Did Tommy sell off Tickle Abuse?

[Tenebrae]

Dear and esteemed members of our community,

I hadn't checked Tickle Abuse in a long while, but when I finally went there, I was surprised to find out that it has changed a great deal. While Tommy was priding himself for doing straightforward tickle torture videos, his latest productions seem more scripted than before. That is, if he still is indeed in charge.

My question is twofold: 1) Is it even the same company, with the same people in charge?

2) Do you have any insight on this new style? Are the more elaborate scenarios any good or are we losing something here? Any recommendations among the new titles?

 

[Wolf]

As far as I know, Tommy's still in charge. But a lot has changed since Tasha left, and in my opinion, it's gone steadily downhill in quality ever since.

 

[foot fun]

I haven't seen anything good from TA in quite some time. The same thing happened to Paradise Vision when Gabby left.

 

[Comfort Eagle]

Tickle Abuse was a game changer for tickle videos and has long since become the 'big guy', and because they've become "the standard" for tickle fetish videos all of their vidos will look... standard. Beautiful women, generally very good reactions, but his overall output is good and they can put out with such regularity you just expect something of some kind of quality for them all the time, and as a result nothing stands out to you anymore. Other guys tend tp go a couple of weeks between new shoots, I don't think I've seen TA go longer than a week without putting something out. End result? You're inundated with 'samey' Tickle Abuse videos.

But on your other point, yes, he has started doing more overtly sexual material as opposed to his "just tickle videos" plan from before. No doubt to bringing in more money, and who the hell can fault him for that.

 

[sonnymadler]

Quite a few regular models have left or retired. Brooke, Tasha, Kelli Lynn Sage, Taylor Raz, some others I don't remember. And as far as I know, Tommy himself has decided to retire. He even posted somewhere here saying that he'd be stepping down and handing TA over to others to run.

 

[Wolf]

CE brings up some very good points, and it'd be a disservice to ignore that TA set a higher bar for video producers that followed. But for me, it wasn't the amount of videos he churned out that changed the quality. It was the change from amateurs (or models that certainly seemed like amateurs) to much more established models, and a change in the feel of the videos, from "hey, let's make some tickle videos and have some fun and maybe make a buck" to "Tommy's private fantasies" which, he absolutely had the right to do, but just wasn't very appealing personally. I think losing Tasha made it harder to get those "amateur" models, and the studio's focus seemed to change.

 

[Comfort Eagle]

CE brings up some very good points, and it'd be a disservice to ignore that TA set a higher bar for video producers that followed. But for me, it wasn't the amount of videos he churned out that changed the quality. It was the change from amateurs (or models that certainly seemed like amateurs) to much more established models, and a change in the feel of the videos, from "hey, let's make some tickle videos and have some fun and maybe make a buck" to "Tommy's private fantasies" which, he absolutely had the right to do, but just wasn't very appealing personally. I think losing Tasha made it harder to get those "amateur" models, and the studio's focus seemed to change.

Keep in mind the amount of piracy and the videos showing up on PornHub and Youtube was a killer, it ended Pryias career (allegedly due to family finding the videos, no less) and he made a few mentions about a few girls losing their jobs over shoots as well. Combine that and people actually making a point to share videos, and it kills an entire flow of willing participants. What are you left with when amateurs and the girls next door want no part of it? Fetish staples and pro models. This guy and everyone like him is what help shift Tickle Abuse to a more overtly "fetish porn" studio.

 

[Wolf]

Keep in mind the amount of piracy and the videos showing up on PornHub and Youtube was a killer, it ended Pryias career (allegedly due to family finding the videos, no less) and he made a few mentions about a few girls losing their jobs over shoots as well. Combine that and people actually making a point to share videos, and it kills an entire flow of willing participants. What are you left with when amateurs and the girls next door want no part of it? Fetish staples and pro models. This guy and everyone like him is what help shift Tickle Abuse to a more overtly "fetish porn" studio.

Yeah, that's a sad fact.

 

[jujimbo]

That's what I also imagined. Adult videos suffer tremendously due to media websites booming and the adult industry being a poorly protected one, women are at great risk doing such work. It's a sad fact.

 

[Tenebrae]

I would like to thank you all for your answers. In a nutshell, we do not know for sure what happened, but I am definitely not the only one suspecting something big. I haven't bought any of the newest products but after all, they may just turn out to be just as good as the old stuff. However yeah, it definitely feels different. There are "stories" now, the kind you are more likely to find at Laughing Gas prod, rather than in Tommy's videos.

On a side note, I disagree that it went downhill after Tasha, Brooke or Jade left. While it did make me miss those wonderful girls dearly, I was still buying videos after that and found them awesome! I remember when Dee left: a few people complained that it was gonna be TA's end. And yet didn't we have Jade, Kelli or Brooke? We don't know what the future might have in store for us. However if Tommy is no longer running the company, their content may not maintain his standard of quality for too long. Memories of Realtickling's downfall come to mind...

As for the models, actually I always wondered. In this day and age, stuff like your family, friends and employers finding out about your "fetish career" is more or less bound to happen (no pun intended). Not seeing that coming sounds to me like a worrisome lack of foresight. What really is sick is the vanilla world's reaction to their glorious contribution to our world. I feel sorry for them, because what they did should be a source of pride, not shame. In an ideal world, that is.

 

[duderino84]

Keep in mind the amount of piracy and the videos showing up on PornHub and Youtube was a killer, it ended Pryias career (allegedly due to family finding the videos, no less) and he made a few mentions about a few girls losing their jobs over shoots as well. Combine that and people actually making a point to share videos, and it kills an entire flow of willing participants. What are you left with when amateurs and the girls next door want no part of it? Fetish staples and pro models. This guy and everyone like him is what help shift Tickle Abuse to a more overtly "fetish porn" studio.

