Tickling should be porn free

[isabeau]

Again I have no probs with the videos, I usually do not go there anyway. It was with the banners.

And he wants to push people like me out of the site and he's your hero?! Wow.

no hon....he is my hero, because he speaks his mind, regardless of popular opinion, not because he wants people like you off the site..he has been my hero for a long time now, nothing to do with you whatsoever...he never said he wanted you off the site..he was making a point i think...

btw i also admire you for sticking to your guns..crap maybe i'd be better off not opening my mouth..lol

 

[ShadowTklr]

I'm so glad that all these people feel the same way... i got a clip about a month ago(no naming names here) and it was advertised as 5 min. of tickling...well believe you me it was about 2.5 minuttes of the same tickling scene just shot at different angles and the last 2.5 was forced orgasm...i was like wtf

That's not quite the same thing, but if you didn't know what you were buying because the advertising was misleading, then that is a problem of the vid clip company from which you bought it.

 

[InsnlyTklshF]

my thoughts ...

I always thought tickling was fun never thought in a million years it had bondage i.e restraints all that people being naked, vibrators, etc

Some people like to push the envelope what can ya do?! If those people do this then you obviously have those other people who like it, and buy it or watch it.

I personally like the simple tickle the real life tickle. The flirting with the feet, tickling in public or behind closed doors. I answered an ad once then I was asked a while ago to do a video and be tickled but when I asked if I could keep my clothes on the guy said, "well that won't sell". He also said I should wear just my undergarments or even just my underwear that sex sells. Well if that was the case and what turned me off all together was this was a tickling company NOT a SEX company. It clearly states the word tickle in the company and yes a lot of what they show are nude woman and all that junk but hey I didn't like it so guess what I didn't do it. It's just that simple.

I will choose what is right for me, what I feel comfortable with etc etc. I will wear or allow my future ticklees to wear what they feel is their comfort zone! I will NOT put any nude scenes in my tickle company. It's just that

 

[ShadowTklr]

I never said I wanted everything or everyone ELSE to go away. You are the one who said the site should push the nudity to push US away, that is what pissed me off. Again I NEVER SAID YOU ALL SHOULD LEAVE. I NEVER SAID NUDE PICS SHOULD NOT BE HERE, NOR REMOVED. What I had issues with is because there were clearly other tickling companies that had not had tickling with nudity that could put up banners here. Why not try it for a month and see what happens? Personally I do not even look at the banners when I try. I turn my eyes. AGAIN WHAT PISSED ME OFF WAS YOU TRYING TO PUSH US OUT BECAUSE WE WERE SAYING WORDS YOU DID NOT LIKE. MAYBE WORDS THAT HELPED YOU GET LESS A BONER I DON'T KNOW. So let's just shove the killjoys out of the place.

The other reason I thought the pics and films should be blocked, is because with so many young kids coming in here, who are not eighteen, and possibly as young as fourteen, fifteen, do you really want them seeing this shit? I do not. Now yes there is a warning, but you think they will listen? No. Fault of the site? No not completely. It COULD possibly do other things that would make them go away, but so far are not.

...yada yada yada - the B.A.N.N.E.R.S!

A guy walks up to the biggest, most successful fruit stand in the world, and says "Do you really need to have so many apples in the front of the cart? I dont want to see apples." You know what the fruit stand owner says? "Don't look!" Do you know why? It's because he's already successful doing what he's done for over 10 years. MOST people LIKE apples. That's why he puts them there.

You walk into the largest, most populated Adult Tickling Forum in the world, and say "Do you really need to show nudity in your banners? I don't like to see nudity." Then many of us say "Don't look." The TMF has already been successful for over 10 years. MOST tickle fetishists aren't offended by nudity and many LIKE some nudity with their tickling. That's why they're there.

"Ya see Timmy," in the absence of one's ability to change the tide of popular opinion, the greatest pioneers in history blazed new trails in the hope of creating a new world order. All I'm saying is that you could be one of those pioneers; but you can't reinvent the fruit stand.

Does that make more sense?

 

[ShadowTklr]

I always thought tickling was fun never thought in a million years it had bondage i.e restraints all that people being naked, vibrators, etc

Some people like to push the envelope what can ya do?! If those people do this then you obviously have those other people who like it, and buy it or watch it.

