Tickling should be porn free

[LindyHopper]

Hey, since when did I become "Ol'"?

Oh, sorry, my understanding was that you had one foot in the grave already. My bad.

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.

I agree. It just looked like someone else needed some clarification.

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.

You know, it would almost be worth the TMF going clean just to read that. 😀 Actually, you know what? It wouldn't. 😉

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

And thank goodness for that!

 

[Myriads]

It seems I need to say a bit more for this thread.

When this forum was founded, the somewhat odd name Tickling Media Forum was chosen with some thought. The founders wanted to create a place where people who had interests in tickling could share media (images, clips, stories, information) about tickling without the difficulties that one experienced at the time on the newsgroups if one tried to do this. The TMF was in many ways the ‘modern’ version of the old newsgroup AMT, and the word Media is a nod to it. The forum was designed to have a moderated aspect so discussions and exchange could take place with greater ease, and none of the problems that the founders saw in the un-moderated groups.

There was little illusion that most of the media that would be shared would be adult in nature. It was expected from day one. Some may remember that when the ‘New’ version of the forum launched, we had a pay archive attached that was stuffed full of adult images. There were no questions about what sort of media people would be focusing on here.

When I was given the Administration job on the forum almost seven (7!) years ago, I was tasked with a few things. One was managing the site for the ‘benefit and growth of the community’.

Community? What community? I thought. All I saw were people from all over the web meeting on a electronic message board. That’s a community I wondered?

It turns out, that yes it is. Through the TMF regular gatherings have become common in many parts of the US and now the UK, and elsewhere. We have several marriages that have come from people meeting here. More play sessions then one could count, and so forth. Dozens of media companies have grown and evolved using us as a platform to reach customers. With other new web tools, people are starting to produce their own tickling content just to share. Our story and art forums are packed with the webs biggest collections of creative tickling output. We have a very high post rate.

The community that has formed here is one that has many real world points of contact. Each person who comes here discovers that they are not alone in the like they have, and that hundreds and thousands of others share their taste. Have experienced the same fears, worries, and joys. The forum is the home for the tickling community now. A slowly growing mass pulling lone others in one by one to be as much a part of things as they choose. If it’s about tickling it will probably wander through here somehow eventually.

So the forums first eye is always on the community that uses it. We listen to you, and respond to you. The entire General Discussion forum and it’s sub forums is a bow to the community wants. There is an area where tickling is not. It’s just people sharing aspects of themselves as they would in other places. More signs of community and its growth. People are more then lers or lees. They like politics, to tell jokes, or raise orphan bunnies. They share that. They meet over it. They define themselves as more then lees and lers there.

We are also aware that the TMF is often the first place that the rest of the world sees when they somehow look into tickling. Being the top Google search result for a word like ‘tickle’ or tickling’ is no small trick. Think about that. The TMF is what comes up on the search for a basic English word with no modifiers. That’s like being first for something like ‘snoring’ or ‘eating’ or such. We take that very seriously.

Why? Because it makes the day to day forum, the public face of the community that comes here over time. When that random person clicks on the link, for good or ill, the tickling community will be defined to them by what they experience here.

We have made no apologies for being a site that has a sexual basis. The community has shown us from day one that sexual aspects of tickling are what brings them here. So we reflect that. It IS what the majority of this community is about. They come here because tickling gets them hard, or squishy, or however you like to say it.

There is no shame or stigma in being a sexual community. We are not embarrassed to be such. In fact we are proud to be that. The TMF says “This is who we are. Get to know us.”

Yes, the ads could be more ‘tasteful’ but bills must be paid. And what works is nudity. We are all adults here, and while some might not like the T&A, I trust that most of you understand why it’s there and learn to ignore it. This place costs a lot more to run then most of you dream. You get it all for free. I figure we can ask for a bit of leeway with the ads in return.

So when an ‘vanilla’ person comes here, we make a effort to show them that tickling, can and is, a sexual act for some people. I’ve spoken to a lot of people who have stumbled onto the forum, and sent me a email. Most are amused. Almost every letter has some variation of “I never knew that tickling...” And most also have some variation of “It’s cool that you guys have a place for yourselves”. Some make fun of us, and on occasion someone with some odd version of god lodged in their head says something rude. But overall, the world is not overly concerned with us. They are happy to leave us be as long as we don’t mess with their children (and by that I mean let their kids be here) and that’s about it. We are seen as a odd little world that they don’t understand fully, but are not threatened by either. They see we are just a community of real and decent people who get off on something that they don’t.

