# Do foot fetishes exist amongst Iraqis? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 7, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-foot-fetishes-exist-amongst-iraqis/484826 "2009-02-07T18:57:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-foot-fetishes-exist-amongst-iraqis/484826/1 "2009-02-07T18:57:10Z")
While reading [why Iraqis have such a disdain for feet](http://www.slate.com/id/2206749/), an obvious question popped up: do foot fetishes exist amongst Iraqis? Or is the concept of the foot being offensive so ingrained that the sheer thought of a foot fetish disgusts them? I know it’s hard to speak for an entire country but try your best with whatever you know. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-foot-fetishes-exist-amongst-iraqis/484826/2 "2009-02-07T19:01:12Z")
Poop is pretty disgusting to us and yet some individuals seem to have such a fetish (perhaps for that very reason?). ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-foot-fetishes-exist-amongst-iraqis/484826/3 "2009-02-07T19:10:06Z")
> [@sailor](#): > > Poop is pretty disgusting to us and yet some individuals seem to have such a fetish (perhaps for that very reason?). You just reminded me of a number of internet videos I’ve been trying to forget having watched. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-foot-fetishes-exist-amongst-iraqis/484826/4 "2009-02-07T19:24:34Z")
Why would the sexual interests of Iraqis differ from anyone else’s? Society’s disapproval, no matter how strong, is never enough to totally eliminate people’s desires. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-foot-fetishes-exist-amongst-iraqis/484826/5 "2009-02-07T19:40:10Z")
Asians in general aren’t fond of the feet and yet there was foot-binding! Which could be argued to be near worship of a foot (albeit, a deformed, horrible foot). Indians may not love feet, but they do decorate them with mehndi and anklets and toe rings and a ton of other stuff. Sexuality has a lot to do with culture, but there will always be people who buck the norm. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-foot-fetishes-exist-amongst-iraqis/484826/6 "2009-02-07T21:23:56Z")
> [@BrandonR](#): > > While reading [why Iraqis have such a disdain for feet](http://www.slate.com/id/2206749/), an obvious question popped up: do foot fetishes exist amongst Iraqis? Or is the concept of the foot being offensive so ingrained that the sheer thought of a foot fetish disgusts them? I know it’s hard to speak for an entire country but try your best with whatever you know. Not an expert, but I would guess that Iraq has more foot fetishists than average exactly because of the disdain you describe. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-foot-fetishes-exist-amongst-iraqis/484826/7 "2009-02-08T02:39:24Z")
My WAG is with **brazil84**. All sexual fetishes are ultimately about control. There is a lot more room for control play when it comes to something your society finds disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![ivn1188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@ivn1188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivn1188)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-foot-fetishes-exist-amongst-iraqis/484826/8 "2009-02-08T02:49:13Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > All sexual fetishes are ultimately about control. Cite/reasoning? Seems overly broad to me. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-foot-fetishes-exist-amongst-iraqis/484826/9 "2009-02-08T08:00:06Z")
I’m not sure I’d go as far as **even sven** , but it seems a lot of people get turned on by doing something dirty or otherwise taboo. Or by having somebody else do something dirty or otherwise taboo. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-foot-fetishes-exist-amongst-iraqis/484826/10 "2009-02-08T12:14:13Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Sexuality has a lot to do with culture, but there will always be people who buck the norm. . . . normbuckers! ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-foot-fetishes-exist-amongst-iraqis/484826/11 "2009-02-08T12:20:04Z")
The foot is not “despised”. Its Stamping on your feet/ showing your feet to something is supposed to be insulting. Next you will be saying that Westerners despise the middle finger? ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-foot-fetishes-exist-amongst-iraqis/484826/12 "2009-02-09T00:06:27Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Why would the sexual interests of Iraqis differ from anyone else’s? Society’s disapproval, no matter how strong, is never enough to totally eliminate people’s desires. Because sexuality is to a great extent cultural, and they have a distinct culture.