Am I allowed to say that I think tickling has overall become highly fetishized, to the point where people see it and by default assume that the participants are doing it for that reason, when they very well might not be?

I can't help but think this way. It seems to me that thanks to societal influences, the concept of clean, platonic tickling has become less and less believable, much in the same way that clean, platonic cuddling has.

I could very well be wrong on that, and I hope that I am. But if I am correct, how do I roll with that when writing a tickle story? How do I write it in a way where it can get an E rating?

To be clear, I have no issue with people who like to engage with fetishized tickling. At all. You're not me, you do you. I'm just asking for myself here, because whenever I get around to writing a tickle story, I don't intend for it be fetish-y. That's not the way I like to view tickling in. So how do I make that clear with the writing?

7313130
Well, can I ask what the story is gonna be about?

7313134
I like the idea of the Mane Six having a tickle party, where each one takes a turn getting tickled and each one also gets a chance to be a tickler.

I also like the idea of having a story where a pony tickles a human, as that seems to have gone completely unused.

Might be a while before these stories come to life, I have a long list of other stories I want to do first, but yeah.

7313147
Well, I have written stories that are rated T, and they all have the same victim. (Hint: It’s Pharynx.)

Anyway, I guess people fetishize tickling is because either it involves bondage, or the tickling of erotic areas, or it evokes feelings of arousal from the tickler and/or ticklee. I’m just gonna assume it’s all three of those.

7313152
I can totally understand that. But then with it, what should people who fall outside of it do? There are people, like me, who don't get aroused by tickling but enjoy it for another reason. In my case, I just think it's cute and I like the playfulness. (provided it is consensual.) I guess I could compare it to the feeling someone would have when playing with a kitten.

But the high fetishization makes us look suspicious, and that's where I'm stuck as to how my tickle stories should be written.

7313156
I guess I would suggest it being a reoccurring part of a romantic relationship/familial bonding/friendship, one that doesn’t involve bondage or orgasmic arousals.

I’d recommend reading stories like these for a good idea.

7313160
Okay, I'll go ahead and read those. Thanks!

7313163
No problem.

Those were great stories, and it makes perfect sense why people aren't fetishizing those. It would be very gross if they did so. But I'm not really sure how I can incorporate what they use into my two ideas. The Mane Six having a tickle party probably has fuel for potential fetishization, I think, whereas parents wanting to tickle their child because of memories does not. Because the former would likely have a lot more description of the tickling, and all the Mane Six are adults.

7313172
Hmm...

7313172
Well, then there you come up against the fact that, as far as my impression goes, a bunch of women getting together to take turns tickling each other isn't something that people do, and I have only ever heard that premise in ... the very thing you're avoiding. The thing is, I don't know what exactly you mean by 'how' to make it E. All you have to do is not describe any arousal, I don't see what's complicated about it.

Do you think the mods will insist on rating it sexual even if there's nothing explicitly sexual in it just because they know that there is such a thing as tickle fetishism? I really don't think that's a thing they do. If any and all tickling subject matter that could turn someone on must be rated like porn, then damn; any tickle fetishist will tell you that children's cartoons go to that well a lot, that's where I developed my interests. Plenty of totally clean tickling is dirty to someone, you can't really do anything about that, that's how humans work. I seriously doubt the mods will crack down on the possibility that someone somewhere could be turned on by it to insist it be rated T, if there's nothing explicitly sexual.

If you're asking for some way to avoid other people on the site treating it like porn ... I would just make my peace. You can politely request that no one talk about clopping on an E story, that's perfectly reasonable, and I hope it's a decent enough group here that they can respect that. If you really think you can put them off: avoid describing anyone as 'helpless', avoid lavish descriptions of what they look like being tickled, and do not include in the arc any heightening physical excitement that reaches a certain peak. OR. Write it how you want and just ignore if you accidentally turn someone on with it.

7313487
Sorry for the late reply! I guess I needed time to think about your comment, and I got distracted a lot, lol, but I will attempt to revive this thread.

Yes, I believe you are correct in saying that the mods wouldn't do such a thing. I don't think they would. And yes, different people do have different looks on things. Something that looks completely platonic to one person might look sexual to another person. I can't avoid that.

I guess where I run into another roadblock is asking how far can I take it before it crosses those boundaries you mentioned at the end of the post. I do agree with those; avoiding using those things would definitely help keep the story E-rated. But where exactly do those boundaries begin? Should I avoid describing anyone as feeling good during the tickling at all? Avoid mentioning that they're excited to have it happen?

A good example of an E-rated tickling story, I think, is this one. I really like this story a lot, but it is quite basic and short. I'd like to take my tickle stories a little bit further in terms of length and description, but I'm not sure how far I can go before it needs a T rating. If that makes sense.

7321052
And I'm saying that you can go as far as you like as long as there's no mention of sex, because, well, even the most platonic tickling is hot to someone. It seems to me that trying to tone down your tickling to keep it from being hot might end up with it just being dull even to people who want the same thing you do. Narrative tension kind of needs excitement to build, right?

Even the show itself doesn't seem to worry about accidental arousal: GIFs of this very cartoon are posted under the tickle torture tag next to the actual porn! 'Might Turn on a Tickle Fetishist' isn't a T-rated thing, it's everywhere in completely G-rated material. Trying to advise you on putting the pervs off strikes me as giving you false hope; as one of those pervs, all it takes is the appearance of a single feather. I wouldn't worry about it at all in the first place, because some things you just can't control. I think it best for your story if you write it how you like, the way that's fun for you, and not let this bother you.

7321251
Thanks for your comments, Crescent Minor. You have helped. I still feel a bit uncomfortable, but I don't know if I can really fix that. I'm just a person who gets concerned about being taken the wrong way, especially when it's something that's very easy to take the wrong way. I don't want to get accused of having a fetish for tickling, because I don't. Receiving a comment like that would bother me, as I think that's quite a gross thing to assume about someone. You don't ask people what turns them on, except when it is warranted. But I have seen it before, where people who engage with tickling are assumed to have a fetish, even when there's no evidence. I'd rather not point out any specific examples because I don't want to talk down on anyone, but believe me when I say that I have seen it.