Page 23: Feathers also tickle

Because Old Blood has feathers in it and I had to pretend that I didn't know what their significance would ultimately be, I came to find out about "Acarophilia" the same way as the detectives: I looked it up on the internet. At first, I was afraid to click on any links for fear of poisoning my computer, but then quickly realized that 99% of all tickling out there is harmless.

I was more amazed that the study of tickling has become a bit of a science. It's funny how we, as a species, have decided that everything can be turned into science. We give out federal grants to study practically anything to which we can give a Latin-sounding name. The Wikipedia entry on tickle fetishism is hilariously deadpan.  Here's the deadly serious "terminology" section from the entry:


Knismolagnia is the experience of sexual gratification from the act of tickling. Acarophilia, a related term, refers to a general love of tickling and being tickled, but doesn't necessarily have any sexual or fetishist component to it.

Excessive tickling has been described as a primary sexual obsession and, under these circumstances, is sometimes considered a form of paraphilia.^[2] People whose sexuality is based almost solely on tickling can be said to have a tickling fixation. This fixation may also exist outside of sexual contexts.

(here is the link to the whole article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tickling_fetishism)

Next time you tickle a baby's chin (and enjoy the baby's little saliva-bubbly giggles), know that your condition has a name. You are an Acarophiliac! I am! We should form a group!

But then, in the dark of night, you remember that in high school you had those dark desires to give that other person a back rub or a tickle. That definitely wasn't an innocent urge. You can wonder whether you had slipped over into Knismolagnia. You can say to yourself: "I'm pretty sure that I'm okay, but, well, you know... I'm at least very sure I'm not fixated."

Speaking of fixations, there really are clubs and conventions where people get together to tickle. There are "Footnights" and "Ticklenights" and, in London, "Slap and Tickle" nights. Wikipedia even mentions a real television show in Brazil about "tickle games". Fair warning: Some of those links might not look so good in your browser's "history" section.

As I mention in Old Blood, most of it seems pretty harmless. In fact, it's kinda funny. I dare you not to laugh along with this YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_wh9--WtR4&feature=PlayList&p=41DBA716A7287302&index=0

I hope we all find something that lets us laugh this hard this weekend!