The Tickled Documentary and The Spectrum.... Think There's any Link?

So the other week I ended up watching the documentary Tickled on PlutoTV and I thought it was kind of interesting how the documentary ended abruptly only to be followed up with some rudimentary observations from the villain of the film in "The Tickle King". Farrier had a lot of hinting of what went on but his observations never really arrived at anything other than "well, there's many aspects of this that start out innocuously and turn out wrong."

I thought that the film was pretty insightful into the actual happenings and behind the scene motives that made D'Amato/ Desisto engage in their habit. But the information uncovered was a lot of hints that basically connected there was a consistent interest (my recollection). The one thing that I thought was surprising was the impartial reaction that D'Amato had to how things were received. No strong reactions, just legal speak.

It made me wonder whether or not Spectrum disorders have any play into people's Natural inclination to be interested in tickling. Spectrum disorders (autism, ADHD, etc) tend to reinforce two things..... executive function, and repetition. When you think of it, tickling is kind of in line with those disorders and the fetish sort of interest in it. That and the relative of his that heard "he's back into the tickle thing" makes it sound like he was engaged on various obscure facets.

What do you guys think? Do you think it explains some of the obscure news articles that occasionally flow to the top? Or do you think it's more of a "self- control" problem?

I've worked with children on the spectrum with a variety of presentations for about five years. This isn't a fetish observation, but I have noticed that it can be a sensory-seeking behavior for people if it is a sense that is preferred to them. I am also autistic and I find many kinds of touch soothing or regulating...tickling is a more intimate version of that for me.

There also is frequently a parallel between online communities of every kind and the spectrum just because a lot of autistic individuals find it easier to socialize in an online environment than they do in person.
On the internet, there is a clearer delineation of when and how to respond to a person. You get more time to decipher what someone is saying and form a response, and the use of things such as tone tags and the written expression of physical actions such as smile or says seriously can be helpful to make communication easier to understand than it might be IRL.

As with most things, neurodiversity is not a monolith, but this has been my observation.

I have autism and possible ADHD, and to make a long story short I do think these are linked with my interest in tickling.

However, I’d hesitate to diagnose D'Amato with anything. I think he’s just a monster regardless of whatever he might have.

Apparently, being on the autism spectrum might make one more likely to be a fetishist in general, not just a tickling fetishist.
https://www.researchgate.net/public...ith_high-functioning_autism_spectrum_disorder

That being said I wouldn't use a purely theoretical diagnosis to excuse abuse. People on the spectrum are still expected to obey the law.

MikeMenace said:

Apparently, being on the autism spectrum might make one more likely to be a fetishist in general, not just a tickling fetishist.
https://www.researchgate.net/public...ith_high-functioning_autism_spectrum_disorder

That being said I wouldn't use a purely theoretical diagnosis to excuse abuse. People on the spectrum are still expected to obey the law.

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Well technically since he got an education with it one could say he made himself "the law". I mean, yes, invasion of privacy and exploitation are "wrong" but people seem to forget that the "right" for a lot of these people would have been staying uninvolved. Like the concept of meeting someone you don't know for "fun"?

It may be a little harsh to use absolutes but the "monster" was created by someone who was enabled by giving the opportunity to these folks.

I think the spectrum can cause warped thinking which may have been part of the reason he appeared to lack guilt.

Ehh… I’d say that tricking normies into doing kink, turning around to dox and blackmail the participants, and threatening legal action, aren’t exactly common behaviours for the average neurospicy person. We do experience empathy, remorse and guilt, trust me. His behaviours and lack of guilt seem to be more indicative of some kind of personality disorder, or at the very least rich-man entitlement.

This has been mentioned ad nauseam, but he wasn’t just shitty to the guys he was trying to to trick to get m/m tickle porn from, he was shitty to everyone in the tickle community back then (internet newsgroups). If you were critical of him and the obvious BS he was pulling masquerading as a woman, you’d get your email box flooded with spam at a minimum, or he’d try to dig up dirt on you and share it if at all possible.

He was a narcissistic, selfish, manipulative sociopath. I have family on the spectrum, and they are sweet and kind people.

Edit: I hate that there was a film made about him. His legacy should have died with him.

Toesheldback said:

This has been mentioned ad nauseam, but he wasn’t just shitty to the guys he was trying to to trick to get m/m tickle porn from, he was shitty to everyone in the tickle community back then (internet newsgroups). If you were critical of him and the obvious BS he was pulling masquerading as a woman, you’d get your email box flooded with spam at a minimum, or he’d try to dig up dirt on you and share it if at all possible.

He was a narcissistic, selfish, manipulative sociopath. I have family on the spectrum, and they are sweet and kind people.

Edit: I hate that there was a film made about him. His legacy should have died with him.

