How would you feel if the tickling fetish went mainstream?

[Onlyfornow]

Imagine it if...:

-Tickling was recognized as avidly as other mainstream fetishes such as bondage, feet, etc.

-References and acknowledgements are made both in fictional and non-fictional programming

-Stores that are non-sexual (but who still carry fetish material, i.e. Hot Topic, Spencers, etc.) carry tickling fetish merchandise

-The TMF is recognized as one of the leading fetish sites

-More celebrities begin feeling comfortable with coming out about their fetish

Honestly, I would be happy, though I don't particularly need it to happen to be happy enough.

 

[OmahaTickler]

It may make it easier to associate with each other in live space, but anything that's mainstreamed eventually gets commercialized and homogenized. I used to want mainstreaming, but I've seen other interesting phenomena that were interesting when they were underground, then ruined once they entered the Zeitgeist.

 

[rhiannon]

I would hate it! That would mean that tickling became kind of a fashion, especially if celebrities ran around "outing" themselves. People would start doing it just because it's "hip".

God, how I would hate that! I'd sell shirts saying "I'm a REAL Ticklee".

I really prefer people to look at me surprised and not knowing what I am talking about when I tell them about my fetish!

 

[Onlyfornow]

The primary upside that I can think of is that people who don't want long-term relationships and just want "flings" would probably be able to find individuals (not literal hookers, mind you) who are willing to tickle them. I mean, there are tons of girls who give handjobs/suck dick/etc. solely because they like the prospect of sexually pleasing one. Tickling would be so common that it would be so easy to find tickle flings.

 

[rhiannon]

To me, tickling is special partly BECAUSE it is not common!

 

[Myriads]

Look to bondage as a history lesson.

For a long time it was a fairly unknown to the mainstream thing, and was seen as VERY kinky. Mainstream awareness started in the 70's with the "Joy of Sex" books, and slowly over the 80's it became more and more accepted, and media depictions began to show up.

Today Bondage is still seen as a tiny bit kinky, but it's mainstream known and enjoyed by many. It's history as a fetish is what happens when the mainstream notices and accepts.

Myriads

 

[Goodieluver]

I wouldn't care

Be it mainstream or not, it will remain the exact same for me. It wont make me more open or closed about my fetish because no matter how "mainstream" anything is, everybody is different and will accept or reject it.

 

[Ghris]

I'd hate it. Mostly due to one reason:

Tickling isn't purely sexual. It's also a social thing.

As such, it could very easily end up being labelled purely as a sexual activity - harmless pokes or tickles between friends could totally cease to exist. Loads of problems could stem from that.

 

[rhiannon]

I'd hate it. Mostly due to one reason:

Tickling isn't purely sexual. It's also a social thing.

As such, it could very easily end up being labelled purely as a sexual activity - harmless pokes or tickles between friends could totally cease to exist. Loads of problems could stem from that.

I thought about that before, too! If tickling went mainstream, could parents still tickle their kids without anybody screaming that they are being molested?

 

[milagros317]

I think I would like it if tickling became mainstream. But it wouldn't change what I do.

 

[TklDuo-Ann]

No thanks. While it might make it easier on those who aren't comfortable being open about it, once things become "mainstream" they get watered down, turned into things they aren't and just generally cheapened. It would be cool if it were more accepted. But, I honestly wouldn't want to see it go beyond that.

FWIW...Though it wasn't always this way, I consider us special and free, not weird.

 

[sasaxrah]

I wouldn't really care. BUT! The fact that when I get playfully tickled in public and no one thinks "oh that's kinky" is nice. I might miss that.

 

[Skipadeedoodah]

Nah. I like the "dirty little secret" aspect of it.

 

[Musicroxmysox]

I wouldn't be happy.

I think that if it went mainstream there could be more negative side effects then positive side effects.

 

[duannewalton]

Well, for one thing, I wouldn't have to worry about watching a You Tube video about some guy burying Lara Croft in the sand with her booted feet sticking out, commenting "I would've yanked off her boots and see if she's ticklish," and being told, "Keep those thoughts to yourself, you f*****g 12 year old!"

 

[emilyemilyemily]

No thanks. While it might make it easier on those who aren't comfortable being open about it, once things become "mainstream" they get watered down, turned into things they aren't and just generally cheapened. It would be cool if it were more accepted. But, I honestly wouldn't want to see it go beyond that.

