A Tickling Game At The County Fair...can it really be done?

[Fantastklr]

If you’ve read my story, “The Heroes of Hastington” you know exactly where I’m going with this. As some of you may recall, it begins with the introduction of Jen, Michelle, Brad, Mike and Jason, who are all seniors at Butler College. With the aid and financial support of Bob Nelson, a local carpenter, the students decide to build a tickling game booth for the fundraising carnival run by their school. Jen and Michelle reluctantly agree to portray “two unruly Colonial girls who’d committed the ‘crime’ of swearing on Sunday”. Barefoot, and locked in a set of stocks, they would attempt to remain silent as carnival goers tickled their feet as a form of mock punishment. Players were to pay five dollars for each minute of tickle time, and a prize would be awarded to anyone who succeeded in making the “pretty prisoners” laugh. Right before the carnival opens, Jen, Michelle and the boys are viciously taunted and ridiculed by some fellow students for thinking that their tickling game would raise lots of money. But in the end, our “heroes” truly have the last laugh.

For a long time, I’ve wondered if it would be possible for a group of TMF members to actually do something like this at a county fair. I’ve had some experience working a fair, so I know that the idea isn’t as crazy as it sounds. A number of years ago, my wife and I, along with two of her girlfriends, had a booth at the Westchester County Fair. My wife, who happens to be a chef, thought it would be fun and profitable to operate a food concession at the fair, which runs for several weeks in the spring. It’s held on the grounds of Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers, NY, and thousands of people attend each day. Anyone can build and operate a game booth or food concession at this fair, and I imagine the same holds true for other county fairs. You don’t need any experience...we certainly had none. All that’s required is a little cash upfront and the willingness to work hard. I don’t recall exactly what the fees were, but it wasn’t very much. The company that runs the fair apparently makes most of their money from the thrill rides and the sale of admission tickets. We were responsible for renting a tent, grill, refrigerator, sink, etc., and we had to buy all of the food, beverages and supplies. We also needed to pass inspection by the NYS Dept. of Health. And yet, with no previous experience, and quite a few rainy days, we still made some money and had a really good time. (I remember eating lots of Italian sausage and fries during those weeks...way more than I should’ve!)

I think that the fair organizers would approve, and perhaps even welcome, a game like the one I’ve described. For many years, I’ve gone to the fair as a spectator. The closest thing to this genre of game was the “dunk tank”, where a clown goads folks into throwing balls at a small target in order to plunge him into the water. It’s always been one of the busiest booths, and I’m sure that the clown laughs all the way to the bank.

There are so many ways in which a tickling game could be structured. Imagine, for example, ‘lees being offered free passes to the fair in exchange for placing their names on a roster. They could choose when, and for how long, they’d like to be placed in the stocks. Besides having fun, they would also receive a percentage of the profits. Any volunteers? (Okay, put your feet down!) Hundreds of ‘lers would undoubtedly be there each day, many of them fulfilling the fantasy of a lifetime. And lest we forget all the plain vanilla folks who’d be at the fair! A large number of them would surely be drawn into playing the game. Pay a few bucks, tickle the crap out of some helpless bare feet, and maybe even win a prize? Of course, they’d want to give it a try! I’m convinced that there are lots of “tickle-curious” people out there in the mainstream world. In fact, we could even offer them the challenge of kicking off their own shoes and sitting in the stocks for a while. Naturally, they would first have to pass a brief “tickle-test” in order to qualify. If they were to make it through a half-hour, they’d receive a big prize. Should they last for an entire hour, they’d get an even bigger prize. If you’re skeptical about “regular folk” doing sh*t like that, you ought to check out “Fear Factor Live”. OMG, the possibilities are endless!

 

[Mastertank1]

You'd be more likely to get such an idea approved

If you’ve read my story, “The Heroes of Hastington” you know exactly where I’m going with this. As some of you may recall, it begins with the introduction of Jen, Michelle, Brad, Mike and Jason, who are all seniors at Butler College. With the aid and financial support of Bob Nelson, a local carpenter, the students decide to build a tickling game booth for the fundraising carnival run by their school. Jen and Michelle reluctantly agree to portray “two unruly Colonial girls who’d committed the ‘crime’ of swearing on Sunday”. Barefoot, and locked in a set of stocks, they would attempt to remain silent as carnival goers tickled their feet as a form of mock punishment. Players were to pay five dollars for each minute of tickle time, and a prize would be awarded to anyone who succeeded in making the “pretty prisoners” laugh. Right before the carnival opens, Jen, Michelle and the boys are viciously taunted and ridiculed by some fellow students for thinking that their tickling game would raise lots of money. But in the end, our “heroes” truly have the last laugh.

