How would you feel if the tickling fetish went mainstream?

[Tckleme]

I would hate it!
It´s the fact that it´s some kind of a forbidden topic that makes it so hot.

 

[lemoncake]

I wouldn't like it. I think that you would get a lot of people who were just into it because it was trendy and you would get a lot of bad ticklers. I think that the quality of tickle videos would just get really bad because anyone with a get rich quick scheme would try and do it, I mean we see a lot of that already as is. I guess that there would be more material available to people if they wanted it, but would it really be any good? I think it would get really boring if it was something that everyone was able to talk to you about. Like instead of "did you sleep with her?" it was "did you tickle her?". Would there be tickle ads like there are so many sexualized ads now? It would just become too common and I don't think it would have the same effect on me. I enjoy it being a fetish, I don't want it to be mainstream.

 

[PQfingers]

I think tickling would be view by the mainstream as a very downplayed kink. It would be mention here and there, but never taken seriously. That's why we have this great forum. Also dealing with the mainstream it would be all about making a buck somehow.

 

[rhiannon]

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.

I guess it depends how you interpret the word "abnormal". Do you link something sick to it? I don't! Abnormal to me is another word for differing. The "norm" is what everybody does! "Abnormal" differs from the norm. And what we like DOES differ from the norm!

If you believe that most people do use tickling in a sexual way with their partners, you are wrong. I talked to a lot of people about this topic, and most people don't even think about tickling in an erotic connotation. A lot of men are totally turned off if a woman starts laughing in bed, a lot of women get annoyed immediately when someone starts tickling them.

I don't see anything bad in being abnormal. Hell, who wants to be like everybody else is?

 

[chicago]

It really wouldn't affect me at all, to be honest.

It's an important part of me. I am comfortable opening up about it to the people I date and I would feel no less / no more comfortable if it was viewed as more normal in mainstream society.

I would be happier if the community aspect were seen in a better light, but oh well.

I think tickling is becoming more and more mainstream anyway. Howard Stern has a tickle chair, TK videos have been seen on ebaumsworld, youtube is full of them and there is, to an extent, TK related merchandise at Spencers and Lover's Lane and what have you. Granted, they are probably so tame they would make us laugh, but still.

 

[solescratcher99]

Wow. I'm sorry to be so harsh but you obviously haven't taken a course in psychology of sexuality. What you're saying is empirically inaccurate and statistically false. (Given the general consensus of sex studies) There is no way any educated person would come to the conclusions you have.

Until you educate yourself a little bit more, I'm afraid I can't even have a solid conversation with you. You're basically grounding your conclusions on pluralistic ignorance. And your arguments which try to appeal to my personal character are nothing more than typical neo-conservative ad hoc fallacies. Until you base your conclusions on empirical studies and stop making characterological assumptions, there is no way you can possibly pose any valid or realistic argument.

 

[ParanoidChant]

Imagine it if...:

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

I wouldn't like it. I think that you would get a lot of people who were just into it because it was trendy and you would get a lot of bad ticklers. I think that the quality of tickle videos would just get really bad because anyone with a get rich quick scheme would try and do it, I mean we see a lot of that already as is. I guess that there would be more material available to people if they wanted it, but would it really be any good? I think it would get really boring if it was something that everyone was able to talk to you about. Like instead of "did you sleep with her?" it was "did you tickle her?". Would there be tickle ads like there are so many sexualized ads now? It would just become too common and I don't think it would have the same effect on me. I enjoy it being a fetish, I don't want it to be mainstream.

I disagree with some of the sentiment expressed in these two passages. If tickling is ever 'mainstreamized' (it's a word now, goddammit!), it would only mean that more people would KNOW about it, not that there'd be more ticklephiles out there. Hell, who's to say that one or two of us on this forum aren't ALREADY celebrities who simply haven't been straight-forward with everyone as to who they are?

Although, lemoncake, I do agree with you that people could conceivably 'jump on the bandwagon' if a tickle-fetish ever becomes 'cool' (and good luck with that ... ) For example, instead of people pretending to be gay or bisexual because it makes them edgy (I'm looking at you, T.A.T.U ... ) they could conceivably claim a fetish as part of a huge anti-etsablishment ad campaign.