Part of the TMF’s job is to do just that. And we do it well. That’s the public side of our efforts. To show the occasion curious person that others see tickling as something more then how they see it. And that we are not weird or all that different for doing so.

In a world where every hobby and every like has a community dedicated to it, the TMF is at the forefront of community building. Why? There are few sexually oriented communities out there that work as well as we do. In the fetish world just try and find a site with as many members and content that acts a hub for it’s like as we do. It’s not so easy is it? Why do we work and they don’t? Because we DO have a community here. It binds people together. We are doing nicely. And we thank you for making it happen.

This community is a very large and varied one. We are well aware that there is a minority for whom tickling is not a sexual act. It’s an emotional one involved in relationship building and intimacy. That’s as valid a reason to be here as if tickling is sexual for one.

But it’s not the majority view. And while I will make sure that minority views are respected here, and not shouted down, neither will I rework the site to singly reflect a minority view either.

In the same way, for the ‘average’ person in the world, tickling has no meaning. It’s something they have no real opinion about beyond perhaps disliking it being done to them. I’ll not rework the TMF’s outlook to cater to THAT outlook either.

We are here for the people who GET something from tickling. There will always be room for us to discuss the differences in what each of us gets. But if you get nothing from it, then why be here? Few people who have no interest in tickling stay here long. Curiosity satisfied they move on.

Drew’s point that we could be more classy is not lost on me, I tend to like to keep the main page as PG as possible. But it’s not a financial reality that I can indulge. Sorry. That’s the breaks. Perhaps someday a major sponsor will decide that there is a market here they don’t mind being seen speaking with, and the ad type will change.

The rest of the argument is a viewpoint split between the sexual ticklers and the emotional ones. It would be nice of I could create a feature that would let the users choose to self-censor what they see. But that’s not a possibility, and even if it was, I’d not activate it, as it would allow people to dodge the ads which the companies pay us for, so you SEE them. I have responsibilities to those advertisers also.

I hope that this helps clear up some of the questions that this thread has raised.

Myriads

 

[drew70]

Ah, isn't this nice? Just like old times. Lindy takes a time-out on the bench. Redmage picks up the bat.

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%.

Interesting stats, indeed. I suspect that number would rise dramatically should we ever decide put our collective genitals back in our pants.

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.

Are you kidding? Those were some of the best years of my life, especially for tickling! Brother, the stories I could tell you! 😉

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.

What about all of TMF members who don't want to know? Are they included as well?

You know, Redmage, what I find amusing is that you and your friends have taken great measures to label me as a "judgemental moralist." Yet here you guys are once again, for the umpteenth time, preaching to me on the moral obligations of relational living. We all have our own sets of personal values, and I see nothing wrong with that. When I share mine, I usually try to make it clear that I don't expect people to abide by what seems right or wrong to me, because in my opinion that would be the height of arrogance. You on the other hand don't seem to have any compunctions with imposing your own moral standards as absolute and to which all are obliged to comply. "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." Sounds like a moral decree to me.

 

[Iggy pop]

You could get rid of all the nudity tommorow, and this would not make this forum vanilla world friendly. I have shown this forum to one vanilla friend, and he was little disturbed. Not by the nudity, but by the non-consenual stories in the fiction forum. And really, how many post here deal with genitals? There are hell of lot more post about "foot obsession". As long as the posts remain, this forum will never appeal to the vanilla world.

To be honest, I do not think we should be trying to appeal to Vanilla world, and I really don't think we should be forcing our views. What I mean by this is posting tickling related material in forums not dedicated to it. Another example, is if somebody posts a tickling picture in webshots or a video on youtube, that does not mean they want to be assaulted with demands and requests for tickling.

 

[enlightened]

I see and understand what your saying,like I said it's just my humble opinion.To all that read the post I do like tickling and sex and tying up a girl and tickling her is wonderful,I just want to be in the scene and not watch it lol lol!!!!!!!

The Musician

I've always fantacized about tickling a naked girl. Not only would I use feathers in the most intimate (and sensitive) spaces, but I would use a ball point pen to draw things on her breasts and belly - also very sensitive areas.