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I disagree with the idea a documentary about him possibly should not have existed. Crime docs can be fascinating and this was one of them. I agree with everything else you've said.

What's important is for all of us to do our parts in making a love of tickling adults something "normies" can understand, instead of believing we're untrustworthy weirdos. That's why countering disrespectful YouTube comments when someone posts bare feet/tickling videos can be useful. Also, share ideas as to how to come out with your interest that won't make your friends get uncomfortable.

kucheeku said:

I disagree with the idea a documentary about him possibly should not have existed. Crime docs can be fascinating and this was one of them. I agree with everything else you've said.

What's important is for all of us to do our parts in making a love of tickling adults something "normies" can understand, instead of believing we're untrustworthy weirdos. That's why countering disrespectful YouTube comments when someone posts bare feet/tickling videos can be useful. Also, share ideas as to how to come out with your interest that won't make your friends get uncomfortable.

Click to expand...

Agree with the second part of your post, and it’s ironic that a post about D’amato was my 1000th post here and now I’m a red feather. Haha!

Someone, somewhere -and I can't recall where so I realize this makes any thorough discussion more difficult- had said that they had asked a couple of "professional doms" they knew about it, and both recalled that they noticed the people into it tended to be more noticeably autistic than other clients.

It may just be something akin to a "Furry Fandom effect"; there's probably no more autists than any other community, but because it's such a niche thing in general, you're far more likely to notice and remember when someone with... a particularly loose grip on social interactions... rolls up on you and says some intensely awkward shit than you will if someone can properly hide their powerlevel.

Jezebel Lee said:

Ehh… I’d say that tricking normies into doing kink, turning around to dox and blackmail the participants, and threatening legal action, aren’t exactly common behaviours for the average neurospicy person. We do experience empathy, remorse and guilt, trust me. His behaviours and lack of guilt seem to be more indicative of some kind of personality disorder, or at the very least rich-man entitlement.

Click to expand...

I would argue that in our day and age that it's a very natural process to learn to variably cut the crap in our interactions with people, and yea maybe some of my spectrum delays myself tend to make me more vulnerable; in short, D'Amato had a pattern and practiced it, I'd say.

What makes me keep going back to his appearance at the documentary viewings was my previous work experience where the importance of "affect" (facial expressions) came up. D'Amato, despite the obvious pressure etc, came across to me as blunted over everything else. Lack of guilt could play into that. Guys in general I think have to "fake" emotion/ expression more often.

I don't know, I'm just surprised by it.

Comfort Eagle said:

Someone, somewhere -and I can't recall where so I realize this makes any thorough discussion more difficult- had said that they had asked a couple of "professional doms" they knew about it, and both recalled that they noticed the people into it tended to be more noticeably autistic than other clients.

It may just be something akin to a "Furry Fandom effect"; there's probably no more autists than any other community, but because it's such a niche thing in general, you're far more likely to notice and remember when someone with... a particularly loose grip on social interactions... rolls up on you and says some intensely awkward shit than you will if someone can properly hide their powerlevel.

Click to expand...

Not sure how trained doms who are used to having interactive experiences on their terms are used to reading neurotypicals. I'd say with "us", having a "plan" or "process" is much more key to living than someone who just wants to put the dick in the vagina.

Just one guy talking, but as a card carrying, top-of-the-diagnostic-score autistic person myself, the one thing I can definitively say is that trying to say there is a demonstrable link between ASD and tickling is about as accurate and repeatable as saying a gambler has a successful, winning gambling system. While there may be a tenuous parallel one could notice between a disproportionate number of members who fall onto the autism spectrum (and I am a pattern savant, if you will), I'm certain a truly analytical study would find statistically similar numbers in many other fetishes.

In the most general terms, a common trait with ASD involves tactile sensitivities. Someone may wear the same brand and color of shirt for years because that particular shirt FEELS better than others. Like my extensive collection of cheap, heather grey Fruit of the Loom short sleeved t-shirts. It stands to reason that a person with sensory proclivities may find that the feeling of being tickled or the feeling of tickling someone else or the sound of laughter is soothing, and they therefore seek it out.

I've said many times in other areas here that I'm not interested in the sexual side of tickling, so it's not truly a fetish for me but a decreasingly intense interest. I also do not like human contact and I abhor the sound of laughter. However, it is a very comfortable place in the presence of certain people with whom I have a significantly trusting relationship who are ticklish but don't really laugh so much as squirm and breath heavily, and it's very satisfying/calming to feeling their feet and/or other skin twitching and reacting under my fingertips. As long as they genuinely enjoy it. But that's just my interest in it.

With the increased diagnosis of ASD I'm sure there will be more spectrum people in more kinky interests. Just the same as there will be more autistic police officers and store clerks and chefs and heavy machine operators.

D'Amato was a vile predator; nothing else about him is relevant.