... and does anybody else find it weird that so many of us have given thought to this and to Amnesiac's 'What if celebrity happened to US?' thread? It's like this is in the back of all of our minds or somthin!

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

Thanks Myr. Good perspective, as always.

 

[rhiannon]

Wow. I'm sorry to be so harsh but you obviously haven't taken a course in psychology of sexuality. What you're saying is empirically inaccurate and statistically false. (Given the general consensus of sex studies) There is no way any educated person would come to the conclusions you have.

Until you educate yourself a little bit more, I'm afraid I can't even have a solid conversation with you. You're basically grounding your conclusions on pluralistic ignorance. And your arguments which try to appeal to my personal character are nothing more than typical neo-conservative ad hoc fallacies. Until you base your conclusions on empirical studies and stop making characterological assumptions, there is no way you can possibly pose any valid or realistic argument.

You got any studies handy which show me that a lot of people actually do use tickling in their lovemaking? That would be really interesting and amazing to see! Simply because as far as I know there are not a lot of scientific studies about tickling going around apart from the good old "why can't we tickle ourselves" discussion.

 

[solescratcher99]

Sexual Interactions, Allgeier. Second Edition. p. 621
p. 622
p. 622
p. 623

Human Memory, Ian Neath. Second Edition p. 322
P. 323? Not sure about the page numbers on this one. Its been a long time since I took this class.

Anyway, it shouldn't matter. You can find any book on sexuality (dated beyond the 90s) which empirically supports everything I've said. Anything before that is basically reciting prejudice. After all, even homosexuality wasn't taken out of the DSM until fairly recently.

I'd also recommend reading the Kinsey reports. You might have to dig but his studies on sexuality do confirm what I've said about tickling as a form of foreplay and pre-sexual sexual interaction.

 

[rhiannon]

I agree that tickling is a common thing to make physical contact, to flirt, but as a part of the love life I think it is quite uncommon, at least to the extent that we like it.

I would guess a lot of people enjoy soft tickly touches of feathers and fingers as foreplay, especially since most ticklish spots are also erogenous zones, but I am sure it is rather uncommon to tie the partner down and make him/her endure tickle torture. That part differs from the norm.

 

[Onlyfornow]

Wow. I'm sorry to be so harsh but you obviously haven't taken a course in psychology of sexuality. What you're saying is empirically inaccurate and statistically false. (Given the general consensus of sex studies) There is no way any educated person would come to the conclusions you have.

Until you educate yourself a little bit more, I'm afraid I can't even have a solid conversation with you. You're basically grounding your conclusions on pluralistic ignorance. And your arguments which try to appeal to my personal character are nothing more than typical neo-conservative ad hoc fallacies. Until you base your conclusions on empirical studies and stop making characterological assumptions, there is no way you can possibly pose any valid or realistic argument.

I've never seen a post that's more bent on trying to impress the opponent with knowledge of vocabulary. XD

With that said, I'm not trying to pick a fight here with ya . Just wanted to point that out.

 

[c7_assassin]

You're basically grounding your conclusions on pluralistic ignorance. And your arguments which try to appeal to my personal character are nothing more than typical neo-conservative ad hoc fallacies.

Well, somebody went to college...

She was telling you about her actual experiences and the experiences of people she's talked to, solescratcher. That's not "ignorance," it's "knowledge." And I have to say, I agree with her 100%.

You're not totally wrong either, I've been with girls who didn't hate it when I tickled them, so I guess according to Kinsey that would mean we were "using tickling as a form of foreplay," but there's a world of difference. Millions of guys are turned on by breasts (hell, make that billions), but not all of us want our girlfriends to push theirs together so we can have sex with them. Get it? That's what a "fetish" is. Man, higher education these days...

 

[Powah]

Well for me it would be the type of things where i would have to see how the world would change. all the things you said sound good. but there is no sure fire chance of those things for sure happening.

Imagine it if...:
-The TMF is recognized as one of the leading fetish sites

And i think Jeff told me once that we were the largest adult community on the web. (Don't quote me on this however)

 

[rhiannon]

And i think Jeff told me once that we were the largest adult community on the web. (Don't quote me on this however)

That may very well be! There are not very many tickling forums around, so naturally, all the friends of tickling are concentrating in them which makes them huge communities. For other fetishes there are more forums, so the fetishists are spread out a little more.