I have a (dumb) honest question. I've been leaving it alone for a while, but really, it's confusing. So on most porn sites you'll find oral/anal/cream pie categories. Do those producers take a cut? Tickling videos. ....well, you have to "dig" because it's never actually listed. I'm just wondering why after so long (20 years at least, looks like) it can't come into the mainstream?

 

[TMF Jeff]

I have a (dumb) honest question. I've been leaving it alone for a while, but really, it's confusing. So on most porn sites you'll find oral/anal/cream pie categories. Do those producers take a cut? Tickling videos. ....well, you have to "dig" because it's never actually listed. I'm just wondering why after so long (20 years at least, looks like) it can't come into the mainstream?

They probably just promote whatever gets them the most eyeballs, along with the things they have a financial interest in themselves. In other words oral and anal are promoted because their numbers show that a lot of people will click on them.

 

[duderino84]

They probably just promote whatever gets them the most eyeballs, along with the things they have a financial interest in themselves. In other words oral and anal are promoted because their numbers show that a lot of people will click on them.

Gotcha, probably why VR and 60FPS categories have jumped into the scene (PC nerdery). I've always just looked and asked myself "am I really looking for blonde?" But I guess it makes sense. Just plain marketing.

 

[OscarTheMonkey]

Anyone who thinks Tickle Abuse is no longer great past Tasha should be forced to watch the tickling vids from the 80's that I grew up on...might readjust your perspective. Tickle Abuse has set and held the standard for tickle vids for years.....

 

[Wolf]

Anyone who thinks Tickle Abuse is no longer great past Tasha should be forced to watch the tickling vids from the 80's that I grew up on...might readjust your perspective. Tickle Abuse has set and held the standard for tickle vids for years.....

If you're comparing them to some of the crap in the 80's, sure...I'm talking about compared to other producers out there now.
To be fair, the ones that I think are the best now are the ones most like TA during the Tasha years. I mean, iPhones aren't as great as they used to be, either, but they're still great in comparison to what used to be available, and for a while, they did set and hold the standard. That's all I'm sayin'.

 

[porcelaindoll2]

Okay, so when I was working at the dungeon in Philly one of Tickle Abuse's models also would come sit in one week every two-three months. We were chatting about Tickle Abuse and she told me he was no longer the head of it anymore. Who is running it I don't know.

 

[Wolf]

Okay, so when I was working at the dungeon in Philly one of Tickle Abuse's models also would come sit in one week every two-three months. We were chatting about Tickle Abuse and she told me he was no longer the head of it anymore. Who is running it I don't know.

Thanks! That makes sense.

 

[SadCuzNotTcklsh]

Didn't him and Samantha start dating? Maybe that has something to do with it. I sure hope he is not retired or anything. I remember when TIB sold his realtickling clips4sale site. I haven't visited that store in years because the quality went so downhill...

 

[duderino84]

If you're comparing them to some of the crap in the 80's, sure...I'm talking about compared to other producers out there now.
To be fair, the ones that I think are the best now are the ones most like TA during the Tasha years. I mean, iPhones aren't as great as they used to be, either, but they're still great in comparison to what used to be available, and for a while, they did set and hold the standard. That's all I'm sayin'.

Honestly, I thought the 80s were a hot Era. ....just saying.

 

[Wolf]

Honestly, I thought the 80s were a hot Era. ....just saying.

With you there. I was young and single in the 80's. Them were some good years.

 

[DisBadBoi]

I think that he still has some input in production but not what he used to. Either that or there is some elaborate ruse going on because I ordered two customs in the past month and always corresponded with "Tommy" and not once did the person I was talking to mention that they were not in fact Tommy. I do know that they film almost exclusively in Florida now. On the flip side I also talked to "Tommy" about other things unrelated to the customs and the person I was speaking to seemed to possess intimate knowledge of TA when it was most certainly under Tommy's control so it could have definitely been Tommy.

We may never know

 

[OmahaTickler]

TA always will be the gold standard on which other studios are judged, at least for me. I don't have any idea what happened like most here, but I may have some business insights. Along with stuff getting pirated and models' private lives being damaged, the business model for the studio may not have been working like it once did. Like any business, you have to adjust and tweak when sales go down. I don't know whether clips sales were falling, but it's possible he shifted the focus beyond straight-up tickling to attract more customers.

 

[usgrant]

Tasha just amazing!

 

[darksided22]

It is a totally different topic.
What has happened to Realtickling?
History obviously repeats itself.

 

[Tenebrae]

I think that he still has some input in production but not what he used to. Either that or there is some elaborate ruse going on because I ordered two customs in the past month and always corresponded with "Tommy" and not once did the person I was talking to mention that they were not in fact Tommy. I do know that they film almost exclusively in Florida now. On the flip side I also talked to "Tommy" about other things unrelated to the customs and the person I was speaking to seemed to possess intimate knowledge of TA when it was most certainly under Tommy's control so it could have definitely been Tommy.

We may never know

It is not in their interest to say otherwise. When Realtickling was sold off, there was still a TIB, but he was nothing like the real one. Which is an insult to fans, but makes sense from a marketing perspective. I am not saying that it is the case with Tommy here, but if it is, there is no way for us to find out. Unless we could interrogate one of their insiders~ Or alternately ask our community's sages, Myriads, Milagros, Jeff et al.