kink and BDSM represented in popular media?
How do we balance making representations of minority sexualities accessible without over-relying on stereotypes?

You can check out Peter’s book here.

Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology.

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Thank you to our sponsors!

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I’m excited to announce a new online course I’m teaching on the topic of fantasies at the Kinsey Institute. Be sure to register for “The New Science of Sexual Fantasies” workshop, which will take place on July 19th, 2025.

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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.