I personally like the simple tickle the real life tickle. The flirting with the feet, tickling in public or behind closed doors. I answered an ad once then I was asked a while ago to do a video and be tickled but when I asked if I could keep my clothes on the guy said, "well that won't sell". He also said I should wear just my undergarments or even just my underwear that sex sells. Well if that was the case and what turned me off all together was this was a tickling company NOT a SEX company. It clearly states the word tickle in the company and yes a lot of what they show are nude woman and all that junk but hey I didn't like it so guess what I didn't do it. It's just that simple.

I will choose what is right for me, what I feel comfortable with etc etc. I will wear or allow my future ticklees to wear what they feel is their comfort zone! I will NOT put any nude scenes in my tickle company. It's just that

BRAVO!!! Well articulated. 🙂

 

[NavelTickler75]

I always thought tickling was fun never thought in a million years it had bondage i.e restraints all that people being naked, vibrators, etc

Some people like to push the envelope what can ya do?! If those people do this then you obviously have those other people who like it, and buy it or watch it.

I personally like the simple tickle the real life tickle. The flirting with the feet, tickling in public or behind closed doors. I answered an ad once then I was asked a while ago to do a video and be tickled but when I asked if I could keep my clothes on the guy said, "well that won't sell". He also said I should wear just my undergarments or even just my underwear that sex sells. Well if that was the case and what turned me off all together was this was a tickling company NOT a SEX company. It clearly states the word tickle in the company and yes a lot of what they show are nude woman and all that junk but hey I didn't like it so guess what I didn't do it. It's just that simple.

I will choose what is right for me, what I feel comfortable with etc etc. I will wear or allow my future ticklees to wear what they feel is their comfort zone! I will NOT put any nude scenes in my tickle company. It's just that

That is very well articulated.

 

[NavelTickler75]

no hon....he is my hero, because he speaks his mind, regardless of popular opinion, not because he wants people like you off the site..he has been my hero for a long time now, nothing to do with you whatsoever...he never said he wanted you off the site..he was making a point i think...

btw i also admire you for sticking to your guns..crap maybe i'd be better off not opening my mouth..lol

I understand sis, no hard feelings.

 

[NavelTickler75]

I have said my peace

A guy walks up to the biggest, most successful fruit stand in the world, and says "Do you really need to have so many apples in the front of the cart? I dont want to see apples." You know what the fruit stand owner says? "Don't look!" Do you know why? It's because he's already successful doing what he's done for over 10 years. MOST people LIKE apples. That's why he puts them there.

You walk into the largest, most populated Adult Tickling Forum in the world, and say "Do you really need to show nudity in your banners? I don't like to see nudity." Then many of us say "Don't look." The TMF has already been successful for over 10 years. MOST tickle fetishists aren't offended by nudity and many LIKE some nudity with their tickling. That's why they're there.

"Ya see Timmy," in the absence of one's ability to change the tide of popular opinion, the greatest pioneers in history blazed new trails in the hope of creating a new world order. All I'm saying is that you could be one of those pioneers; but you can't reinvent the fruit stand.

Does that make more sense?

I already knew what you were saying to begin with on this issue. And I will not say one more word for a while about it.

Timmy can not blaze the trail of he does not know how to use the wagons and the horses. He tried three times and crashed all three. So what do you say to that.

 

[InsnlyTklshF]

BRAVO!!! Well articulated. 🙂

Thank you Shadow and Navel! 🙂

 

[P[a]pi]

I think there are two main groups of tickle fans.

There are people that just want to add a little tickling to porn or add it to BDSM.

And there are people that want to do a little innocent tickling. Meaning, no bondage.

It seems to me that the amount of females who just want to be tied up and tickled mad and the amount of guys who just want to do that to a chick is very small.

My girlfriend and I are part of that last small group, which is in the middle of the two extremes that seem to be most popular.

If I made a tickling company it would be similar to InsnlyTklshF's vision. No nudity, no bra and panties, no swim suits and no orgasms. The clips' quality would be solely based on the skill of the ler and the ticklish reactions of the lee.

 

[minerva]

I think there are two main groups of tickle fans.

There are people that just want to add a little tickling to porn or add it to BDSM.

I always thought it was more like people wanting to add a little BDSM into their tickling

The clips' quality would be solely based on the skill of the ler and the ticklish reactions of the lee.

That would be the only import thing in a clip for me as well. A tickler who obviously knows what he is doing and a 'lee who's really ticklish plus some kind of verbal interaction between the two would be nice. Besides that I really don't care if they are fully clothed, partly clothed or not clothed at all 😉

 

[Redmage]

There are people that just want to add a little tickling to porn or add it to BDSM.

