# Tickle torture? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 13, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickle-torture/445214 "2008-04-13T22:11:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Questioner\_087](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/a88e57/32.png) [@Questioner\_087](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Questioner_087)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickle-torture/445214/1 "2008-04-13T22:11:47Z")
Are there any historical references or examples of tickle torture? ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickle-torture/445214/2 "2008-04-14T01:41:54Z")
Only by older sisters. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickle-torture/445214/3 "2008-04-14T07:40:41Z")
Would you believe there’s a Wikipedia page on the subject? > **[Tickle torture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tickle_torture)** > > Tickle torture is the use of tickling to abuse, dominate, harass, humiliate, or interrogate an individual. While laughter is popularly thought of as a pleasure response, in tickle torture, the one being tickled may laugh whether or not they find the experience pleasant. In a tickling situation, laughter can indicate a panic reflex rather than a pleasure response, and the tickling may be a consensual activity or one that is forced, depending on the circumstances. In a consensual form, ti An artic... ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickle-torture/445214/4 "2008-04-14T16:51:49Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Would you believe there’s a Wikipedia page on the subject? > **[Tickle torture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tickle_torture)** > > Tickle torture is the prolonged use of tickling to abuse, dominate, harass, humiliate, or interrogate an individual. While laughter is popularly thought of as a pleasure response, in tickle torture, the one being tickled may laugh whether or not they find the experience pleasant. In a tickling situation, laughter can indicate a panic reflex rather than a pleasure response. > In ancient Japan, those in positions of authority could administer punishments to those convicted of crimes that were beyo... [/QUOTE] Fascinating. Just a couple of observations. > [@](#): > > Puckridge tricked his wife into allowing herself to be tied to a plank. How do you do that exactly? Also: > [@](#): > > Today, in the tickling fetishism community, goats are sometimes used to provide excruciating tickle torture, but even more often, dogs and cats are used to lick the feet, or even the armpits or other areas, as they are easier to acquire, and are still also very ticklish. Victims are also often bound in their underwear or nude, preventing anything from getting in the way, **and exposing even a few more sensitive parts**. That sucks. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickle-torture/445214/5 "2008-04-14T17:42:48Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Would you believe there’s a Wikipedia page on the subject? > **[Tickle torture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tickle_torture)** > > Tickle torture is the prolonged use of tickling to abuse, dominate, harass, humiliate, or interrogate an individual. While laughter is popularly thought of as a pleasure response, in tickle torture, the one being tickled may laugh whether or not they find the experience pleasant. In a tickling situation, laughter can indicate a panic reflex rather than a pleasure response. > In ancient Japan, those in positions of authority could administer punishments to those convicted of crimes that were beyo... [/QUOTE] I have a feeling that whole article was written by tickling fetishists. In fact, so was this thread. The poster has 2 posts and both are about tickling. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickle-torture/445214/6 "2008-04-14T18:34:21Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] How do you do that exactly? [/QUOTE] “Honey, let’s play the Grilled Salmon game tonight!” ---
**Author:** ![Questioner\_087](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/a88e57/32.png) [@Questioner\_087](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Questioner_087)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2008, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickle-torture/445214/7 "2008-04-15T01:16:23Z")
I heard that a woman in Russia was tickled on the feet, for infidelity, for several hours. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2008, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickle-torture/445214/8 "2008-04-15T13:09:38Z")
I find that when I concentrate on the activity happening, I cease to be ticklish. Can’t others? I’m quite serious. I always thought of it as a reaction a person can shut off. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2008, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickle-torture/445214/9 "2008-04-15T14:43:15Z")
[QUOTE=TV time] I find that when I concentrate on the activity happening, I cease to be ticklish. Can’t others? I’m quite serious. I always thought of it as a reaction a person can shut off. [/QUOTE] I can usually do that as well. It used to drive my GF completely insane because she was always very ticklish, and could not “pay me back” whenever the tickle torture sessions were underway. Being very competitive, however, she did not respond in the way I would have hoped when I gently suggested other potential targets for such ministrations. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2008, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickle-torture/445214/10 "2008-04-15T15:17:32Z")
Here’s an old article from our very own Cecil: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_207.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_207.html)