For a long time, I’ve wondered if it would be possible for a group of TMF members to actually do something like this at a county fair. I’ve had some experience working a fair, so I know that the idea isn’t as crazy as it sounds. A number of years ago, my wife and I, along with two of her girlfriends, had a booth at the Westchester County Fair. My wife, who happens to be a chef, thought it would be fun and profitable to operate a food concession at the fair, which runs for several weeks in the spring. It’s held on the grounds of Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers, NY, and thousands of people attend each day. Anyone can build and operate a game booth or food concession at this fair, and I imagine the same holds true for other county fairs. You don’t need any experience...we certainly had none. All that’s required is a little cash upfront and the willingness to work hard. I don’t recall exactly what the fees were, but it wasn’t very much. The company that runs the fair apparently makes most of their money from the thrill rides and the sale of admission tickets. We were responsible for renting a tent, grill, refrigerator, sink, etc., and we had to buy all of the food, beverages and supplies. We also needed to pass inspection by the NYS Dept. of Health. And yet, with no previous experience, and quite a few rainy days, we still made some money and had a really good time. (I remember eating lots of Italian sausage and fries during those weeks...way more than I should’ve!)

I think that the fair organizers would approve, and perhaps even welcome, a game like the one I’ve described. For many years, I’ve gone to the fair as a spectator. The closest thing to this genre of game was the “dunk tank”, where a clown goads folks into throwing balls at a small target in order to plunge him into the water. It’s always been one of the busiest booths, and I’m sure that the clown laughs all the way to the bank.

There are so many ways in which a tickling game could be structured. Imagine, for example, ‘lees being offered free passes to the fair in exchange for placing their names on a roster. They could choose when, and for how long, they’d like to be placed in the stocks. Besides having fun, they would also receive a percentage of the profits. Any volunteers? (Okay, put your feet down!) Hundreds of ‘lers would undoubtedly be there each day, many of them fulfilling the fantasy of a lifetime. And lest we forget all the plain vanilla folks who’d be at the fair! A large number of them would surely be drawn into playing the game. Pay a few bucks, tickle the crap out of some helpless bare feet, and maybe even win a prize? Of course, they’d want to give it a try! I’m convinced that there are lots of “tickle-curious” people out there in the mainstream world. In fact, we could even offer them the challenge of kicking off their own shoes and sitting in the stocks for a while. Naturally, they would first have to pass a brief “tickle-test” in order to qualify. If they were to make it through a half-hour, they’d receive a big prize. Should they last for an entire hour, they’d get an even bigger prize. If you’re skeptical about “regular folk” doing sh*t like that, you ought to check out “Fear Factor Live”. OMG, the possibilities are endless!

by the faire operating committee at a Rennaisance Faire, or a Middle Ages Faire, or a large gathering of the Society For Creative Anachronism, or even the Dickens Faire they have near San Francisco every year.

Judging by stuff seen on this forum, there seem to be tickling in stocks booths at RenFaires in Italy and Germany every year!

 

[luvgirlsfeet]

if there were ever a game involving tickling at a fair and the ticklee was a female..HELL YEAH i'd be 1st in line

 

[Fantastklr]

You'd be more likely to get such an idea approved by the faire operating committee at a Rennaisance Faire,...

Although stocks and pillories can still be found at some renaissance faires, they’re simply there as conversation pieces and for picture-taking. To the best of my knowledge, nobody is currently using them in a tickling scenario. I believe that the only person known for having performed such an act in the United States has stopped doing it. That’s really a shame because I would’ve loved to see it. It wasn’t a tickling game like the one portrayed in my story. It was a performance depicting public punishment as it might’ve been practiced in Europe many centuries ago. It featured lots of tickling, but it also included several other forms of foot torment. The “punishees” were usually members of his troupe, and he occasionally played the role of the victim, himself. But what’s truly amazing is that unsuspecting faire-goers were also tickled senseless after having been coerced into the stocks by the troupe members, or perhaps even by their own family and friends.

Judging by stuff seen on this forum, there seem to be tickling in stocks booths at RenFaires in Italy and Germany every year!

I’d love to know the true story behind the tickling that takes place each year at the “Siege of Canelli” festival in Italy. I’ve seen many of the video clips and I understand the basic concept. As part of the historic re-enactment, soldiers seek out those who fail to have a specific document or pass, and then “torture” them as retribution. It’s rather interesting to note that, with rare exception, only women seem to lack this particular piece of paper. What’s even more interesting is that these women are usually young and pretty. Their “torture” consists of having their ankles locked in stocks and their wrists strapped to a backboard. Their shoes and socks are promptly removed, their big toes are tied to a bar, and then they’re tickled for about five minutes.