More the other way around. I use tickling as part of BDSM, and I can tell you that I'm in the minority here (with flamewars on record to prove it). Most tickling fans enjoy bondage, but that's about as far into BDSM as they go.

And there are people that want to do a little innocent tickling. Meaning, no bondage.

That's a very small group. Even the "anti-porn" faction is not against bondage, by and large.

It seems to me that the amount of females who just want to be tied up and tickled mad and the amount of guys who just want to do that to a chick is very small.

If by that you mean "men and women who want no kind of sexual interaction in their tickling play," then you're probably right. That group is very small. If you mean "people who include tickling as foreplay" then that's probably the largest group here.

 

[drew70]

More the other way around. I use tickling as part of BDSM, and I can tell you that I'm in the minority here (with flamewars on record to prove it).

Ah...and a worthy opponent you were then and continue to be, Redmage. 😉

It took me a while to notice this was the same thread that was started in December of 2003...at which time I had the last word on the subject. It must have been a doozy considering it took SlaverTickler 38 months to come up with a rebuttal.

NavelTickler75, don't sweat ole Lamont Shadowskeedeeboomboom. He'll figure out sooner or later it's not his place to tell people to leave the forum. He's a decent enough guy, if a little excitable.

As for nudity in tickling....well, my comments are still there for anybody interested. I still feel the same way, and I still acknowlege that the feelings I express are my own, and certainly don't expect to change anybody else's feelings.

This thread has me thinking about our community's continued insistance on projecting a sexual astigma to tickling, perpetuating our social banishment to dregs of "Adult Entertainment." If we were smart about it, we'd be much more discreet, and subsequently be able to operate in far greater arenas of society, but we prefer to let it all hang out.

We're like that horny young man who joins an aerobics class to see and interact with women in their Danskins, as they bend and twist in delightful ways. If he were smart, he'd keep his cool and be discreet about his excitement, perhaps leading to opportunities for future classes with more intimacy. But instead, he's so overcome with lust, he whips out his member and begins frantically masturbating right in front of everyone. Consequently, he's banished from the class.

We're like that kid, in my opinion. We flash our privates and our genitals for all the world to see and make the association between tickling and sex, insuring our place in the gutter of society. If we could instead, keep the sexual aspects of our tickling interests on the down low, we could and would see a dramatic increase in in societal acceptance and even participation. And maybe...just maybe....some of us wouldn't have to fly halfway across the country (or the world, in some cases) to find a suitable tickling partner.

Just my opinion, as always. 🙂

 

[TickleSlaveinTn]

Just label the stuff clearly...

A good, clear label isn't too much to ask. With some people, I think they're uncomfortable "sexualizing" their fetish. Others may be very introverted and shy about nudity. Still others want it all combined with their fetish. Also, I think there are some who like tickling as a fetish, but may have a spouse/significant other who would be turned off by them viewing their fetish along with nudity. That's understandable. And if you say it's not understandable, you're mistaken and not being reasonable. Simple solution: Label your clips. If it's total nudity, say so. If it's only topless, say so. If it's got genital tickling, say so. If you like that, you can click on the clips. If you (or your significant other) prefer that you don't view clips with nudity, etc, then you can avoid them. Seems reasonable enough to me.

 

[LindyHopper]

If I do not like something, and see it has content I do not like, I don't click on it. My problem is the banners. T... H... E... B...A...N...N...E...R...S... and yes I know they are necessary to keep the forum free. But again I will say again why NOT try clothed tickling and see what happens in them? Or tickling from one of the tickle comics? I have no problems seeing them.

You seem to have gotten so distracted by mean ol' ShadowTklr that you missed Myriad's response to this point (you know, Myriads, the Tzar of the TMF, the guy who runs this place). To recap:

Ads with nudity tend to sell many more clips then those without. Thus advertisers use them. I regret that they bother some folks, but we need them to cover the cost gaps on the considerable expense that this place runs up every month.

That, to me, is that. Until I'm willing to fork over a donation equal in size to what nude ticking ads run up in sales, I figure I've got no right to complain.

The other reason I thought the pics and films should be blocked, is because with so many young kids coming in here, who are not eighteen, and possibly as young as fourteen, fifteen, do you really want them seeing this shit? I do not. Now yes there is a warning, but you think they will listen? No. Fault of the site? No not completely. It COULD possibly do other things that would make them go away, but so far are not.

