A celebration of S/M Sexual sadism and sexual masochism have been viewed by the public with either bemusement or horror, depending on the circumstances and events that surround particular acts of these paraphilias. On the light side, the annual Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco is a very large event that celebrates S/M and invites people (like this participant) to go on stage, display their trademark outfits, and in some cases, participate in whippings or spankings.