 

[TickleSlaveinTn]

Flame Free?

I've read many of the posts in this thread, and I just want to remind everyone that this is supposed to be the "Flame Free" Forum. Not that everyone is drawing up battle lines, mind you, but it seems that a few have taken great offense that someone has a dissenting opinion. Remember, people, that we're entitled to our opinions. We're entitled to present them and defend and promote them, so long as we don't attack others (and the material we promote, defend, etc., is legal, naturally). In my opinion, it seems that a few people have been belittling others instead of just defending their own views, and there's really no need for that. We've clearly got two different camps here, so to speak, but there's no reason we can't both share the same space.

 

[rhiannon]

Okay guys...usually I don't post in the English section of this forum and stay in the German part, but this conversation has caught my attention.

I am a German working for the US Army, and I have seen and heard this "problem" before and truly believe it is an American one! 🙂

So here I am wondering: What is so bad about nudity, what is so terrible about sexuality? It is something perfectly normal as long as it is not forced upon others! So why even have this conversation??

 

[LindyHopper]

I am a German working for the US Army, and I have seen and heard this "problem" before and truly believe it is an American one! 🙂

So here I am wondering: What is so bad about nudity, what is so terrible about sexuality? It is something perfectly normal as long as it is not forced upon others! So why even have this conversation??

Thank you rhiannon!!! You're like a breath of fresh air. 🙂 It's nice to have a reminder that in other places in the world, most people think of nudity and sexuality as a normal and healthy part of life.

That's all I have to say. I just wanted to let you know that you've brightened my day.

 

[simulated]

What about all of TMF members who don't want to know? Are they included as well?

So, I was going to post some really lewd hardcore pornography here in an effort to make a point, but I'm really not that much of an ass. Anyhow, if you click on a thread called "Orgasms while tickling," you no longer a member of the group of people who "don't want to know." You are in fact saying "yes, I do want to know about your orgasms in the context of tickling"

Interesting stats, indeed. I suspect that number would rise dramatically should we ever decide put our collective genitals back in our pants.

Because "TMF.....THE TICKLING MEDIA FORUM
Tickling community forum and chat room, tickling related stories, multimedia, and personals. Offers The Golden Feather Award in a variety of subject areas" clearly indicates a forum filled with people waxing poetic on the subject of tickling orgies.

You know, Redmage, what I find amusing is that you and your friends have taken great measures to label me as a "judgemental moralist."

It wasn't really that hard, you tend to do most of the work yourself.

So here I am wondering: What is so bad about nudity, what is so terrible about sexuality? It is something perfectly normal as long as it is not forced upon others! So why even have this conversation??

This reminds me of a little story I heard from a communications professor. He was saying that researchers from America and the Netherlands were coming together to talk about how to deal with HIV. When the Americans suggested teaching abstinence, Swedish members asked, "How will teenagers ever learn to become loving, considerate sexual partners if they don't practice?" The silence that greeted the question, they noted, was the sound of two cultures clashing.

 

[rhiannon]

That's all I have to say. I just wanted to let you know that you've brightened my day.

Thanks for the nice words, Lindy! 🙂 Have to add that I adore the way you discuss and express yourself! 🙂

 

[P[a]pi]

I just want to clarify that whether what I said on page 8 of this thread about people into tickling is right or wrong, I don't really have a problem with the status quo of clips and pics. That was just an observation of mine about the group of people who like tickling.

I said what I prefer, which is different from person to person. So, I'm not dissing anybody.

The answer I should have posted the first tiime is this:

Tickling should be porn free for ME because that is what I like, and tickling should include or exclude whatever makes each person happy.

There is no standard way tickling should be.

 

[Redmage]

There should be some way to give us the option on our individual accounts of making all ads and banners text only. Do you think the moderators would do this?

They don't need to. You can configure Firefox or MSIE to block all graphics on a website.

So here I am wondering: What is so bad about nudity, what is so terrible about sexuality? It is something perfectly normal as long as it is not forced upon others! So why even have this conversation??

It is a uniquely American problem. There are a couple of stories that I've heard from European friends that amuse me to this day.

The first was from a German friend who told me about an American visiting Munich. They were taking a train, and my friend said his American visitor noticed a billboard at the station featuring what was very clearly a nude woman, but blurry and out of focus. He couldn't read the German caption, so he asked what the billboard was selling. He thought it must be some kind of sex service, with an ad like that. The real answer? Eyeglasses.