You think the TMF, a self-declared adult site, should be censoring its content because of kids who break the very clear rules prohibiting their presence here? I have to say that notion is patently ridiculous. Why should we be catering to people who shouldn't even be here? The entirety of the world is not child-safe just because the world contains children. Nor should it be - adults should have the place and freedom to be adults.

I am computer Illiterate. I can not block this because I use Windows Internet Explore for my internet, which is free for me. Why it is free I do not know. I HAVE TRIED TO CREATE A FORUM TWICE, AND FAILED. I tried to create a web site and failed. So for me to create something like that, it can not be.

If you care enough about this, you can learn. Whining about your helplessness is not going to garner you sympathy, and that fact that you are computer illiterate adds no more weight to your assertion that the forum should cater to your delicate sensibilities rather than to the preferences of the majority of its audience.

 

[LindyHopper]

This thread has me thinking about our community's continued insistance on projecting a sexual astigma to tickling, perpetuating our social banishment to dregs of "Adult Entertainment." If we were smart about it, we'd be much more discreet, and subsequently be able to operate in far greater arenas of society, but we prefer to let it all hang out.

I think the your assertion that tickling is relegated to "adult entertainment" because of the existence of sexual tickling content just doesn't make any sense. How many vanilla people in the real world have any idea that tickling is a fetish? You don't find out that tickling porn exists unless you go looking for it. Otherwise, all you have is your own personal experience with tickling. In my estimation, tickling is sidelined as a non-mainstream activity because most people hate being tickled, and can't imagine it being something that other people enjoy.

Anyway, sneezing a fetish too, for some people out there. But the existence of sneezing fetishists doesn't change the majority of people's perfectly innocent relationship with sneezing, nor the social acceptability of sneezing in public.

We're like that horny young man who joins an aerobics class to see and interact with women in their Danskins, as they bend and twist in delightful ways. If he were smart, he'd keep his cool and be discreet about his excitement, perhaps leading to opportunities for future classes with more intimacy. But instead, he's so overcome with lust, he whips out his member and begins frantically masturbating right in front of everyone. Consequently, he's banished from the class.

Nonsense. There are many people on this forum who sexualize tickling in certain contexts, and are still able to bring that enjoyment out of the closet into our regular lives. You're describing a person having a problem with basic social skills, not with whether or not there is a sexual connection.

We're like that kid, in my opinion. We flash our privates and our genitals for all the world to see and make the association between tickling and sex, insuring our place in the gutter of society. If we could instead, keep the sexual aspects of our tickling interests on the down low, we could and would see a dramatic increase in in societal acceptance and even participation.

Again, no. "All the world" does not look at the TMF, or any tickling content, pornographic or otherwise. I just don't believe what's on here has any impact on the average person's view of tickling.

But more importantly... the fact is that for many of us, tickling is sexual. The association you routinely see between two here is not a "projection" driven by some external force, it's a reflection of reality. We could, I suppose, deny that this is the case in order to gain greater social acceptance. But that, to me, would be dishonest. We'd be deceiving our friends and partners into thinking an activity that gives us as sexual rush is perfectly innocent. We'd also be deceiving ourselves into thinking that innocent tickling is enough, and denying ourselves the experiences that we really want to have.

If tickling realiy is all innocent fun to you, then that's how you should be treating it with any person you meet. But if tickling is sexual to you, trying to hide that fact from your partners or yourself isn't going to do anyone any good in the long run.

 

[Knox The Hatter]

You think the TMF, a self-declared adult site, should be censoring its content because of kids who break the very clear rules prohibiting their presence here? I have to say that notion is patently ridiculous. Why should we be catering to people who shouldn't even be here? The entirety of the world is not child-safe just because the world contains children. Nor should it be - adults should have the place and freedom to be adults.

This is so true. There are so many things out there we SHOULD be protecting our kids from. But, that's a debate for another day.

I always knew this thread would reappear again. It always was one of the better ones.

 

[drew70]

I think the your assertion that tickling is relegated to "adult entertainment" because of the existence of sexual tickling content just doesn't make any sense.

That's not what I said. I said that we as the TMF COMMUNITY are relegated to the area of "adult entertainment" because we insist on projecting a sexual astigma to the vanilla world around us. Instead of identifying ourselves as a "tickling community" we insist rather on collectively presenting ourselves as a "fetish community."

