Speaking as someone who's ticklish...

[Wade1]

Anyone else have this reaction?:

I see some of the clips on this forum, and remarkably often my gut response is something like this:

Yikes, why isn't he laughing more hysterically?

Why isn't she struggling more desperately?

Oh my God, how can he take it, why isn't he going ballistic right now?

I'm not questioning the genuineness of the reactions of the people being tickled, mind you, or commenting on the value of the videos. Not at all.

I'm just regarding the spectacle in light of my own experience as someone who's been tickled, tickled often, and tickled relentlessly, and I always think: if that were me in that video, I'd be losing my mind. In, y'know, a very giggly way. I'd be begging, I'd be thrashing, my giggling would be constant and possibly deafening. The fact that I laugh loudly and helplessly when tickled, and that I struggle with genuine and instinctive desperation, is a purely involuntary phenomenon that I can't control (and no doubt has everything to do with why I've been tickled often and relentlessly). But I know I'm not the only one who reacts like that.

It's possible that my ticklishness is above-average, I suppose. It's also possible that people who are extremely ticklish (e.g., as ticklish as me) don't sign up to be tortured in videos, for obvious reasons. And I know that everyone's reactions to stimuli are different.

But anyone else have this reaction? Anyone else see a video clip and think "That person's reaction to being tickled is so much more tame than mine is?" (Whether or not you then envy that person is another question altogether.)

 

[ladybird27]

I dunno, could be the way they're being tickled. My reaction, as a ler and lee by turns, is that the video producers sometimes go a bit easy on the lees. Like, they'll really get them going for about 5 seconds then stop or back off for a bit. Part of that of course is mind games, but I have a feeling your average tickler is prone to be a bit more ruthless. I sometimes think they're trying to get the hot models to laugh, but not so much that they'll feel out of control and not want to come back--after all, the better looking the lee and the more the viewer is tantalized by a glimpse of how REALLY ticklish they are, the more likely he or she is to buy another clip of that same person.

As you say though, some of it is that people have varying degrees of ticklishness. I suspect that being in front of a camera has something to do with it as well...it's one thing to be laughing outa controll at home on your livingroom floor with your significant other tickling you, it's an entirely different matter if you're being paid to be on camera. I bet the more amature lees have more of an issue with that sort of thing though.

Ladybird

 

[Wade1]

Good points! Though for what it's worth, I will also say this: I've been ruthlessly tickled by my female friends in all sorts of scenarios where I was self-conscious and desperately didn't want to make a scene and embarrass myself--in restaurants, at work, and once in front of a friend's camera that was gleefully snapping away--and in every case I giggled hysterically and pretty much made a scene.

(The fact that I didn't want to be seen laughing and being ticklish, of course, is usually precisely what egged my friends on...)

 

[The Last Laugh]

In my experience, models in tickling videos may react less intensely than some people might expect for the following reasons:

1) As ladybird27 mentioned, being tickled for a video is totally different from a spontaneous tickle attack from everyday life. A person could be very ticklish in more normal situation, especially when tickled by a boyfriend, friend, family member, etc., but have disappointing reactions when posing for a video. Psychological factors are very important. That's why I always have candidates pass an audition before I hire them. I can't count the number of times a candidates has told me that she's super ticklish all the time and that she's sure she'll be perfect, only to have her barely react during an audition. It doesn't necessarily mean she's not actually ticklish. It may just mean that right now, in a situation that involves little surprise, under some level of pressure, in front of a camera, in bondage, in the presence of myself, etc., it doesn't work for her.

2) It's possible that some models are a bit embarrassed about letting themselves go in a complete way. It's what they're supposed to do, they're being paid for it and it's expected of them, but I guess that some still can't help it. They try to fight it to some extent.

3) The models are often in bondage. Since they can't move as much as if they were free, they may not seem to struggle that much. Either they can't move or they simply realize how futile it is and just take the tickling. Of course, some struggle against their bonds more than others.

4) Not everyone reacts the same way to tickling. One person may go completely nuts, laughing her lungs out and struggling enough to give trouble to half a dozen body builders. Another person may just lie there, giggling gently. It's entirely possibly that both have the same degree of ticklishness. They just don't react the same. It's the same way that some moderately ticklish people can't take it for more than a few seconds while some unbearably tickling people have a lot more stamina (or courage) and manage to endure it for long minutes at a time.

5) While I personally try to get models that are really ticklish, it's not always easy or even possible. I don't get many candidates, and I more or less have to work with what I get. I do turn down models that just aren't ticklish enough. I mean, I do need models who are decently ticklish. But I can't afford to turn down all of those who don't go completely insane. I have to compromise.

6) For many (if not most) people, tickling isn't pleasant. It's an ordeal. So naturally, those people who are *really* ticklish may not be willing to pose for such a video. Sometimes I get lucky, but I can't expect all the candidates to be excruciatingly ticklish, and I simply don't have the luxury to select only the most ticklish ones I find.

7) While I do lend a hand once in a while, I tend to let the models take care of most of the tickling. Problem is, not all of them are highly skilled ticklers, so sometimes the results aren't optimal.