I’ll stand corrected if any of the following statements are wrong. The facts are hard to come by so I can only speculate about certain things. I’ve read somewhere that a member of the tickling community named Marco came up with the idea. I believe that he’s one of the costumed men I’ve seen in some of the earlier clips. He probably convinced the organizers that nabbing and mock-torturing female tourists would lend itself well to the rough-and-tumble spirit of the event. It would obviously put them right in the middle of the action, so to speak. The event organizers liked the idea, and thus the tickling began. But I don’t think he bothered to tell them how much he enjoyed tickling, which was probably equivalent to winning the Italian national lottery! Nor did he mention why it was all being videotaped. Don’t get me wrong...I would’ve done exactly the same thing. Given the opportunity, what red-blooded ticklephile wouldn’t? Anyway, I guess they found out he was selling the videos, and I’ve heard that he’s been barred from the event. Sadly, they’ve also cracked down on others who were a little too obvious with their video cameras. But the tickling continues because it’s become a popular, fun-filled part of the festival. Most of the women seem to enjoy it since the tickling is usually light and playful. And I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of the local girls return each year, actually hoping to be arrested by the soldiers.
I’d really appreciate it if anyone can clarify or make corrections to my understanding of the Canelli tickling.

Thanks,
Fantastklr

 

[Toebuddha]

Although stocks and pillories can still be found at some renaissance faires, they’re simply there as conversation pieces and for picture-taking. To the best of my knowledge, nobody is currently using them in a tickling scenario. I believe that the only person known for having performed such an act in the United States has stopped doing it. That’s really a shame because I would’ve loved to see it. It wasn’t a tickling game like the one portrayed in my story. It was a performance depicting public punishment as it might’ve been practiced in Europe many centuries ago. It featured lots of tickling, but it also included several other forms of foot torment. The “punishees” were usually members of his troupe, and he occasionally played the role of the victim, himself. But what’s truly amazing is that unsuspecting faire-goers were also tickled senseless after having been coerced into the stocks by the troupe members, or perhaps even by their own family and friends.

I’d love to know the true story behind the tickling that takes place each year at the “Siege of Canelli” festival in Italy. I’ve seen many of the video clips and I understand the basic concept. As part of the historic re-enactment, soldiers seek out those who fail to have a specific document or pass, and then “torture” them as retribution. It’s rather interesting to note that, with rare exception, only women seem to lack this particular piece of paper. What’s even more interesting is that these women are usually young and pretty. Their “torture” consists of having their ankles locked in stocks and their wrists strapped to a backboard. Their shoes and socks are promptly removed, their big toes are tied to a bar, and then they’re tickled for about five minutes.

I’ll stand corrected if any of the following statements are wrong. The facts are hard to come by so I can only speculate about certain things. I’ve read somewhere that a member of the tickling community named Marco came up with the idea. I believe that he’s one of the costumed men I’ve seen in some of the earlier clips. He probably convinced the organizers that nabbing and mock-torturing female tourists would lend itself well to the rough-and-tumble spirit of the event. It would obviously put them right in the middle of the action, so to speak. The event organizers liked the idea, and thus the tickling began. But I don’t think he bothered to tell them how much he enjoyed tickling, which was probably equivalent to winning the Italian national lottery! Nor did he mention why it was all being videotaped. Don’t get me wrong...I would’ve done exactly the same thing. Given the opportunity, what red-blooded ticklephile wouldn’t? Anyway, I guess they found out he was selling the videos, and I’ve heard that he’s been barred from the event. Sadly, they’ve also cracked down on others who were a little too obvious with their video cameras. But the tickling continues because it’s become a popular, fun-filled part of the festival. Most of the women seem to enjoy it since the tickling is usually light and playful. And I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of the local girls return each year, actually hoping to be arrested by the soldiers.
I’d really appreciate it if anyone can clarify or make corrections to my understanding of the Canelli tickling.

Thanks,
Fantastklr

Hello, do you or anybody else know about canelli, renfair, or that french-renfair where do they get girls in stocks? Cant find any reliable info, only conflicting rumors and gossip. Thanx!

 

[solarcharger]

I’ve never seen it done in the States, although Kjuman used to do it in the Northeast, I believe.

 

[Cuckoldrplover]

I think if you have it more PG than some fantasies are, then yes. My wife had cheer and sorority fundraisers back in college that had a "tickling" booth and while it wasn't tied down fetish style torture, it wasn't just horribly unskilled tickling either. A solid 30 seconds to a minute and it was a massive hit!

 

[brotherted]

Thanks for posting this.

