YAQI, a Rookie's Take!!!

[Rasputin]

Okay Kiddies!!!!
I'm taking this post from the Bill Maher, Bill O'Reilly, and Jim Rome School Of Journalism. That means it may not be sensitive or politically correct, but it will be damn close to the truth. I will put the disclaimer that I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings, stomp on anyone's toes, or ignite old rivalries. I just want people to read this post and say, "He may be a bunghole, but he has a point".

Is Yaqi The Person we want as a mainstream Representitve?

I'd like to start off by covering my ass. Have I tickled Jenna Jameson, or any other girl on the Howard Stern Show? No, I have not. So I give credit where credit is due. However, Yaqi is a dual edged-sword. If a more "normal" person had sent an identical tape to Stern, it would not have received air time. By "normal", I mean vanilla, bland, plain, like every other tape Stern receives. There was something about Yaqi that made Stern give him mainstream exposure. So take the good with the bad, but remember how valuable the "good" is.

Do you truly think Howard Stern would give exposure to someone that we run into everyday? No he wouldn't. Look at Stern's history. He favors people that provide opportinities for comedic material e.g. "Stuttering John", "Crackhead Bob", Hank "The Angry Drunken Dwarf", Fred "The Elephant Boy", etc.
Am I including Yaqi in the category previously mentioned...no!!!!

Stern has been doing mainstream tickling before Yaqi was even a cosideration. From Christmas tickling...to Belinda Carlisle...to Pam, Natalie, Carmen, and Brande Roderick. Yaqi's tape only provided Stern a mainstream venue to promote tickling. Why? Because there was a way Stern could make ticking appeal to other's by goofing on Yaqi. If someone else sent in an identical tape, and didn't provide anything weird, would it have got air time? NO! Why? Because Howard Stern is mean?....NO! Because Howard Stern is looking for ratings... someone who he can poke fun at to achieve ratings. Is Yaqi this person? Yes. If you look at Yaqi as a charicature, and don't get offended, the jokes are funny. However, without Yaqi's mannerisms, tickling would not have the exposure it has received. Am I attacking Yaqi's mannersims? No! I'm just saying someone who could not provide Howard Stern with material would not get the exposure Yaqi has received. If I had my preference, yes, I'd rather have had Kathy and Priscilla of Realtickling represent the community on the Stern show. However, they would not have gotten the cosideration that Yaqi received because they did not provide the comedic material. Once again, I'm not picking on Yaqi. I am pointing out Howard's strategy of maintaining ratings by having guests beyond the "norm". If this is not true, why did Yaqi go to Vegas with the Stern Show?

As far as the rift I'm seeing regading Yaqi in the TMF, let it go. I didn't even know what the AMT was until a week ago, but I knew I liked tickling since I was 4! If everyone realizes we all benefit from community members, wheteher it's Foot Paradise, Yaqi, Magic Touch, or Realtickling, we will be able to move forward as a stronger union. Remember what partisan politics has done to our country.

In a nutshell:
Howard Stern: Marketing Genius, with a tickling fetish!

Yaqi: A tool of Stern's for comedic relief, but a great opportunity for mainstream expoure for our community.

There is no such thing as bad publicity.

Rasputin

 

[Dave2112]

Alright, let me be the first to chew and swallow some garlic-roasted crow.

Ras, your post was filled with some insight and perspective that I never considered, which is really unusual as I'm the one who's always touting "perspective and acceptance."

After this whole thing had some time to simmer down, I was able to get a better grip on things. I think that my feelings about Yaqi were more based on his bashing of the community than his actual actions.

Now, to be fair here, when I say "Yaqi's bashing", I guess I should be honest and say "My percieved bashing". I admit that it's not fair to claim to know what goes on in the man's mind or to assume I know what his intentions are. However, more than just I took his words that way. (And I'm not talking about the fake post, I refer to previous statements.) So, if you're getting a reaction to your words that you didn't intend...that might be the time to clear it up.

I applaude what Yaqi is trying to do, and I don't feel that he is really trying to be a "Community representative". He's doing what he wants, the way he wants. He's following his own Path, something I tell people to always do anyway.

My only wish is that Yaqi would accept a place as part of the community. This place (the TMF and the family in general) is all about brotherhood and fellowship, and I don't think that you can effectively come here, advertise your product or appearance, yet NOT wish to be a part of something. It's almost like you are part of it by default, you know what I mean?

So, I apologize for my part in offending Yaqi. I guess I never took the time to see things from another point of view. I still have my feelings about "mainstream exposure", that will never change...but that's only my opinion, and no one else has to agree with it. This fetish is big enough that we can all express ourselves in the manner we see fit.

I wish you all the success you can garner, Yaqi. I just wish you'd accept that not everyone shares your vision, however good the intent is. Whenever you do something new, there are sure to be bumps in the road. Things really spiraled out of control about this thing, and I myself had more things on my emotional plate when I made my feelings known about this. It probably wasn't the best time to share these things, but we all make mistakes...even astute Jedi Masters.🙄

So, in closing...I still stand by my convictions of where I feel the community should be, but I will never again make it personal. I learned something here as well, and hope we all have.😎

 

[Rasputin]

WARNING!!!!! WARNING!!!!!!!

NEVER WRITE POSTS AFTER 12 HEINEKENS!!!

This is the first time I've read my post, post sobriety. A couple things I would like to ammend:

1. I shouldn't have been posting anyhting about Yaqi bashing. Why..because I didn't know part or any of the whole story. I was only reacting to some commentary I heard in the chat room and some of the posts I've seen.
2. Yaqi is weird when compared to the "norm" of our society. For people who have been bashing Stern and crew for picking on Yaqi....without Stern there would be no Yaqi Mainstream tickling!!! Did you expect Stern to ask Yaqi to marry his daughter? Know where your bread is buttered!
3. What the hell was I saying????? That little manifesto was some of the most disjointed dribble I've ever wrote. Now I know why I always write drafts first!!! So please don't judge my future posts based on this one!

So to sum up my rambling in a concise fashion:

I really like the TMF and the people in it since I re-registered. I really think that the past 2 years have been a great time for ticking. I don't want anything like the Gabrielle/Foot Paradise incident on the old forum to happen!!!

I don't want anything to mess up our little tickle utopia!

Rasputin

 

[Neutron]

Why?

Why do ya even take the time to think something so insignificant through?

Tron

 

[Rasputin]

Because I can......

I travel A LOT for my job, so sometimes all I can do is think. When you're in a car traveling 300 miles a day, thinking is about the only thing you can do!!!!

You should try thinking sometime, Tron! 😀


It only hurts the first time!


Rasputin

 

[WallStreet]

Good first post from Rasputin. You should drink a case before your next post. Much like when Sherlock Holmes would use cocaine to unlock his subconscious, your 12 pack produced some wisdom. And much like the drunken monk said, Howard managed to squeeze some tickling in with his comedic content. Yaqi being on Stern was not a bad thing, it was a good thing.

 

[venray]

I have to agree...

..with wallstreet. The first post was well thought out. Though I
may not always agree with Yaqi, I do admire the fact that he HAS
done what he started out to do...bring tickling more into the mainstream.