Nonsense. There are many people on this forum who sexualize tickling in certain contexts, and are still able to bring that enjoyment out of the closet into our regular lives. You're describing a person having a problem with basic social skills, not with whether or not there is a sexual connection.

I stand by the analogy, nonetheless. The "horny guy" is representative of the TMF as a community, unable to interact with the rest of society due to an insistance on publically sexualizing his interest.

Again, no. "All the world" does not look at the TMF, or any tickling content, pornographic or otherwise. I just don't believe what's on here has any impact on the average person's view of tickling.

I never said all the world looks at the TMF. But just the same we are here for all the world to see should anybody decide to have a look. And from their point of view what they see is a group that places a strong sexual emphasis on tickling. Again, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with a sexual interest in tickling, but I think that should be left up to the individuals, rather than to be worn as our part of our community's identity.

But more importantly... the fact is that for many of us, tickling is sexual. The association you routinely see between two here is not a "projection" driven by some external force, it's a reflection of reality.

I fully acknowledge that for many, tickling and/or being tickled stimulates sexual arousal. I think it's important to remember that tickling itself is not sexual, period. But sexual arousal at the concept or the act of it is common with many of us, I agree. Still, there are many others who experience no sexual arousal as a response to tickling. Is it fair that we lump them in with the folks who get off on it?

We could, I suppose, deny that this is the case in order to gain greater social acceptance. But that, to me, would be dishonest. We'd be deceiving our friends and partners into thinking an activity that gives us as sexual rush is perfectly innocent. We'd also be deceiving ourselves into thinking that innocent tickling is enough, and denying ourselves the experiences that we really want to have.

Who said anything about "denying" anything? I'm just saying let's not broadcast it. If John doesn't tell Jane at work about how he fantasizes about having lurid tawdry sex with her in the conference room, is he being "dishonest"? Is he "denying" or is he simply practicing DISCRETION? I know from seeing many of your "orgasm" posts that such discretion holds little value for you, but I'm hoping you can see it's value for the community as a whole.

If tickling realiy is all innocent fun to you, then that's how you should be treating it with any person you meet. But if tickling is sexual to you, trying to hide that fact from your partners or yourself isn't going to do anyone any good in the long run.

Well, that's up to the individual. The extent (if any) to which tickling excites somebody is his or her business and nobody else's, in my opinion. It's entirely up to that individual whether or not to share such personal information and with whom (if anybody) to share it.

 

[LindyHopper]

That's not what I said. I said that we as the TMF COMMUNITY are relegated to the area of "adult entertainment" because we insist on projecting a sexual astigma to the vanilla world around us. Instead of identifying ourselves as a "tickling community" we insist rather on collectively presenting ourselves as a "fetish community."

I don't see us as a community "presenting ourselves" to the vanilla world at all. I think we're here to interact with each other. The vanilla world as a whole has no notion that we're here.

I stand by the analogy, nonetheless. The "horny guy" is representative of the TMF as a community, unable to interact with the rest of society due to an insistance on publically sexualizing his interest.

In what public arena is this occurring? The internet? Just because it's out there, doesn't mean anyone is looking.

I see the TMF as a place where people interested in tickling can congregate and share. It has little or no role in interacting with the rest of society. Thus, the focus should be on providing the content and interaction that the users seek, not on putting a good face out there in case some vanilla person inexplicably stumbles by.

I never said all the world looks at the TMF. But just the same we are here for all the world to see should anybody decide to have a look. And from their point of view what they see is a group that places a strong sexual emphasis on tickling. Again, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with a sexual interest in tickling, but I think that should be left up to the individuals, rather than to be worn as our part of our community's identity.

A community is nothing but a collection of individuals. If we look like a fetish community, it's because the majority of our members view it that way, and a majority of our content has a sexual bent to it. I don't think anyone ever decided from on high that this would be a sexual tickling site. Their actions (such as prohibiting minors from visiting) are a reaction to what the users were doing, such as posting sex-related tickling material.

I fully acknowledge that for many, tickling and/or being tickled stimulates sexual arousal. I think it's important to remember that tickling itself is not sexual, period. But sexual arousal at the concept or the act of it is common with many of us, I agree. Still, there are many others who experience no sexual arousal as a response to tickling. Is it fair that we lump them in with the folks who get off on it?

