Tickling becoming more Mainstream?

[stdave]

Just a I thought I had over the past while that I would like to share with you guys. Maybe this is mostly for the "old timers" in the forum but maybe some of the newbies too might have some thoughts, do you think that tickling has become more mainstream over the last 20 or 30 years or so or is it still mainly an underground fetish. And if you think it has become more mainstream, do you think that forums such as this has made people more comfortable with "coming out" about their fetish. Speaking for myself, the TMF and other forums has made me feel more comfortable with myself and made me realise that "you are not alone" that lots of other people share your interest. Althought I still keep my tickling fetish mainly to myself, it's my hope that it become to the majority of people no more weird that BDSM for example. (I think that foot lovers got a boost with the famous photo of Sarah Fergerson getting her toes sucked). Now if only her feet were tickled as well, it might have given our fetish a boost as well! Anyway, sorry for rambling a bit, but I hope this starts a good thread going. I now pass it on to you people.

 

[Em Es]

No doubt, more mainstream

Stdave, I think people like us are becoming more mainstream for two reasons:

1. The Tickling Media Forum. Every closet tickling enthusiast will do a web site search and, no doubt, the TMF will appear in the results.

2. The Howard Stern show, with the many tickling segments they've done over the past eleven or twelve years.

 

[Newcastle Uni]

Stdave, I think people like us are becoming more mainstream for two reasons:

1. The Tickling Media Forum. Every closet tickling enthusiast will do a web site search and, no doubt, the TMF will appear in the results.

2. The Howard Stern show, with the many tickling segments they've done over the past eleven or twelve years.

I don't think tickling is becoming more mainstream. There are more people at the forum because more people have the internet and because this forum is not as in-your-face perverted as some other fetish places.

A lot of people find tickling sexual - probably 90% of people. However, this fixation with tickling is not shared by most people and in particular the love of tickling to produce laughter or for torture would be ridiculed or laughed at by most people.

Plus, there are not really that many active members of this forum (hundred tops. maybe a couple of hundred at the very most). We are a small, misunderstood underground fetish. Our fetish is not shared by most people, and I'd be surprised if many people have even heard of a tickling fetish.

As for Howard Stern. He is unkown outside of the USA, and even most of my friends from the USA have never heard of Howard Stern.

I don't think our fetish has become more mainstream in the last 10 years (can't talk about 20 or 30 years). Tickling is a fact of life and will always be portrayed in the media and in real life.

In answer. I say NO.

 

[Em Es]

Perhaps I should have elaborated

The TMF helps tickling enthusiasts realize just how many of us are out there!

As for Howard Stern, his laughing stocks, tickle chair and tickle post segments - plus, having Yaqi on the show - have probably won some previously white bread people to our way of thinking. Plus, Stern's done the work of helping others get over the initial "that's weird"reaction to adult tickling.

So that's why I think adult tickling is moving towards the mainstream, even if it still has some more distance to travel. Tickle enthusiasts don't feel as "alone" because of the TMF. White bread people are starting to realize adult tickling exists and they will have to get used to it because of Howard Stern.

 

[AquaFeline]

Pretty much all sexual activities beyond the sacreligious 3 (pedophilia, beastiality, and necrophilia) are all becoming more acceptable, and BDSM in general is showing up more main-stream, so it wouldn't surprise me if tickling got caught up in that.