Tickling as a whole

[tickler45]

As i see it there is, lets say, a "totem pole" of sex industries. First in the line at the top is the general sex industry you know all the "normal" stuff. Then comes, as i see it, bondage. Bondage i believe is the highest of the fetishes. I once saw in a study 90% of people try bondage at least once in their life. Then i think everybody also tries tickling at least once but thats diffrient. Then is the foot fetish witch can incorperate tickling. Anyhoo then i believe tickling would be fourth on the list as a growing industry with several companies devoted to its growth and production. Below tickling there are numerous fetishes out there like inflation, sneezing,hypnosis, and orthodontic braces(im sorry i just don't see that as a turn on) any way the basis of my short story is some may think tickling is a "weird" thing but tickling is not that far from normal!!!

just somthing to think about

tickler45

 

[guitman69]

Especially when compared to scat and water sports!

 

[Whacky Macky]

Well, yeah, I suppose so....we should probably be thankful that it's relatively acceptable to explain to our parters...

 

[MistressMia]

Wow!

Scat and water sports -vs- tickling, Guitman?

Hmmm. Talk about diametrically opposed ideals!!!!

No thanks for the visual... a feather in one hand and a ...never mind!
(woudn't be approriate here) just thought it was funny!

 

[MN Tikl]

Yes -- if I'm feeling embarassed about my interest in tickling, all I need to do is compare it to the other 'fetishes' out there; suddenly, it doesn't seem so bad!

For example, when I see videos devoted to enemas, scat, pregnant women, and golden showers (all of which leave me either scratching my head or appalled), tickling seems rather tame -- even mainstream! On the other end of the spectrum, I've heard of people with ear fetishes, hair fetishes, and smoking fetishes -- talk about non-threatening!

At the risk of torturing a metaphor: perhaps the fetish is truly in the eye of the beholder. What seems bizarre and (perhaps) embarassing to us stems from the intense feelings *we* get from it. Others likely view tickling as mundane, or at worst, childish.

Which leads me to a topic that probably ought to be explored in a future thread: the idea of feeling like an "alien" due to your unique interest. I know it sounds extreme, but consider this: giant industries (and some would argue our entire American culture) revolves around the "standard" sexual desire of the vast majority of men, i.e., breasts. The industries of advertising and pornography prefer to tap into (and perpetuate) this standard sexuality, because it sells product, and requires little innovation. [I realize that I'm focusing on a "supply side" theory, rather than a "demand-side" view; but, again -- a topic of another thread] Because 'breast-worship' (my own term) is so main-stream, men (and women) feel free to talk about it ad nauseum. [Men are expected to leer at women's breasts in our society!] No such outlet exists for our interest. This lack of communication creates a gap, leaving us in many ways unable to relate to other people's attitudes toward something that plays such a large role in our lives.

Hope this provides some additional food for thought.

 

[glentickle]

Read some Russian literature in translation. Dostoevsky, Turgenev, Pushkin, Tolstoi, Gogol, Chekhov; in descriptions of women it is common, if not customary, to include a reference to her feet. I don't have any direct quotes handy, but figure something like:

"Her eye was brown and fair, bosom shapely and high-held, the curve of her thigh exquisite, her foot tiny and high-arched...altogether an alluring specimen, with ample charms to draw the affections of all but the most vainglorious of men."

Now I know that it's a leap to go from a mere description of a foot, to expressing openly a love of tickling, but...it ain't the biggest leap!

glen

 

[dvnc]

I'm pretty sure that Kujman would be better posed to reply to this, as he's one of the only cats in this interest that has the history and psychology of our focus so full researched.

A correllary to your mention and linking of feet and tickling is the memory that our area of USENET was, way back when, merely a bastard stepchild in the alt.sex.fetish.feet group. Heck, that's where I found us, hopin' like mad that I'd find some mention of our interest. After all, alt.sex.bondage scorned ticklers. Funny how some can take a beating, but wail at the merest mention of tickling...

Anyway, literature, such as you've mentioned, held feet in such high standards largely because, historically, they were an oft favored part of the female anatomy. China viewed feet much more highly, even, regardless of the fact that their favoritism to binding the feet prior to the completion of puberty, and it's subsequent hobbling of women. Feet have always been a focus, and until the Victorian era, were of interest to many.

Mind you, way back when, such things as CLEAN feet were a big deal, and connoted such things as wealth and self-tending. Ever read about what people did in the streets?

What's true though is that tickling was viewed two ways (to over-simplify): As punishment and as an intimacy for families and for lovers. There's countless tales in history of tickling as a punishment, and the Kama Sutra mentions it repeatedly, commenting on how just enough is good, and too much is awful.

Our focus, these days, is not uncommon. The percentage of the public with such a focus, though, is small, and, generally speaking, appears to have been thusly for many centuries.

I never sweat this, mind ya. It's sexually common to neglect female lovers, too. I ain't about to follow either norm. Faugh. With what's *normal* these days, I'll stick to my deviancies.

dvnc