College Times

Issue date: 2/21/08 Section: Daily Buzz

Media Credit: MCT

"Will you be my sex slave?"

"Of course I will," I responded excitedly to the scantily-clad seductress tightly gripping a long, leather whip. Why wouldn't I be? I was at my first fetish ball wearing nothing but a short mesh dress, thong and high heels. My outfit was screaming sex slave. As far as I was concerned she didn't even have to ask. Little did I know, her idea of sex slave entailed me whipping a short, stubby man with a long, curly mullet in ass-less chaps. Little did I know this loveable Oompa Loompa-esque exhibitionist had a foot fetish, which involved sucking on toes - my toes to be exact.

My Saturday night was spent in the company of what some people would consider sexual deviants and perverts, but what I soon came to call friends. I strutted around Jack and Coke in one hand, roommate in the other mixing and mingling on the dance floor to a techno beat with: a clown choking his rubber chicken, a masked monster, a burlesque stripper, a lesbian leading her partner by a leash, a person of unknown identity in a bunny suit, a doctor and his patient covered in blood, a transvestite, a group of girls known as the "Pussy Posse" and about 100 or so more people dressed primarily in black with spikes and studs, fishnets and gloves.

I'll admit I was slightly apprehensive about attending the event due to the fact that I have very limited experience with what I naively thought a fetish ball consisted of: BDSM (i.e., bondage and discipline, domination and submission and sadomasochism).

But fetishism is not just about BDSM although pain is pleasure for some of the attendees I met. There are an infinite number of fetishes depending on the individual person's taste.

Fetishism is broken down into two types of inanimate objects: form fetishism and media fetishism. Shoes are an example of form fetishism. The shape is important (high heels, boots, etc.). Whips are an example of media fetishism. The material is important (leather, silk, etc.). Animate objects like breasts, butt or feet may be the source of obsession, but is not a fetish.

Psychology.com defines fetishism as a "disorder when there is a recurring pathological assignment of sexual fixation, fantasies or behaviors toward an inanimate object." The website even goes as far to say, "Some disorders such as mental retardation and dementia have similar or even the same symptoms," because they can "cause significant distress or impair social, occupational or personal functioning."

Not all people who have a fetish are creepy pervs and, in fact, probably a few people you know or even you maybe have one.

Got a thing for handcuffs or blindfolds? Or perhaps role playing as student and teacher gets you hot and bothered? Join the club. We've all got sexual fantasies we're dying to play out and most of them consist of a fetish of sorts. So strip off your clothes - and negative stereotypes.

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