To consent, or not to consent- that is the question!
This is the murkiest of gray areas within the realms of ticklish delights (and s/m as well)... and it gets wider and deeper every day. Nice though to see some intellgent, well thought out posts on the subject,from both sides: playful AND s/m areas... and not attacks.
(Takes deep breath)...ahhhh... Nice, clean air. Yummy!
Heres some food for thought....
There's so many variations on it. If you have a sleep-over, and there's a foot poking out of a blanket, and you laugingly give it a tickle.. and everyone laughs.. that qualifies to some degree as non consensual, right? But I doubt you've emotionally harmed anyone unless they're off their Prozaac. Just like burying a friend at the beach and tickling, or even tossing a friend into the pool at summer- where was the consent? BUT take away those elements of "loss of control" and surprise...and the fun's gone! I feel the same about tickling (not all the time, but some times)
Do I take it too serious? I dunno. Not really. Just another level. I try to make more out of it because it's limited in so many ways: you ticle- they laugh and scream. The surprise is over because they know its going to be a "tickle thing" now, and they know exactly how they're going to feel and react- and some can even turn it off at that point!
Not that other styles aren't fun at times- but being into a deeper level of it for many years, I myself prefer the more torturous version. Which one can only get from a more unsuspecting victim. And THATS the gray area! Unlike rumors passed about me, I do NOT mean people that are tricked by falling thru a trap door outside my home, or those who are grabbed out of parking lots at faires. And I certainly do not use a baseball bat to club them behind the head either- not with the price of wood these days at least.
No, what I mean is a person who may be into the realm of s/m and bondage- but not really aware of the tickling world or that tickling may be a part of it...and may not even want tickling: it's the last thing on their mind. Subs are great because they expect to recieve torture, yet do not ask the what's and the how's which would ruin it a tad. Also, they simply take bondage better than most ticklees I know other than Ticklegal. For a demo or a party, seldom do we choose from the usual tickling world (there are some exceptions, Josie and Adam come to mind) because those calling themselves "ticklees" tend to "want it" and even ask for it... sometimes they fall into the "koochy-koochy-koo" types of play that really wouldnlt mesh with what we have in mind. Just imagine any Inquisition or Palace torture victim saying to the tormentor "please sir, can I have some more???"... naw, that takes the edge off it as far as it being a torture.
Torture is defined as "pain or torment inflicted against one's will, usually that person being restrained".
Ipso-facto, "tickling torture" must have
some element of non-consent or it doesn't qualify really as torture... not if you're asking for it and the one in control of it.
The above type described playstyle can lead to a HOT scene, and great (but safe!) reactions of real panic and real begging (the kind every tickler really wishes to see secretly) like this the above pic from our events.... yet, actually, it was very consentual- just not expected.
Now if the bottom has total control over the scene, via safewords or simply stopping every second for something- then where's the realism and who's actually controlling it? The tormentor or the tormentee?? Therefor, in my humble opinion, an unsuspecting victim or non consensual one (to some degree) provides the most
honest reaction (not putting it on or embellishing for the ticklers watching) and the most fun.
Of course thats in an ideal situation. Everyone needs to go their own way and abide by what makes them fly high...limits and so forth. If playful is your way- and it is for us too at times depending on who we're playing with- then by all means explore it! Actually I suggest people try BOTH sides of the coin! You may be happily surprised.
Remember to have trust first! A good top watches...and knows when is enough...w/o having to be told!
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