The second was from a laboratory supervisor that I worked for once. She was raised and educated in France before coming to the United States. She said that one of the biggest shocks she had in making the transition came from the fact that (like most Europeans) she learned most of what she knew of American culture from American movies and exported American television programs like Baywatch. After seeing those things she said she expected a culture something like Amsterdam: very sexually open and liberated. She was startled to come here and find that we didn't even allow topless advertisements in public! The personality split in American culture was one of the hardest things for her to get used to.

It is very much an American problem. It's almost classically American, in fact. I keep hoping that we'll grow out of it someday.

 

[Redmage]

Interesting stats, indeed. I suspect that number would rise dramatically should we ever decide put our collective genitals back in our pants.

I believe that grinding sound is a paradigm shifting without a clutch. Or possibly just wishful thinking.

Drew, why do you think there's so much emphasis on sex here? It's not because the mods encourage it. It's because that's what most people come here to talk about! The atmosphere here is the sum of the wishes of everyone who posts here, even including you and the rest of the anti-porn faction. The thing is, you and yours are a tiny minority. And that's just the way it is. If in fact there was a huge mass of tickle-fandom out there that didn't like such things, then they could and would come here and their voices would begin drowning out ours. But they aren't here, because they aren't anywhere. Yours is a minority position. Just get used to that.

Are you kidding? Those were some of the best years of my life, especially for tickling! Brother, the stories I could tell you! 😉

Why do you think we have a True Tickling Stories section? Go for it. But if your years in the far east were filled with sexual debauchery (which you suggested when you told Lindy she had nothing new to teach you), and if you had a great time with that (as you suggest here), then one can only wonder what happened to you between then and now.

What about all of TMF members who don't want to know? Are they included as well?

Absolutely. And I trust them explicitly not to click on any thread or picture that they don't want to know about. If they do so anyway, that's their problem.

You know, Redmage, what I find amusing is that you and your friends have taken great measures to label me as a "judgemental moralist." Yet here you guys are once again, for the umpteenth time, preaching to me on the moral obligations of relational living.

Believe me, the irony is never lost on me. Every time you wax judgmentally moralistic, I'm reminded of your peculiar ideas about what a married man should and should not tell his wife.

 

[drew70]

Drew, why do you think there's so much emphasis on sex here? It's not because the mods encourage it. It's because that's what most people come here to talk about! The atmosphere here is the sum of the wishes of everyone who posts here, even including you and the rest of the anti-porn faction. The thing is, you and yours are a tiny minority. And that's just the way it is. If in fact there was a huge mass of tickle-fandom out there that didn't like such things, then they could and would come here and their voices would begin drowning out ours. But they aren't here, because they aren't anywhere. Yours is a minority position. Just get used to that.

Oh, I'm quite used to being in the minority and quite comfortable with it. 🙂 However I find myself wondering where you got the idea that I blame the mods for any of this. They are basically going with the majority, which I commend them for doing. What I said was that if we were smart (meaning ALL of us) we'd operate differently. I'm not demanding any change, I'm just throwing out a little food for thought, always to be taken with a grain of salt. If you and Lindy feel threatened by such conjecture, I apologize for causing you such discomfort.

Why do you think we have a True Tickling Stories section? Go for it. But if your years in the far east were filled with sexual debauchery (which you suggested when you told Lindy she had nothing new to teach you), and if you had a great time with that (as you suggest here), then one can only wonder what happened to you between then and now.

I have posted one or two true stories, but you do bring up an excellent suggestion to post more. As for "what happened between then and now" the only thing I can suggest is that you misunderstand (perhaps deliberately?) my feelings about sex and/or nudity. I don't regard it as bad, evil, or wrong. I just think it ought to be private and not openly exposed so indiscriminately. Unlike the other animals, we humans wear clothes out in public to hide our nudity. Consequently, I have to believe I'm not the only person to feel that nudity is something best shared privately, no publically. But please understand, I'm making no demands here. I'm just sharing my own personal viewpoint which anybody can disregard without hurting my feelings in the slightest. 🙂

Absolutely. And I trust them explicitly not to click on any thread or picture that they don't want to know about. If they do so anyway, that's their problem.

