“CONDOMS ARE MANDATORY.” Even after passing the spanking bench on the way in and peripherally noticing a human-sized cage, my eyes somehow zero in on this small, unassuming placard.
I’m on an official tour of the Dungeon Room at Sheri’s Ranch, the Pahrump brothel’s answer to Fifty Shades of Grey protagonist Christian Grey’s Red Room of Pain. While the BDSM playroom debuted long before E.L. James’ erotic novel (construction was completed around 2003), Sheri’s reports a steady increase in Dungeon Room and fetish-related bookings since Fifty Shades hit the world with its leather riding crop.
“The silk tie has been around a long time. This isn’t new to the industry,” says Dena, the madam at Sheri’s. “Fifty Shades opened up the dialogue for a lot of people to say, hey, I’m kind of curious about that.”
While the book series—which jumps to the big screen this week (see the review here)—has been heavily criticized for its portrayal of BDSM culture and relationships, its social impact makes one thing clear: People are intrigued.
Just look to Fifty Shades’ sales, surpassing 100 million copies. Its racy content has been translated into stage-show parodies, and ladies are buying book-inspired sex toys at private purchasing parties like they’re kitchen utensils from the Pampered Chef. In fact, last July Women’s Health reported that sales of whips and teasers increased more than 50 percent through 2012, and the book topped the New York Times Best-Seller list in March of that year. The film version is expected to dominate at the box office this weekend.
And “that’s going to have a significant impact for the next several weeks, if not several months, on the novelty industry,” said Sherri L. Shaulis, an Adult Video News senior editor, during an interview at AVN’s Adult Entertainment Expo in January. “It’s going to increase sales, and people who never thought about BDSM are going to be really into it.”
At Sheri’s, Dena says most clients inquiring about the Dungeon Room are hoping for a mix of information and entertainment. “It’s more like an introductory course or an education into what the whole BDSM world is all about,” says the madam, adding that the room is quite popular among the coupled-up, 35 to 50 demographic. Sheri’s employs and houses 25 to 30 courtesans at any given time, and Dena says she likes to have four to eight ladies who are educated in BDSM at the brothel each day. Many have also read Fifty Shades and can reenact particular scenes.
A dimly lit space with a stone façade and black lights emanating pink and purple, the Dungeon Room has a strip-club-in-Camelot feel. BDSM furniture is dispersed throughout, and two black-leather couches face a stage with a stripper pole (the room is popular for bachelor parties, which explains the disco ball). Chains and shackles line one wall, but you won’t find cattails, gags and subjugation masks hanging—Sheri’s courtesans provide those. All told it’s a legit echo of Fifty Shades, though a rep concedes, “If it was red we’d probably get more business.”
