In popular culture, the term 'fetish' has gained a broader
meaning, and can cover any sexuality which is perceived
as unusual. For example a man who has a strong preference
for overweight women, or women of a particular race,
may be popularly described as having a fetish, even
though he is not aroused by an inanimate object or specific
body part. One site states that "plenty of white
guys want Asian girls. When this happens, they usually
call it a fetish". Similarly, 'fetish' is often
used as a synonym for BDSM, whether or not it involves
a fetish in the technical sense.
These days, we're all aware that there
are people out there who like to dress up in leather
or rubber, or who like to do 'strange things' to each
other, or who have what's called a 'fetish'. But what
is a fetish and what causes this kind of sexual behaviour?
Is it really as bizarre as it seems?
In medical and psychological terms
a 'fetish' is an object, or part of the body, that becomes
the focus of sexual desire, without which the fetishist
cannot achieve orgasm. However it is more often used
to mean any general sexual turn-on. For example, some
people will quite happily admit to having a "leather
fetish" but they don't mean that they must ALWAYS
incorporate leather into their sex sessions and can't
function without it, just that they sometimes like to
use it for an extra kick.
A quick trawl around the internet
will introduce you to a host of fetishes you didn't
know existed. Pretty much anything can be placed in
a sexual context, from the more usual objects and materials
such as feet, lingerie, high heel shoes, rubber and
leather to the more bizarre like balloons, cigarettes
and bodily fluids.
Some fetishes are more socially acceptable
than others, but on the net there is no moral code controlling
what can or cannot be discussed, so many hard-core fetishists
use it as a way to discuss their own particular passion
and to meet others who share it. A lot of the sites
may be shocking, but there are few (if any) fetishes
that are truly original and which do not have many practitioners,
around the world.
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