I agree that works most of the time with pictures and clips. However, in discussion threads, the shit often comes with no warning whatsoever, as in this example from this very thread....

Personally, I like watching clips that depict the tickling activities that I enjoy, and having my clit feathered and vibrated is right up there near the top of my list.

That's just Too Much Information to throw out with no warning, in my opinion. Such vulgarity might be appropriate for the water cooler at the local house of ill repute, but is hardly suitable for intelligent conversation, in my opinion. I can assure you that I'm not the only one who gagged audibly in response.

Believe me, the irony is never lost on me. Every time you wax judgmentally moralistic, I'm reminded of your peculiar ideas about what a married man should and should not tell his wife.

So you and I have different standards of moral values. Doesn't mean either of us is wrong for sharing them. You and a few others seem to think it's a crime to share them, one that warrants labeling the sharer, unless of course it's something you actually agree with. Then it's okay.

 

[Redmage]

Oh, I'm quite used to being in the minority and quite comfortable with it. 🙂 However I find myself wondering where you got the idea that I blame the mods for any of this.

I didn't. However there are only two groups responsible for the content of the forum: them and us. I pointed out that it this case, they could be ruled out.

What I said was that if we were smart (meaning ALL of us) we'd operate differently.

Yep, and I pointed out that you're wrong - wrong twice, in fact.

First, we are not doing any great harm to the cause of tickling, as you suggested. Several people noted that almost no one knows about us, and the numbers from Alexa prove that.

Second, "operating differently" would carry no benefits, only harm for the forum. Because, as I pointed out and you agree, the way things are done here reflects the will of the majority. But what you might be missing is that it's not just the will of the majority of the forum's members. The forum is a cross-section of the tickling community. The interests represented here are the interests of tickle-fans at large. As I said, the anti-porn faction is a minority here because it's just plain a minority among people with this interest.

You suggested that if we had less emphasis on sex, we might garner more than the tiny fraction of a percentage of internet users who visit here. That's incorrect. Because those who feel as you do are a small minority. Therefore, if the forum restructured itself to conform to that minority's wishes, the majority who feel differently would find somewhere else to be, and the forum would wither.

So in fact we (all of us) are already doing the smart thing for the health of the forum.

Tell you what: if you think I'm wrong, go find a Porn-Free Tickling Forum. If there are enough people who feel as you do then it should be out there, even bigger than the TMF if they're doing the "smart" thing. If you can't find one then that might a clue right there, but if you can't pick up on that then start your own. See how you do. You claim that market forces would actually favor a forum with less emphasis on sex. That should be easy to prove.

Unlike the other animals, we humans wear clothes out in public to hide our nudity.

Mmhm. That must be the reason. Surely weather and sunburn don't have anything to do with it.

I'm just sharing my own personal viewpoint which anybody can disregard without hurting my feelings in the slightest.

That's good to know. I was worried about that for a while.

I agree that works most of the time with pictures and clips. However, in discussion threads, the shit often comes with no warning whatsoever, as in this example from this very thread....I can assure you that I'm not the only one who gagged audibly in response.

You were listening, were you? In that case I'll surely take your assurances for what they're worth. And I have to to tell you, I feel for the poor devils who wander all-unsuspecting into a thread about pornography and happen across something pornographic there.

So you and I have different standards of moral values. Doesn't mean either of us is wrong for sharing them. You and a few others seem to think it's a crime to share them, one that warrants labeling the sharer, unless of course it's something you actually agree with.

What rubbish. I "label" people as what they do. The opinions you "share" aren't your opinions about what you should do, they're your opinions about what everyone else should do. And they get the response one usually gives to sidewalk preachers and prohibitionists.

 

[Icycle]

One of the basic premises of this thread seems to be that nudity is inherently sexual for humans. I would like to strongly disagree with that sentiment. Anyone who has perused a few issues of National Geographic can attest that there are plenty of cultures throughout the world, especially in the tropics, where wearing little or no clothing is normal. There were far more cultures where nudity or near nudity was common before European missionaries introduced Christianity, and along with it the notion that an unclothed body is shameful and a sin.

 

[drew70]

Some good points, Redmage. You present about as good an argument for your cause as can be presented. But I think I'm on the more solid ground here, so let's continue, shall we?