FWIW...Though it wasn't always this way, I consider us special and free, not weird.

this.

 

[solescratcher99]

It doesn't matter if 'the' mainstream misinterprets tickling. In fact, they already do by labeling it "weird" or "abnormal". People are so predictable that they label anything outside of their usual banality as "weird". So, I'd be in favor of making it mainstream for the sole purpose of disabling the stigma thats perpetuated by the status quo.

 

[rhiannon]

It is "abnormal". Normal means the big majority likes it. Still nobody ever thought I was weird when I told them what I liked. If someone has a certain tolerance to fetishes in general, they won't consider you weird. If the person doesn't, they will find you weird no matter if tickling is mainstream or not!

 

[Marquis De Sade]

How would I feel? We'd have even WORSE pick up lines than we already do.

 

[Coda]

I feel as though items 1, 2, and 4 from that list are already the case.

 

[rhiannon]

I feel as though items 1, 2, and 4 from that list are already the case.

I think you have a point here!

 

[pooface]

I'd love it tbh

 

[BOFH666]

No thanks. While it might make it easier on those who aren't comfortable being open about it, once things become "mainstream" they get watered down, turned into things they aren't and just generally cheapened. It would be cool if it were more accepted. But, I honestly wouldn't want to see it go beyond that.

FWIW...Though it wasn't always this way, I consider us special and free, not weird.

May I sugest a slight change to the original question and rather than tickling going 'mainstream' it would be fetishes in general? In other wordds, the concept that some people have sexual preferences that are not those commonly acceptect by society but that are normal variations of human sexuality is not something to be feared or mocked or legislated against but rather something that should be celebrated as an expression of our diversity and individualism.

THAT is something I'd dearly love to see... I am personally pretty comfortable with my wide and interesting variety of fetishes and they have brought me many.... interesting experiences over the last few years not to mention my gorgeous wife. I'm involved in the wider fetish scene to a very small extent here in the UK and have done my part to increase the profile of tickling here and expand the opportunities for people to meet up and play over the last five year. And it's deeply depressing how many people I know who were terrified of even acknowledging that part of their lives for fear of both what it meant and what others might say. I hate the fact that we live in a time where we are more connected to each other and to almost limitless sources of information than ever before and yet the walls of fear and conformity seem to be built higher every year.

Wow... so much pretentiousness and I'm stone cold sober... sorry all.

 

[BOFH666]

One other thought on the initial post rather than my ramblings... is Bondage trully 'mainstream'? Yeah, it gets mentioned in advice columns and lads mags but that tends to be handcuffs or very basic 'tie your girlfriend to the bed' things. Same for, say, s&m in the form of spanking. But does something like that make Bondage mainstream? I'm not so sure... if you showed someone who wasn't into fetishes (or at least, so they claim) but had a pair of handcuffs in their toy drawer a full on dungeon they'd probably run screaming.

Suspension rigs, racks, hogties, spitroasts, bondage chairs, X Frames... this is a whole other level and most definately NOT mainstream. Heck, here in the UK it's not that far away from being illegal under the stupid violent porn laws we have. If tickling were to go mainstream it's more likely to be a little bit of light gentle stuff, not... oh, let's say anything that's in the adverts over on the left of this page.

 

[solescratcher99]

It is "abnormal". Normal means the big majority likes it. Still nobody ever thought I was weird when I told them what I liked. If someone has a certain tolerance to fetishes in general, they won't consider you weird. If the person doesn't, they will find you weird no matter if tickling is mainstream or not!

Um... what? lol.

Thats a really misled definition of abnormal. For example, its a fact that most people don't like swimming in a lake. Does that make people who go swimming in lakes "abnormal"? Nope. When people say abnormal they're trying to say something a person's psychology, not something about popular consensus.

And no, its actually NOT abnormal for people to get excited from tickling. In fact, most people use it as a type of foreplay or a form of teasing. Just because the majority of people don't tie each other down in order to tickle them that doesn't mean the majority of people don't use tickling in a sexual context. Quite the opposite is true: most people DO use tickling in a sexual or erotic way with their partners. The only difference is we happen to enjoy the tickling just as much as intercourse. Still, even the latter doesn't imply abnormality or anything 'that much' out of the ordinary anymore than preferring to swim in a lake.