8) There's also the fact that you can't tickle a person at maximum intensity for an entire video. I mean, my videos are 60 minutes. Who among my models are going to survive a shoot if they're constantly tickled at top intensity? They're likely not to be able to stand it or to get desensitized very quickly. Besides, it's good to intensify the intensity so that the reactions aren't always the same.

That's not to say, however, that myself and the tickler models go easy on the ticklees. The tickling may vary in intensity for variety and to avoid going too far, but the intention really isn't to "go easy" of on the models being tickled. If anything, we often do our very best to tickle as much as possible because a ticklee isn't so ticklish that she can't take it, and sometimes we don't even get quite the reactions that we'd like.

9) Some people may not realize this, but people in general aren't all that ticklish. Oh, most people are somewhat ticklish, and some are very ticklish, but I get the feeling that some get the wrong idea from all the fiction stories and other such materials that always involve excruciatingly ticklish ticklees that howl in laughter for hours on end at the slightest touch. Most of the time, that's not reality. A few people are like that, but overall, tickling is a rather trickier thing to accomplish. Especially on the feet.

Those are the possibilities that come to mind at the moment. There are certainly others.

 

[Wade1]

6) For many (if not most) people, tickling isn't pleasant. It's an ordeal. So naturally, those people who are *really* ticklish may not be willing to pose for such a video.

Yeah--I don't think I could do it, for instance.

9) Some people may not realize this, but people in general aren't all that ticklish.

So I really am an anomaly?... Good to know.

(I mean, often when someone's spontaneously tickling me they'll pause to say something like "Wow, you're really ticklish"--but I didn't necessarily know they were RIGHT!)

 

[AcornaMordor]

4) Not everyone reacts the same way to tickling. One person may go completely nuts, laughing her lungs out and struggling enough to give trouble to half a dozen body builders. Another person may just lie there, giggling gently. It's entirely possibly that both have the same degree of ticklishness. They just don't react the same. It's the same way that some moderately ticklish people can't take it for more than a few seconds while some unbearably tickling people have a lot more stamina (or courage) and manage to endure it for long minutes at a time.

Like TTD for example...

 

[MistressValerie1]

My subby hubby is super-ticklish and LOVES being tickled, but he doesn't really thrash around or make a lot of noise. He finds it relaxing, so he just laughs easily and generally holds still, even though he says the sensations are very intense 🙂

 

[CellarDweller]

It depends on different situations.

I know that if someone who I don't know that well tickles me, I will move away more quickly.

If it is someone who I know/care about, and it is done in a playful manner, I won't run/turn away as quickly. It's a little more pleasant.

 

[Wade1]

This is all very enlightening. I'm so limited to my own experience of being ticklish that my natural impulse has always been to think: if you don't thrash around, if you don't struggle to get away, if you don't giggle as though you're about to wet your pants--then how can that possibly count as "very ticklish?"

But apparently the descriptor exists across a broader continuum than I realized.

Really, my original post was just borne out of the fact that I see these people tickled on the net and usually think "If that were me, I'd be going absolutely nuts. S/he doesn't seem to be going absolutely nuts." And I was wondering if anyone else shared that experience.

Which, so far, the answer, apparently, is nope...

But if the over-the-top theatricality of my response to being tickled is in fact fairly rare, it's no wonder that whenever a friend (or girlfriend) tickles me for the very first time and sees my reaction, her eyes light up like she's just won some kind of lottery...

 

[MistressValerie1]

But if the over-the-top theatricality of my response to being tickled is in fact fairly rare, it's no wonder that whenever a friend (or girlfriend) tickles me for the very first time and sees my reaction, her eyes light up like she's just won some kind of lottery...

I wish you lived a LOT closer ... 😉

 

[The Last Laugh]

Really, my original post was just borne out of the fact that I see these people tickled on the net and usually think "If that were me, I'd be going absolutely nuts. S/he doesn't seem to be going absolutely nuts." And I was wondering if anyone else shared that experience.

Which, so far, the answer, apparently, is nope...

But if the over-the-top theatricality of my response to being tickled is in fact fairly rare, it's no wonder that whenever a friend (or girlfriend) tickles me for the very first time and sees my reaction, her eyes light up like she's just won some kind of lottery...

Don't get me wrong, people who can react like you do aren't super rare. They're not super common either, but not to the point of being exceptional. Actually, lots of people can react very intensely if tickled the right way by the right person under the right circumstances. Surprise can be a very important factor, of course. Duration too. I mean, many people will go totally berserk if taken by surprise and/or tickled for a relatively short amount of time. And some will still react very intensely even if tickled for longer, even if they see it coming. But it often depends on the situation. For instance, a person might not react in a ticklish way for very long once she realizes she's being tickled by someone she's not very familiar with.

A tickling video shoot represents a very special and unfamiliar set of circumstances for most people. You can't predict how someone will react based on his usual reactions to tickling. In fact, even under similar circumstances a person may (or may not) react in very different ways from one time to another. For instance, I've had models prove to be very ticklish during their audition only to be somewhat disappointing when it was time for the actual shoot. But I've also had models turn out to be a lot better when it was the real thing, possibly because they knew what to expect and were less nervous or because they were simply in a better tickling mood that day.

