Religious Sex

Hairless skin, Boy in Briefs—MrGrau 2010 (Flickr.com)

Fetish for the hairless or Acomoclitic. Some fetishists like them hairy, naturally or by way of “furry” costumes. Likewise, some fetishists go for the hairless or the acomoclitic. Hairlessness symbolizes many things in the fetish world: the PVC sex-doll like look and feel of hair-free skin, and even a dom/me-sub act of someone removing the hair of someone else, whether by shaving, waxing, or epilating their anatomy (especially the genital area) during a BDSM session. This recalls a very Samson and Delilah situation, where one succumbs power by way of giving up their hair to the other.

Lactation fetish or Lactophilia. If you’re a breastfeeding mom minding your own business who suddenly spies a crazed-looking pervy type peeking out you from around the corner or staring unabashedly at you while you nurse, there’s a big chance you’re dealing with a Lactophile. These are people who get aroused with the sight of a breastfeeding woman, or even those who are just lactating without the presence of an infant attached to the breast. Many fetish sites focusing on Lactophilia show women pumping breast milk into bottles or using a breast pump, and these are often enough to satisfy those who consider it a fetish (or make them crave for more, as the case may be). All of this fetish talk is making me seek out the health side of fetishism.

Fetish for fury, or Doraphilia. At the opposing spectrum of Acomoclitic fetish is Doraphilia. This typically describes the fetishism for animal fur or leather. Many fetish clothing incorporate animal hide or pelt because the wearer usually feels as if doing so allows them to absorb the power and essence of the animal that used to wear the same coat. As well, the luxurious feel and somewhat musky smell of real animal leather or fur adds an erotic layer to any BDSM session. 

Sexual obsession with black silk underwear, or Melcryptovestimentaphilia. Phew. Quite a long name for, wait for it…a fetish for black silk panties. We’ve already discussed one kind of panty fetish (the soiled, sold-via-vending-machine kind) in the previous post. But Melcryptovestimentaphilia places special emphasis on satin or silk black lingerie because of how it looks and feels (the scent may be an entirely different fetish, altogether). This fetish, though it may sound highly specialized, has actually existed ever since people learned how to wear underwear. The different fabrics and colors eventually led to a preference and an erotic fixation, in turn.

Feather fetish, or Pterophilia. If you’ve ever wandered into a fetishist’s “lair”, chances are you’ll find ostrich, goose, peacock, and all sorts of feathers on display. Well, they’re not really just for display purposes, as they serve the very erotic purpose of tickling people until they spontaneously combust into fits of lust or laughter (or just about anything in-between). Feathers on showgirl costumes and headdresses also inadvertently address this fetish. Perhaps the plumage-like covering under a skintight leotard or alaskin unitard drives the audience wild, wondering what it will be like to pluck this delicious-looking and colorful bird on stage. Showgirls tend to all pop vitamin pills most notably cosmetic altercations that enhance and whiten the smile.

smokers delight—jot punkt (Flickr.com)

Fetishism is about eroticizing something not normally associated with sex. While many struggle to comprehend why someone would have a sexual obsession over feet, silk clothes, or underwear, these fetishes have gotten more or less accepted as things that do happen.

Today, we will take a look at the more bizarre fetishes that even “mainstream” fetishists themselves are surprised to discover actually exist.

Smoking fetish or Capnolagnia. Smoking per se is not considered a fetish, but it is when it becomes part of a campaign to portray cigarette-smoking as a post-coital activity. Many movies employ a mild version of Capnolagnia by making their leading ladies smoke a cigarette in an erotic manner.

A darker and more extreme version of Capnolagnia is evident in BDSM sessions, where the sub becomes an ash tray, swallowing the ash, enduring smoke being blown their way by the dom/me, and even having the cigarette stubbed out on their flesh.

Mannequin fetish or Agalmatophilism.

Mannequins—Manuel W (Flickr.com)

Mannequins, whether they are the plaster department store kind or real people pretending to be immobile dressmakers’ dummies, are now the objects of a unique kind of fetish called Agamatophilism. Mannequin fetishism usually centers around the idea of a non-moving and helpless form which one can undress, dress up, and do all sorts of kinky scenarios with.

Furniture fetish or Forniphilia. This fetish is not about interior decor fans who go slightly loony at the sight of a Philip Starcke chair or a display of new stocks at IKEA. Forniphilia is all about turning a slave or a sub into a piece of furniture: a chair, table, hat or coat rack, etc. This fetish often requires hours of being immobile, so it’s potentially hazardous to the limbs and joints. I don’t know about you but Furniture fetish always gives me headaches especially when people gas on about the virtues of the art.

Fetish for big people, or Macrophilia. Stories of people becoming giants like in Gulliver’s Travels are perhaps one of the take-off points of Macrophilia play. Subs in these sessions are typically “trampled” on by towering dom/mes. Even not-so-tall dom/mes can wear heels to denote height.

Used underwear fetish or Mysophilia. We already mentioned how underwear have become “mainstream” objects of fetishists…but soiled underwear? Mysophilia has been evident in Japan for quite some time now. They even having vending machines dispensing worn schoolgirl underwear for those who want to buy a pair any time of the day, for what ever reason.

