Fetishes With Massive Online Followings

The internet has enabled people to become a little less stodgy and more comfortable with their sexuality. They can gather- anonymously or not- to discuss a myriad of subjects related to sex on sites and blogs, forgetting about the supposed norms, rights and wrongs that society has imposed on them. After all, to each their own, right? The new sexual freedom has resulted in the surfacing of new fetishes, or fetishes that were previously unknown by most people. Several have gained relatively large online followings despite their unusualness. The 10 fetishes below may not be considered "normal" or healthy by people who don’t understand their appeal, but they’ve certainly earned their own niches. Please note: the list was generated on the premise that foot and underwear fetishes are the only ones that aren’t unusual. It’s a prude world.

Plushophilia: The "furry scene" has taken off in recent years, attracting a generation of people who presumably had childhood crushes on Rebecca Cunningham from "Tail Spin." These so-called "plushies" love teddy bears and other furry creatures that aren’t real. Some even like to dress up as animals, ascribing them human qualities; cartoon characters in particular are popular choices. The goal is to find a level of cuteness that stimulates arousal, and depending on the animal imitated, the imitator may also become much more cuddly.

Autoandrophilia: Both homosexual and heterosexual women have been known to imitate men and adopt their sexual roles as an extracurricular activity in the bedroom. Whether it’s their goal to assume a more dominant role, or simply to dress up, it’s not always the easiest topic to broach with a partner, especially if that partner happens to be a guy.
Agalmatophilia: Ain’t nothing like the real thing- unless, of course, your sexual fulfillment comes from mannequins or statues. And who can blame you? Most mannequins are quite attractive, which is why they’re so prominently displayed in the windows of department stores and boutiques. Statues can be sexy too, especially when they’re created by sculptors like Michelangelo who mastered the human form

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Paraphilic Infantilism: Perhaps Freud could have offered further insight on paraphilic infantilism, the desire to wear diapers and be treated as a baby. Mostly men acquire this fetish, though not all of them exhibit the same behavior when they’re partaking in it. Some adult babies play the entire role of a baby, including using cribs, toys and bottles, while others act their age despite wearing disposable underpants. Psychologists have hypothesized that many AB/DLs (Adult Baby/Diaper Lovers) desire a lack of control and power.

Maschalagnia: Believe it or not, armpit odor is an aphrodisiac for some people. The smell acts as a muscular stimulant, naturally encouraging arousal, reminding armpit lovers of their favorite part of the opposite sex’s body. Compared to other fetishes, it’s not that weird. But don’t tell that to people in Singapore, where an armpit-loving man was recently sentenced to sentenced to 14 years in jail and 18 strokes of the cane.

Hematolagnia: Given the popularity of the "Twilight" saga and the deathly combination of teenage impressionability and hormones, it might not come as a surprise that hematolagnia- blood fetishism- has seen a recent spike in popularity. Wannabe Bella Swans and Edward Cullens have taken to fantasizing about blood, biting each other’s necks as they partake in forbidden love. In most cases, the drinking of blood isn’t involved despite the association of the fetish with vampires.

Odaxelagnia: Odaxelagnia goes hand-in-hand, or maybe mouth-to-neck, with hematolagnia. The fetish is experienced when arousal is stimulated from biting a partner or being bitten by a partner. So if your lover ever tells you "bite me," don’t fret because he or she may actually mean it. Take solace in the fact that your lover could say many, many more disturbing things than that.

Algolagnia: With algolagnia, pleasure and pain are one in the same. This highly popular fetish is characterized by inflicting or receiving sensations, typically in the erogenous zone, in order to heighten the sexual experience. Psychologists have paid close attention to algolagnia through the years, studying the brain’s interpretation of pain signals and the patient’s ability or inability to control their subsequent behaviors. The previously held perception that the fetish leads to greater violence has essentially been disproven due to a lack of evidence.

Dacryphilia: Dacryphiliacs, or dacryphiles, are dispensers of pain, gaining arousal as they cause their partner to cry. They may also engage in algolagnia, odaxelagnia and hematolagnia, completing the superfecta of dark fetishes that are unusual to common folks but popular to the sexually adventurous, particularly those in the BDSM (Bondage and Discipline, Domination and Submission, Sadism and Masochism) community.

Somnophilia: Intruding on someone’s sleep is downright rude. Intruding on someone’s sleep to, well, have your way with them is downright perverted. But hey, if it’s two consenting adults, one pre-consenting, then who is anyone to judge? Somnophilia can range from erotically caressing a person while they’re sleeping to intercourse, so it’s not narrowly defined by a single activity.

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