As I said, psychological factors have a very strong influence. But physical factors too, if perhaps to a lesser extent. Temperature and humidity, bondage comfort, fatigue... It's not as easy to be in a tickling mood and to let yourself go when your ankles press painfully against the insides of the stocks holes when you struggle or when you're soaking wet from a severe heat wave. Then again, a few people might actually be more ticklish in such situations. It varies so much.

The fact remains that, while a person who reacts more intensely is indeed more likely to be more ticklish than other people, it's not always the case. Some less vigorous people can still be very ticklish. An extreme example might be a ticklee who enters silent laughter mode and/or becomes nearly paralyzed when the tickling gets really bad. It happens.

On the other hand, you can have a moderately ticklish person who overreacts, possibly out of reflex or because she's a very outgoing and expressive or naturally nervous person. Some people truly dislike the idea of being tickled for reasons other than the actual tickling sensation (some people can't stand to be touched in some ways, others find it way too embarrassing, etc.) and react more violently than their actual ticklishness would normally justify.

Also, just because a person isn't unbearably ticklish and doesn't nearly break the table she's strapped to or doesn't alert entire neighborhoods with her deafening screams doesn't mean she isn't ticklish enough to be a lot of fun and be a perfectly adequate tickling model. She might actually be going through quite an ordeal. Perhaps not unbearable, but possibly more than she bargained for nonetheless.

Some people seem to think that if you don't react in a super intense way, you must be faking. I disagree. After all, it's not like people are either incredibly ticklish or not at all. Most people are somewhere in between.

 

[Wade1]

I wish you lived a LOT closer ... 😉

And yet the fact that I don't is probably good for my blood pressure... or my stress level... or something...

(Though possibly not as good for my ab muscles...)

 

[MistressValerie1]

LOL, Wade; being tickled is supposed to reduce your stress level, so it's all the more reason for you to move here or for me to move there 😉

 

[Wade1]

Oh, is THAT how it works.

I guess it's just the anticipation of the tickling that's stressful, then...

 

[TheChameleon]

aww come on wade, its MistressValerie who wants to tickle you, didn't you see? She's A LOVING TICKLER... it won't be so bad...

 

[MistressValerie1]

Definitely! It's really good for you, the part of the Ab-Mistress Workout™ that increases the circulation in your torso and makes you laugh your stress away under the wriggling fingers of your mistress ... er, "trainer" 😉 If laughter is the best medicine, then the Ab-Mistress treatment will add years to your life 😀

 

[Wade1]

Definitely! It's really good for you, the part of the Ab-Mistress Workout™ that increases the circulation in your torso and makes you laugh your stress away under the wriggling fingers of your mistress ... er, "trainer" 😉 If laughter is the best medicine, then the Ab-Mistress treatment will add years to your life 😀

So it's good for me? Well, I guess that sounds okay, I guess...

And of course you'll mercifully stop before I get too frantic, right?

...Right?

 

[MistressValerie1]

So it's good for me? Well, I guess that sounds okay, I guess...

And of course you'll mercifully stop before I get too frantic, right?

...Right?

Ohhh, I guess so, since I have a "loving tickler" image to uphold *^.^*

 

[ticklemad]

And I'd always be happy to pick up where Mistress Valerie left off :laughing:

Have to agree with you though Wade, if I was being tickled like some of the models in the vids I sure as hell wouldn't be sitting as still or as a quiet.

 

[AcornaMordor]

So we've all heard of the "Runner's High" well I think I need to explain this in a slightly altered version as the "Ticklee's High".

When you laugh, loudly and for generously allotted amounts of time, your brain can't interpret laughter in its physical motions of your muscles contracting and your chest and lungs working themselves in over time, and it thinks you're having some kind of seizure. When it comes to this conclusion, it starts pumping out these massive doses of Endorphines which are the naturalized equivilent of Morphine but because you're not -hurt-, it produces a pleasant sort of high. Surely one or more of you can confess to the fact that after you've been laughing for a long time, everything seems really really funny and it just makes you laugh all that much harder.

Whee I learned that in Psychology class ^.^;

 

[MistressValerie1]

Surely one or more of you can confess to the fact that after you've been laughing for a long time, everything seems really really funny and it just makes you laugh all that much harder.

True! In fact, the only time my hubby really laughs hard while being tickled is if I can get him to laugh about something funny first. He also says that the tickling is more intense if he is already laughing beforehand 🙂 I always assumed it had to do with the social bonding of laughter, but I'm sure there is a biochemical aspect as well.

 

[Wade1]

Surely one or more of you can confess to the fact that after you've been laughing for a long time, everything seems really really funny and it just makes you laugh all that much harder.

True. After being tickled long enough I've even been known to laugh at such non-witticisms as "Should I tickle you some more?" Which as punch lines go ain't that great, you've gotta admit, but can inspire a renewed (and unwise) fit of giggles if you're giddy and senseless enough.

Course, tickle me long enough and it actually takes me a little while after you stop before I quit laughing, period.