Machines

I’ve been familiar with the concept of a “spanking machine” since I was a kid, though I can’t say where I first heard a reference to it. In PE we played “spanking machine” with jump ropes… two kids would spin the rope and the goal was to run through without getting “spanked” on your way through. So it’s clearly a common enough concept that it’s not restricted to the kink community. 

For some people I think it’s kind of a core fantasy… I’ve seen artwork and stories dedicated to it. I suppose the appeal is that a machine has no mercy, begging and remorse aren’t going to do anything to lessen your punishment, it’s pre-ordained and you just have to take it. For me a human spanker is an important part of spanking, but I guess the machine fantasy would be a way to deepen a sense of powerlessness, and if you like a cold, detached top/Dom, it doesn’t get much colder or more detached than a robot. I think also the spanking machine might appeal more to people who are more masochistic than I am (I’m not going to pretend there’s NO masochism here, but I generally don’t revel in pain the way some do) and maybe works better when the physical sensations are the most central need met in spanking. 

I was having a conversation with Emma, who writes about tickling as well as spanking, and we were discussing the balance of psychological/social elements vs purely physical sensation in spanking and tickling. It’s not impossible to spank yourself (though I’d argue it’s really DIFFICULT to spank yourself) and there are implements that are especially designed with self-spanking in mind. I think this is mostly used in long distance/online relationships, or by people who really crave that physical aspect and don’t have a partner. (First link is to a spanking blog which has no explicit imagery, second link is to a paddle on cane-iac and does have images that are NSFW though probably no worse than the drawings on this blog.)

Tickling on the other hand, is something you really can’t do to yourself at all, no matter how much you want it or who tells you to do it. Tickling is not really my thing: I have asthma and laughter is one of my most common triggers, so any activity that forces uncontrollable laughter on me is a hard NO. Before figuring that out, I think I enjoyed a pretty typical level of interest in tickling as a type of social roughhousing play between kids and adults, between kids, and later as a semi-flirting activity. Now that I’ve put a firm X on being tickled, I do enjoy tickling Jareth as a form of revenge torture when he’s being a brat (yes, tops ABSOLUTELY can be brats), but for me its main draw is as a powerful weapon that can’t be used against me (that does not stop me from getting spanked if I go to far, which honestly just makes it even more useful), rather than as a fetish/kink in its own right. 

I’m certainly aware of tickling as a kink though, and I think there’s a lot of overlap with spanking in terms of the sense of powerlessness, as well as the love/hate feelings for the physical sensation. To my mind, tickling is even more socially dependent than spanking… if I with my punishment/discipline kink decided to spank myself, or put myself in the path of a spanking machine, it wouldn’t be as satisfying as being spanked by someone else, but it could theoretically still be effectively punishing.  

I don’t know whether the same thing applies to tickling… you can’t do it to yourself, so would a machine administered tickling even work? I honestly don’t know. However I think the practical build of a tickling machine would be far easier than a spanking machine! (Click to see larger version)

The “Machine:”

1. Similarly to how I own at least four different hairbrushes and seven rulers, I assume anyone who’s into tickling has an abundance of decorative feathers around the house.
2. The crepe paper may be a little too fragile to really work here, but I think the curled ribbons have potential.
3. You might need better restraints to keep from knocking over the water glass.
4. Just pick your worst bridesmaid dress and stick it on an inflatable punching bag. The nice thing about this one is that the more you struggle, the more it moves! And if you’re thinking tulle is itchy rather than ticklish, you’re wrong it’s definitely both.
5. Look, OBVIOUSLY “personal massager” is just a euphemism… the vibrations are perfect for tickling someone. I’m not sure about the loofas though. Maybe kush balls would be better?
6. Who says cats aren’t helpful? Just add catnip.

The real trick with a tickling machine would be less the tickling action, and more the difficulty in self restraint. With spanking, if you have sufficient determination or threat behind you, you can stay in position and take the pain even when your instincts tell you to move the hell out of the way. From my experience at least, that is NOT the case with tickling, at least not for any sustained time, so some kind of restraint would be pretty important for lone tickling. There are some ways to do self bondage safely, but real restraint is a little trickier. I’ve got some ideas, but they’re probably even less practical than building a tickling or spanking machine, so I’m afraid I’m not much help there.