 

[Powah]

That may very well be! There are not very many tickling forums around, so naturally, all the friends of tickling are concentrating in them which makes them huge communities. For other fetishes there are more forums, so the fetishists are spread out a little more.

Also i have a feeling that Tickling communities are actually a lot more tight knit because of the fact that it is more underground. i mean look at some more main stream websites. some you cant even engage in a decent conversation. (not saying all are like that). But the fact that we stay underground makes us look to each other when we talk about tickling. leading to friendships and a growth in members.

 

[rhiannon]

Also i have a feeling that Tickling communities are actually a lot more tight knit because of the fact that it is more underground. i mean look at some more main stream websites. some you cant even engage in a decent conversation. (not saying all are like that). But the fact that we stay underground makes us look to each other when we talk about tickling. leading to friendships and a growth in members.

Hm, I don't know...are we actually more underground than other fetish communities? Like pure foot fetishists and stuff? I don't even know if there are communities for fetishes that are even less common, but I don't have the feeling that others are more open about their fetishes than we are.

 

[Powah]

Hm, I don't know...are we actually more underground than other fetish communities? Like pure foot fetishists and stuff? I don't even know if there are communities for fetishes that are even less common, but I don't have the feeling that others are more open about their fetishes than we are.

I'm not fully referring too fetish websites I'm just saying adult websites in general. I know that there are much deeper underground things than us. but we are still generally not considered main stream although i know some that would argue otherwise.

 

[SlaverTickler]

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

Yep. I wish it was in mainstream films a little more, but I like the fact that it isn't played up as a common everyday thing.

 

[rhiannon]

I'm not fully referring too fetish websites I'm just saying adult websites in general. I know that there are much deeper underground things than us. but we are still generally not considered main stream although i know some that would argue otherwise.

Yeah, you have a point there...but I think this also has to do with the sheer number of adult websites people can choose from.
But I really don't know anybody who would argue that we are main stream....unless main stream has more than the one definition that I know of.

 

[SlaverTickler]

I've never seen a post that's more bent on trying to impress the opponent with knowledge of vocabulary. XD

With that said, I'm not trying to pick a fight here with ya . Just wanted to point that out.

LOL, awesome comment. One of the best .

 

[Powah]

Yeah, you have a point there...but I think this also has to do with the sheer number of adult websites people can choose from.
But I really don't know anybody who would argue that we are main stream....unless main stream has more than the one definition that I know of.

A lot people would argue that tickling is a form of bdsm or a form of foreplay. though we take it much farther.

 

[rhiannon]

I usually call tickling the stepchild of BDSM....most people who call themselves hardcore bdsm-fans either laugh about it (no pun intended) or say it's too hard. I think it is a sub-direction of BDSM.

And sure, it can be used as foreplay, but not to the extent we like it.

 

[Perduabo]

I could really care less.

Its no skin off my nose if some trendoid wants to hop on the latest bndwagon and call themselves a tickling fetishist. It doesn't affect my life so why should I care?

 

[solescratcher99]

I agree that tickling is a common thing to make physical contact, to flirt, but as a part of the love life I think it is quite uncommon, at least to the extent that we like it.

I would guess a lot of people enjoy soft tickly touches of feathers and fingers as foreplay, especially since most ticklish spots are also erogenous zones, but I am sure it is rather uncommon to tie the partner down and make him/her endure tickle torture. That part differs from the norm.

Yes, the practice is uncommon but that doesn't mean a large majority isn't somewhat interested in tickling or wouldn't be interested. Quite the opposite is true and its usually because people assume that its uncommon or "abnormal" that they don't actually experiment. This was what I was pointing too with the phrase "pluralistic ignorance". A lot of people don't want to be labeled "abnormal" or think of themselves this way, so they don't 'give it a shot'.

And i think Jeff told me once that we were the largest adult community on the web. (Don't quote me on this however)

Well, I am going to quote you because I can show the stat you're referring too.

http://www.alexa.com/topsites/category/Top/Society/Sexuality

 

[chicago]

Well, I am going to quote you because I can show the stat you're referring too.

http://www.alexa.com/topsites/category/Top/Society/Sexuality

That's pretty damn cool.