Who is "we?" I think on the TMF, people who choose to make their views known are heard, and we know who's who around here. If you're talking about the rest of the world lumping all ticklers into the pervert category... I think it's too bad that the human tendency to categorize could cause that to happen, but I don't think it's a reason to start a public relations campaign inside our own house. For the most part, I don't think the rest of the world cares.

Who said anything about "denying" anything? I'm just saying let's not broadcast it. If John doesn't tell Jane at work about how he fantasizes about having lurid tawdry sex with her in the conference room, is he being "dishonest"? Is he "denying" or is he simply practicing DISCRETION? I know from seeing many of your "orgasm" posts that such discretion holds little value for you, but I'm hoping you can see it's value for the community as a whole.

Yes, I know I offend your delicate sensibilites, it's practially a hobby. 🙄 But I contend that this community is here for us to share something important to us, in whatever way makes us happy. As far as I'm concerned, discretion is what I practice with my family, and with my vanilla friends. The TMF is a place where I share this part of who I am, in all it's potentially X-rated glory, without fear of being judged (at least, not by anyone whose opinion I value). 😉 And to the extent that others on the TMF have the same "tickling is sexual" bent that I have, we're going to have discussions and pictures and clips on here that have to do with sex. The TMF is for us. It's not a place where we should have to keep the true nature of our interest on the down-low to put a good face on for the rest of the world.

Well, that's up to the individual. The extent (if any) to which tickling excites somebody is his or her business and nobody else's, in my opinion. It's entirely up to that individual whether or not to share such personal information and with whom (if anybody) to share it.

Exactly. So if I want to share here, I have every right to do so. If your hypothetical moral majority doesn't like it, or misjudges you because of it, that isn't my problem. If you don't identify with a sexual bent on our interest, it's for you to clarify your position for anyone who might care. It's not my, or anyone on the TMF's, responsibility to "clean up" our act to kiss up to a vanilla world that won't accept it.

 

[drew70]

I don't see us as a community "presenting ourselves" to the vanilla world at all. I think we're here to interact with each other. The vanilla world as a whole has no notion that we're here.

I beg to differ. Google the word "tickling" and take a look at the top of the list. That's us up there. Yes we're here to interact with each other, but that doesn't make us invisible.

In what public arena is this occurring? The internet?

Yeah, that would be the one.

I see the TMF as a place where people interested in tickling can congregate and share. It has little or no role in interacting with the rest of society. Thus, the focus should be on providing the content and interaction that the users seek, not on putting a good face out there in case some vanilla person inexplicably stumbles by.

Isn't it possible to provide content and interaction and still maintain some measure of class and decorum?

A community is nothing but a collection of individuals. If we look like a fetish community, it's because the majority of our members view it that way, and a majority of our content has a sexual bent to it. I don't think anyone ever decided from on high that this would be a sexual tickling site. Their actions (such as prohibiting minors from visiting) are a reaction to what the users were doing, such as posting sex-related tickling material.

There's some truth in what you say. But any community that is worth anything at all is greater than the sum of it's parts, Lindy. I'm convinced our community has far greater potential than a mere circle jerk cumfest.

Yes, I know I offend your delicate sensibilites. 🙄

Not really. I lived in the far east for two and a half years. Nothing you have to offer is new to me.

But I contend that this community is here for us to share something important to us, in whatever way makes us happy. As far as I'm concerned, discretion is what I practice with my parents, and with my vanilla friends.

*gasp* But that's....that's DISHONEST!! If you don't give them all the gory details we TMF'ers are "privileged" to hear...then you're DECEIVING them! 😱

The TMF is a place where I share this part of who I am, in all it's potentially X-rated glory. 😉 And to the extent that others have the same "tickling is sexual" bent that I have, we're going to have discussions and pictures and clips on here that have to do with sex. The TMF is for us. It's not the place for us to keep the true nature of our interest on the down-low to put a good face on for the rest of the world.

You're still very young and relatively new to the tickling scene so I wouldn't expect you to care much beyond what you personally can get out of it yourself. But there are people out there by the millions, who see tickling only as a form of abuse...who've never been given the chance to experience the more therapeutic aspects of consensual tickling as we have. I'm not recommending we deny any and all sexual stimulation we might get from tickling or being tickled. I'm just saying let's at least put on a bathrobe before we answer the door.