First, we are not doing any great harm to the cause of tickling, as you suggested. Several people noted that almost no one knows about us, and the numbers from Alexa prove that.

The numbers from Alexa only prove that the TMF doesn't get a lot of repeat business. The numbers in the TMF Members list also bear this out. Only a very small fraction of people who sign up ever make it to even 50 posts. I think one reason is that most people aren't interested in being part of an X-rated community in which clits, G-spots, and orgasms are likely topics of discussion.

Second, "operating differently" would carry no benefits, only harm for the forum. Because, as I pointed out and you agree, the way things are done here reflects the will of the majority. But what you might be missing is that it's not just the will of the majority of the forum's members. The forum is a cross-section of the tickling community. The interests represented here are the interests of tickle-fans at large. As I said, the anti-porn faction is a minority here because it's just plain a minority among people with this interest.

I agree those who complain about nudity and graphic sexual imagery are in the minority. But I'm not convinced that those who really want it are in the majority either. I suspect the majority are those who are indifferent to porn. They can take it or leave it, and this includes those for whom tickling is erotically stimulating. If you look at a couple of pages of Tickling Discussion or even General, you'll find very few conversations about sex.

You suggested that if we had less emphasis on sex, we might garner more than the tiny fraction of a percentage of internet users who visit here. That's incorrect. Because those who feel as you do are a small minority. Therefore, if the forum restructured itself to conform to that minority's wishes, the majority who feel differently would find somewhere else to be, and the forum would wither.

I don't think they would. Look at how tickling media has changed over the years. It hasn't gotten more pornagraphic, but rather less so. In the 70s and 80s, you couldn't find any material devoted to tickling that wasn't overtly pornagraphic. Now, all the major Tickling media producers offer a huge volume of porn-free tickling clips. Why is that so? Because they've discovered that most tickle folk get off on the tickling. Sure, they like pretty girls, but you can have gorgeous, sexy women tickling each other without any porn whatsoever.

Tell you what: if you think I'm wrong, go find a Porn-Free Tickling Forum. If there are enough people who feel as you do then it should be out there, even bigger than the TMF if they're doing the "smart" thing. If you can't find one then that might a clue right there, but if you can't pick up on that then start your own. See how you do. You claim that market forces would actually favor a forum with less emphasis on sex. That should be easy to prove.

LOL. You're not getting rid of me that easily, Redmage. You sly dog, you twechewous twickstah! *nudge nudge* Come on, you know as well as I the issue in question is THIS particular forum. If anything needs to be proven, it'll have to be proven here. Since this is all conjecture anyway, I see little point in attempting to establish proof.

But yes, I do feel, based on what I've seen here and in the industry, that less emphasis on sex would make the forum and tickling media itself more palatable to a greater potential audience. Here's yet another reason why. What's the most common complaint ticklephiles have about professionally produced tickling videos? "It's fake." The laughing is fake. The tickling is fake, etc. They want realism. They want the genuine thing. Okay, so given the importance of realism, how does nudity and exposed genitalia add to it? How about "not at all"? How about, "It has the exact opposite effect"? Because how often do people get naked to tickle each other in the real world? If somebody is going to tickle somebody else, how realistic is it for them to suddenly be topless? Or nude? Such things make it difficult to imagine the scene as something real. It's less believable. Put clothes on the participants and it's far easier to believe the scene as a genuine one. You have a more realistic tickling scene, and hence, a more exciting one. So we've in effect domenstrated that less emphasis on sex can actually attract more ticklephiles.

Unlike the other animals, we humans wear clothes out in public to hide our nudity.

Mmhm. That must be the reason. Surely weather and sunburn don't have anything to do with it.

Surely weather and sunburn aren't factors for dressing indoors? Or do you strip to your birthday suit as soon as you leave the weather and sun outside?

And I have to to tell you, I feel for the poor devils who wander all-unsuspecting into a thread about pornography and happen across something pornographic there.

You know, they discuss pornography in congress from time to time, but somehow I doubt anybody expects to see any of it there, other than the metaphoric screwing of the American people.

What rubbish. I "label" people as what they do.

Which is probably about as fucked up as labeling people for their sexual preference or their choice in religion, wouldn't you say?

The opinions you "share" aren't your opinions about what you should do, they're your opinions about what everyone else should do. And they get the response one usually gives to sidewalk preachers and prohibitionists.

