Episode 412: When Did People Start Practicing Kink And BDSM?

Jul 8, 2025

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Ever since Fifty Shades of Grey hit the scene, it seems as though kink and BDSM have become ubiquitous in popular media. But here’s the thing: just because kink went mainstream in the last decade or so doesn’t mean that it’s new. In fact, the roots of BDSM trace back centuries. And the history behind it is fascinating, so that’s what we’re going to be talking about today.

I am joined 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 far back in human history does interest in BDSM go?
When we look back through history, how do we know whether something actually reflects BDSM as we know it today?
What is the role of religion in the history of BDSM?
Where did the term “sadomasochism” come from?
How have views on BDSM changed over time?

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