For a long time, when discussions of the old renfaire videos come up, people inevitably make comments like, "That could never be done today," followed by comments about how the subject of consent is viewed differently in a post-#MeToo era. Also several times, I've responded by saying that with a few changes in how the subjects are notified and vetted, something very similar absolutely could be done today. (People sometimes would then lecture me about consent, proving they hadn't understood what I wrote.)

This post extends that idea further than I took it. I couldn't agree more. And a dunk tank is an excellent analogy -- volunteers would consent to be tickled exactly as they consent to sit in a dunk tank. Proceeds could even be given to a charity, if that made people feel better about it. Someone has to just actually do it. Maybe even someone on this platform.

 

[CoatOfArms]

Thanks for posting this.

For a long time, when discussions of the old renfaire videos come up, people inevitably make comments like, "That could never be done today," followed by comments about how the subject of consent is viewed differently in a post-#MeToo era. Also several times, I've responded by saying that with a few changes in how the subjects are notified and vetted, something very similar absolutely could be done today. (People sometimes would then lecture me about consent, proving they hadn't understood what I wrote.)

This post extends that idea further than I took it. I couldn't agree more. And a dunk tank is an excellent analogy -- volunteers would consent to be tickled exactly as they consent to sit in a dunk tank. Proceeds could even be given to a charity, if that made people feel better about it. Someone has to just actually do it. Maybe even someone on this platform.

You know, to some extend I agree with you, although I think that the changes might not even be needed, because I feel like the main problem is not the "tickle torture" part, but rather what happens around it and after. Let me explain. I agree that many people would like to see their friends, partners or relatives tickled, or even try it themselves. Some of them would probably even enjoy it. Like in Canelli, where most people seemed to see it as a fun tourist attraction. Or could participate in a charity, where tickling is one of the challenges. But the problem with renfaire tickling is that if it's too successful, it would eventually end up on some fetish site. Not to mention that if the news spread, it could attract many unwanted people, making sexual comments towards the participants and turning the whole thing into an awkward and uncomfortable situation. And in such scenario, the organizers of any event would end up banning this activity, just to stay on a safe side and avoid any potential controversies.

Also, I think there are definitely many different ways this could be conducted, but I guess the whole thing really boils down to just one question - if there will be anyone determined enough to buy/built stocks, gather some crew, go to an event or find a place to set up the stocks and do it. Because it is easy to create theories and hypothetical scenarios, but much harder to decide to actually do it. And just to clarify, I am not trying to insult anyone here, I am myself guilty of theorizing and dreaming without doing anything to make it happen, and I am first to admit I wouldn't have a courage to do it.

So I guess it is possible, just not very likely to happen, since a "fetish person" would probably decide not to do it, and for "normal people" tickling might not be the first thing that comes to their mind when thinking about charities or medieval stocks. It is also entirely possible that such thing is happening, but probably taking place in some smaller events or perhaps conducted by people who make sure that no footage ends up on a website or social media.

 

[brotherted]

You know, to some extend I agree with you...

I appreciate the thoughtful response. But I'm not sure how and whether that feedback loop works, in the sense of someone thinking: "I have no problem doing X in public, but if I later find out some tiny percentage of people see it as a sexual turn on, then I'd absolutely never do it."

Would this be true with anything else? Let's say porn websites started carrying videos of the hottest women playing beach volleyball in bikinis, would those women stop doing it if some men were porn-watching it? Or if the hottest belly dancers were to be start to be featured on porn sites -- would those dancers want to stop? There are actually websites that just specialize in women's belly buttons -- does the average woman say, "Oh gross -- now I'll never wear a midriff shirt again"? There are some examples of everything in human behavior, but I think most women separate whether they're okay with an activity from whether other people find it a turn on.

I realize, like with any analogy, there are always differences that can be identified. After all, being tied and tickled in public is something hardly anyone has ever experienced before, whereas these other examples are things countless women already do all the time. Therefore you could argue something that's new to most people, like being tickled in public, could be defined by its porn aspect much more than something to which they're accustomed. Even so, I'd say at a minimum there are still surely some women who wouldn't care. We have a society where thinks like kinks, alternative relationships and OnlyFans have increasing acceptance. And for the most part, nearly all the people who would ever even know about such kink material online, wouldn't be inclined to complain.

 

[SoleMates]

Would this be true with anything else?

It already is. Streamers, YouTubers, and Influencers regularly crop out/blur their feet in their content lest they end up on WikiFeet. A barely-disguised fetish activity (and let's be honest, that's what this is) is guaranteed to find its way onto fetish sites, and the vast majority of normies are not okay with people fapping it to them, no matter how much you want to rules-lawyer it into being "okay".

And yes, I happen to have known more than few belly dancers in my day and they hate it when people sexualize them. No, it doesn't make sense. Take it up with them.