Baby talk fetish, or Infantilism. While one might argue that baby talk is part and parcel of any intimate relationship, Infantilism goes beyond this and well into the realm of bizarre adult behavior (at least by most people’s standards). Those indulging in this fetish are likely to wear diapers, have pacifiers in their mouths, crying, wailing, drinking milk from a bottle, and generally act like big babies. This is not to be confused in any way with pedophilia, though. It focuses more on the sexualization of infant-related paraphernalia.

Fetish boots—Markusram (Flickr.com)

A is for Animal Play: When a fetish includes a sub (submissive player) taking on the role of an animal, usually a pet, like a dog, horse, cow, etc.

B is for Bondage: When restraint becomes part of the fetish play, usually involving ropes, cuffs, ball-gags, and other things that fetter and bind.

C is for Consent: An important aspect of a BDSM (Bondage/Discipline, Sadism/Masochism) relationship because it signifies mutual agreement.

D is for Dominatrix: The woman who controls the BDSM scene and usually wears recognizable fetish gear and carries domme paraphernalia to underline her role.

E is for Erotic Spanking: Spanking but not as discipline or punishment, but to sexually arouse both parties involved.

F is for Fetishism: Of course. It is a sort of “specialized” obsession with an object or experience (sometimes to the point of worship).

G is for Genitorture: In a “nutshell” (pun unabashedly intended), is torture of the genitals.

H is for Harem: When a dom (dominant) has more than one sub (submissive), the group is referred to as a harem.

I is for Impact Play: When the scene involves whips, paddles, and things to flog body parts with.

J is for John Willie: A famous British fetish photographer and bondage artist who looks up to Jorge Luis Borges for inspiration.

K is for Knife Play: When knives and pointed objects are introduced into a BDSM session but without cutting the skin or drawing blood.

L is for Leather and Latex: Important components of fetish-wear, adhering to every curve of the body and becoming focal points for specific fetishes themselves.

M is for Masochism: When someone becomes the willing recipient of pain and humiliation because they find pleasure from it.

N is for Nyoitamori: A Japanese term which fetishism and BDSM have picked up because it also involves submission and food fetishism. It is when somebody acts as a living sushi platter and buffet.

O is for Over-the-Knee: A more descriptive way to describe spanking.

P is for Ponygirl/Ponyboy: A specific example of Animal Play where one of the participants has to dress up like a pony, usually in restrictive leather, latex, or PVC complete with a mouth bit and a butt plug with a horse-like tail. They have to walk around in all fours or prance around as their “owner” orders them to.

Q is for Queer Fashion: Or what the unenlightened call those who indulge in gender-related clothing because it turns people on.

R is for RACK: Which stands for Risk Aware Consensual Kink.

S is for Safe Word: The code word or phrase you and a BDSM partner agree on to say when you want an activity to stop.

T is for Tight-lacing: An important facet of fetish clothing especially in corsets. Tight-lacing can be either seen as punishment and restriction, or as something to derive pleasure from.

U is for Uniforms: French maid, Playboy bunny, schoolgirl, teacher, nurse, or what have you, uniforms play a large part in fetish clothing and play.

V is for “Vanilla”: A derogatory term for those who don’t “get” or are averse to fetishism and BDSM in general.

W is for Wax Play: Hot wax is dripped on the submissive for an erotic mix of pain and pleasure.

Image courtesy of the artist

Many people regard fetish art in the same way they regard fetish in general: a subculture, and catering only to a very select clientele. However, in recent times, more and more visual and performance artists are dealing with bondage and fetishism as their subject matter. As pictured above, even references to popular culture such as comics, cartoons, and other commonplace things are given a fetish twist (pun intended) and depicted with ropes, rivets, hooks, ball-gags, chains, whips, and other paraphernalia commonly associated with the BDSM lifestyle.

What is the purpose, you might ask?

Nobody has a clear answer, except that it can either intrigue or repel people (you may notice the tone of earlier posts in this blog, which obviously reflects the latter). The funny thing is that bondage has been dealt with in earlier forms of art. Take the case of the famous painting by Rembrandt, of Andromeda chained to the rocks awaiting Perseus’ rescue, based on the Greek mythology. Sculpture, dance, and performance art also reflected this in earlier times.

Andromeda chained, Andromeda and the Sea Monster—2sirius (Flickr.com)

Even in religion, bondage is depicted, though not in the way many perceive it the way it is today. Getting chained, fettered, whipped, slapped around, and pierced with sharp objects were oftentimes for humiliation and punishment, witnessed by many people. Medieval times also reflected this as choice of punishment for many crimes.

That both bondage and fetishism, and Medieval depictions of punishment, share many similarities in visual art forms is very interesting. We cannot fully argue that bondage is a private act, because there are many public humiliation sites and references sprouting up nowadays, with fetishists making willing spectacles of themselves in very public places like parks, restaurants, and even public utility vehicles.

And yet, the main difference between fetish art and religious art is the presence of consent. Fetishism is all about consent and choice. Inflicting and receiving pain is borne out of consent from the participants; punishment in the religious and Medieval sense does not. In BDSM speak, in fact, “punishment” is a term that has come to mean entirely something new: the punishment is inflicted, yet at the same time it is welcome.

In underlining this difference, perhaps fetish art does exist to make people look at bondage differently from what they have witnessed of it in earlier forms of art.