Exactly. So if I want to share here, I have every right to do so. If your hypothetical moral majority doesn't like it, or misjudges you because of it, that isn't my problem. If you don't identify with a sexual bent on our interest, it's for you to clarify your position for anyone who might care. It's not my, or anyone on the TMF's, responsibility to "clean up" our act to kiss up to a vanilla world that won't accept it.

You know, I can see I'm wasting my time. What was I thinking, suggesting you actually conduct yourself with some dignity? You're right. It was totally unreasonable of me to ask you to go that far out of character. Please accept my apologies and feel free to continue providing graphic accounts of your orgasms to those with the stomach to endure them.

 

[Mistress Aura]

Hmm. Looks like the party's getting a little rough here.


You know, I acknowledge that I'm interjecting here without invitation but...as one of the members who stepped back into lurk mode when this debate began to rear its head again, I do have to at least stick my hands out from behind that sofa and applaud you both. You have very intelligent and erudite methods of expressing yourselves, and for a while, this thread was quite insightful and even entertaining in a sado-masochistic sort of way. 😀 😉

However, to be honest: In a situation like this one--or abortion, the death penalty, or any other thing that people feel screamingly strongly about--do either of you (or any of us, for that matter) actually expect the "opponent" to suddenly say (without tongue firmly in cheek, Drew 😉), "You know, you're absolutely right. I'm wrong, my thinking was skewed. I apologize, I'll join your camp!" at any point, especially when the point has progressed this far...?

Disagreement and debating is good, makes people think--but not when it starts threatening to tear at the very fabric of what we're all working so hard to create (and yeah, Lindy, as "we", I mean all of us--I think you, too, or you probably wouldn't be a posting TMF member 😉), no matter if it's viewed as "porn", "fetish" or "preference". We formed a community to share and to support, not to destroy or hurt...yes?

Mistress Aura

 

[Redmage]

I beg to differ. Google the word "tickling" and take a look at the top of the list. That's us up there. Yes we're here to interact with each other, but that doesn't make us invisible.

Yes, and how popular is "tickling" as a search term? According to Alexa the proportion of internet users who actually visit the TMF is....(drum roll)...a whopping 0.00325%.

So that should put the actual "harm" we're doing in perspective. We're right out there in people's faces, yes we are.

I lived in the far east for two and a half years. Nothing you have to offer is new to me.

Then you've been offended for a long, long time, poor devil. Because whether it's new or not, you've said in so many words that you find it offensive. I just hope you can one day put those terrible years behind you, and move on.

*gasp* But that's....that's DISHONEST!! If you don't give them all the gory details we TMF'ers are "privileged" to hear...then you're DECEIVING them!

This whole business of honesty vs discretion is one you've always had a hard time getting a handle on. Here's the simple version: You are obligated to be fully open about sexual matters with anyone whose relationship with you includes a reasonable expectation to know about your sexual partners and interactions. Such people definitely include your spouse, who certainly can expect to know about anyone you're having sexual interactions with. On the other hand that group almost certainly does NOT include your parents and siblings, who more than like don't WANT to know about your sex life. It probably doesn't include most of your friends, who likewise don't want to know.

See? It's simple really. If you're getting tied up and tickled by someone, then you should probably tell your wife, and probably should not tell your mother. Unless you have a very strange relationship with your wife, and an even stranger relationship with your mother. In the latter case particularly, feel free not to tell me. I would rather not know.

 

[ShadowTklr]

The most frightening thing about this debate are the people who believe that this tickling "community" is an actual, bonafide organization, looked to by mainstream society. It's not! From a personal perspective, it's a community of like-minded people who congregate at this website for the purpose of sharing material and electronically interacting with one another.

From a social standpoint, this place doesn't even rank! We have no lobbyists in Congress; no talk shows or news media cares what we have to say about tickling, and we have developed no standard by which mainstream America can identify tickling. In short - THERE IS NO MESSAGE!

It's laughable to assert that what we do here has any impact on the perspective of those in Vanilla sexual circles. It doesn't. People don't care. The only ones who believe "WE" have a responsibility to display ourselves in some predetermined fashion, are the people who have deluded themselves into believing that we matter as a whole. We don't

You see, I was under the impression that the TMF was a place where tickling enthusiasts of ALL kinds could come to share. But it seems that on the one side, we've got the After school special crowd, and on the other side, we've got the evangelists leading a self-visualized call to "represent."

Most of us are here because Vanilla land didn't understand us. Since when did it become our responsibility to go back into a repressive state of behavior for the purpose of showing Vanillites that we're not so bad? Drew?