If I have ever given out such opinions it's rare. I've never felt qualified telling other people what to do. But as long as we're on the subject, what about this comment from you?

"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."​

Would this statement be "about what everyone else should do"? Or does it just apply only to me?

 

[simulated]

One of the basic premises of this thread seems to be that nudity is inherently sexual for humans. I would like to strongly disagree with that sentiment. Anyone who has perused a few issues of National Geographic can attest that there are plenty of cultures throughout the world, especially in the tropics, where wearing little or no clothing is normal. There were far more cultures where nudity or near nudity was common before European missionaries introduced Christianity, and along with it the notion that an unclothed body is shameful and a sin.

I just had an image of a room completely filled with well dressed people, save for one guy walking around in a loincloth. Weird.

 

[StephanieLocke]

Personally...

I prefer tickling people who are clothed. If I remove a piece or two, they'll get more ticklish, I'm really not that interested in nude tickling, my tickle stakedown notwithstanding.

I was saddenned in the 80's when bondage videos became all nude for several years (fortunately not all, but a vast majority) and I TOO am saddenned at the emphasis on SEX and TICKLING.

Tickling can be sexual, it need NOT be sexual to make people happy, socialize and enjoy each other's company. That seems to be the purpose of gatherings, to tickle and have fun, not to force someone to have an orgasm during tickling.

I feel that if I were a vanilla woman just starting out, the overt sexuality might push me away right away. I would want to keep that something I was waiting to do with the right person, not discuss with just about everyone.

Thus far, while I've put quite a bit of tickling in my videos and photo shoots, I've never tickled a nude woman and only ONE man.

Mistress Stephanie

 

[LindyHopper]

You suggested that if we had less emphasis on sex, we might garner more than the tiny fraction of a percentage of internet users who visit here. That's incorrect. Because those who feel as you do are a small minority. Therefore, if the forum restructured itself to conform to that minority's wishes, the majority who feel differently would find somewhere else to be, and the forum would wither.

It's so odd to me that someone could think that having less sex and nudity on the TMF would garner more users. I don't think that's happened on any site in the history of the internet!

I think it's partly a problem of thinking that this thread, or even this discussion forum, accurately represents all tickle fans. At the moment that I'm posting this, there are about half as many people in General Discussion as there are in Tickling Discussion, twice as many viewers in the Images forum, and five times as many in Video Clips forum. If I click on the profile of some random sample of current users from the main page, I see that the vast majority of them have little or no posting history, even the ones who have been around for years. It's clear that most of the users on the TMF just aren't here to discuss things - they're here to view content. Then, if you look at what they're viewing, the naked stuff gets an awful lot of hits.

As Myriads has already pointed out, nudity is what sells - it's what keeps the forum running so that all of us freeloaders can sit here discussing the matter without having to pay up for the privilege. 😀 It seems to me that the data on the matter are quite clear. But I guess wishful thinking trumps facts any day. 🙄

And I have to to tell you, I feel for the poor devils who wander all-unsuspecting into a thread about pornography and happen across something pornographic there.

I have to disagree there - this thread isn't pornographic. If we included video clips of all the things we've been talking about, now, that would be pornographic! 😀 But what people have actually been doing is stating their preferences for what they do and do not like to see, usually with all the lasciviousness of a medical intake form. I can't believe that someone could actually be disgusted or offended by anything they've seen in this thread, unless they have a really overactive imagination. 😛

 

[WheresThe Clip?]

As someone who has been into this a long time, one of the great ways you could tell which producers were one of us, was that the ones who weren't always had: nudity, genitalia, orgasms etc. The sad thing is that the genuine producers from the start like Magic Touch and RealTickling, have now also gone down that road.

Personally I would like all Tickle videos with ladies wearing a minimum of a bikini or nice lingerie (which doesn't come off half way through the video) and if the guy is being tickled long shorts. That way our fetish could be something special that you could show to (almost anyone) and not pseudo porn

 

[rhiannon]

Surely weather and sunburn aren't factors for dressing indoors? Or do you strip to your birthday suit as soon as you leave the weather and sun outside?

Guess what...there are a lot of people who do just that when they come home and it is warm enough! 🙂

And even if they don't dress naked I am pretty sure they don't keep their clothes on because they are ashamed of anything! 🙂

Because how often do people get naked to tickle each other in the real world? If somebody is going to tickle somebody else, how realistic is it for them to suddenly be topless? Or nude? Such things make it difficult to imagine the scene as something real. It's less believable. Put clothes on the participants and it's far easier to believe the scene as a genuine one. You have a more realistic tickling scene, and hence, a more exciting one. So we've in effect domenstrated that less emphasis on sex can actually attract more ticklephiles.

Now here I am guessing that actually more people prefer nude tickling. Simply because you can access every ticklish spot way more easier. Simply because the "victim" is more vulnerable. How many on here do actually prefer "mainstream" tickling? I know a lot of people who really don't care about it and would rather have erotic tickling with a tied down naked partner at home! Just because for most of us, tickling IS sexual. Why else would we even look at clips who are just about tickling, no matter if the 'lee is dressed or not!? Certainly not because it's "kind of funny" or something. 🙂

 

[Redmage]

As someone who has been into this a long time, one of the great ways you could tell which producers were one of us, was that the ones who weren't always had: nudity, genitalia, orgasms etc. The sad thing is that the genuine producers from the start like Magic Touch and RealTickling, have now also gone down that road.

Makes me wonder how long you've been into this. 😉 It started way before MT and RT did it. And I don't mean posers like CalStar either. Tickling Paradise did one of the first "orgasm tickle" videos. Solefully Yours and ANA did nude videos back in the mid to late 90s. So did Holly. So did Silvercherry. And all of them were "of us."

In fact, the ONLY "old school" producer that I can think of who never did nudity was Rock's Concepts, and I believe that's mainly because their chief models included Mrs. Rock and her sister.

Now, ask yourself why that happened. Why did even the "genuine" producers start doing nude work? (and almost every one of them did) The reason is obvious: that's what sells. And that's what sells because that's what the majority of "us" want to see.

I really don't understand why this point is taking so long to soak in. There's this persistent idea being floated on this thread that the anti-porn faction is some kind of silent majority that has been mysteriously and tragically pushed aside by a noisy minority who like nudity and sex. But that doesn't even make sense if you think about it for a couple of seconds. If the anti-porn faction was really that large, and refused to buy videos that contained nudity, then nudity wouldn't sell and producers wouldn't make it. It's that simple. There was no "non-nude golden age" in tickling. Tickle-producers started making nude vids just as soon as they could afford models who were willing to work nude (that generally costs more).

As I said earlier in this thread, the anti-porn faction needs to accustom themselves to the fact that they are a minority across the whole community. Buy the videos you like, don't buy those you don't like. And get used to the fact that there will be fewer of the those you like simply because there are fewer of you.

Personally I would like all Tickle videos with ladies wearing a minimum of a bikini or nice lingerie (which doesn't come off half way through the video) and if the guy is being tickled long shorts. That way our fetish could be something special that you could show to (almost anyone) and not pseudo porn

You can't be serious. Do you really think that you could show a movie about a man or woman being tied up and tickled to almost anyone, and not have them look at you strangely? Think about trying to explain your interest in such a movie to your mother. How do you think that conversation would go? And if you don't like the idea of trying to do that, then just how non-sexual do you really think your interest is, with or without nudity?

 

[toyou444]

Wow what a thread!

Since I hold the record for killing the most threads int the history of threads (you can check it out for yourself if you like) I think I'll put in my 2 cents.

Obviously not everyone is going to agree here, but I fall in the "no porn" camp. Not that I care if someone else wants to see pentration with their tickling, its just not for me. (And I realize I'm beating a dead horse by repeating what a lot of you have already said!)

When I started my first website of mainstream images the response was overwhelming. People thought it was new that someone would post videos and stories and pictures of non-sexual tickling. Of course there were probably just as many people spanking off to them too that never said a word to me, and sometimes that bothers me. Sometimes I wonder about trying to spread the joy of tickling for fun and realizing that probably over half the people viewing the images are getting aroused.

So I try to avoid all the underage stuff, which was not what I did in the beiginning, and I post more pictures directly for here so at least there should be a more adult audience viewing them.

Anyway, I can see both sides of the arguement (yes, I am a true Libra!) but I do side with the clothed/no-porn tickling.

~ toyou

 

[Illtcklu]

*singing* PORRRRN FREE! and life is worth living........