 

[ShadowTklr]

You seem to have gotten so distracted by mean ol' ShadowTklr that you missed Myriad's response to this point (you know, Myriads, the Tzar of the TMF, the guy who runs this place).

Hey, since when did I become "Ol'"?
And quite frankly, I wasn't being mean. I was just trying to point out the fact that this forum exists at the pleasure and graciousness of our host, Jeff. And Myriads is still the final word on how things go around here.

Unlike some, if the day comes that this place goes Disney, and the tables are turned, you won't be reading my paper on the downfall of the modern TMF; no cries of foul; no tears about what used to be. I'll pen a short, 27 page farewell, and that will be the end of that.

And before any of you say it - I'm not leaving now, so stop yer gigglin!

 

[LindyHopper]

I beg to differ. Google the word "tickling" and take a look at the top of the list. That's us up there. Yes we're here to interact with each other, but that doesn't make us invisible.

Yes, I can remember that moment: the first time that I typed the word "tickling" into a search engine, and discovered all the wonderful tickling websites that our community had to offer. I think most TMFers have a similar story to tell. Still, I'm not seeing why a person without such an interest would be Googling "tickling" at all.

Isn't it possible to provide content and interaction and still maintain some measure of class and decorum?

Well goodness, drew, I don't know - perhaps you could show me how that's done? No, sorry, never mind. 😛

There's some truth in what you say. But any community that is worth anything at all is greater than the sum of it's parts, Lindy. I'm convinced our community has far greater potential than a mere circle jerk cumfest.

Then that's really too bad about the 95% of all TMF users who only come here for wanking material. I'm sorry they're not living up to your expectations.

*gasp* But that's....that's DISHONEST!! If you don't give them all the gory details we TMF'ers are "privileged" to hear...then you're DECEIVING them! 😱

Good God, just when I think this conversation can't get any more ridiculous... I share the extent of my sexual activities, minimally, with anyone whose business it is to know. That's all I've ever suggested that anyone do.

You're still very young and relatively new to the tickling scene so I wouldn't expect you to care much beyond what you personally can get out of it yourself.

You say this to the one of the people who hosts the West Coast Gatherings? And I've been in the gatherings scene for going on a decade now, so I'd hardly call myself a newbie. In any case, I care a great deal about helping tickling fans in my local community meet and play. And I care about people in this online community finding what they want out of it, whether that's pictures, validation, or a partner. You, on the other hand, seem to be placing a greater priority on how we look to the outside world, rather than focusing on the needs of actual tickling enthusiasts who visit this site every day.

But there are people out there by the millions, who see tickling only as a form of abuse...who've never been given the chance to experience the more therapeutic aspects of consensual tickling as we have.

And as far as I'm concerned, all those people are doing just fine. It's okay if they don't like tickling, and they find their happiness elsewhere. Everyone has their thing, and tickling is ours - but that doesn't mean it has to be theirs, too. What you're describing is like bringing Christianity to the Indians: no matter how much you value it in your own life, I'm in no way convinced that their lives are worse without it.

I'm not recommending we deny any and all sexual stimulation we might get from tickling or being tickled. I'm just saying let's at least put on a bathrobe before we answer the door.

On the internet, our door is always open - there is no distinction between public and private. Thus, the most sensible course of action is to conduct our lives as we wish, and not worry so much about what other people think. If our members want to share sexually explicit material, then that's what they should do. If you're looking to be some sort of ambassador to the world, maybe you should go start some kind of Tickling Outreach Forum. You could even pay to be the top hit on Google's sponsored link section in the hopes that people visit your site first, before their perspective is warped by all the porn around here. 😀 But the TMF is never going to be the fun-and-innocent representation of tickling that the vanilla world will understand and embrace. Nor should it be, because that would stifle the desires of the majority of people who value this site.

You know, I can see I'm wasting my time. What was I thinking, suggesting you actually conduct yourself with some dignity? You're right. It was totally unreasonable of me to ask you to go that far out of character. Please accept my apologies and feel free to continue providing graphic accounts of your orgasms to those with the stomach to endure them.

I think this began as a productive conversation, but as exchanges with you are wont to do, it has spiraled rapidly into the realm of irrelevance and personal attacks. I think we would do well to take a step back. Reply as you like, of course, but please don't view any lack of reply on my part as rudeness. I'm just focusing my attention on other things. 😉