Plushophilia

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People who experience plushophilia can view stuffed toy animals in a sexual way Stoya models with plush toy, Downtown Los Angeles 2006.jpg
People who experience plushophilia can view stuffed toy animals in a sexual way

Plushophilia (from "plushie" and "-philia") is a paraphilia involving stuffed toy animals. Many plushophiles modify their plushies with a hole or holes reminiscent of those found in sex toys, to allow them to sexually interact with their plushies. Plushophiles are sometimes called plushies, although this term (plushies) can also refer to non-sexual stuffed toy animal enthusiasts, and to stuffed toy animals in general. [1] [2] It is a form of object sexuality.

Contents

Furry fandom

Plushophilia is sometimes assumed to be a practice common within furry fandom, due in part to a 2001 article by Vanity Fair that linked various members of the furry community with plushophilia. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] A 1998 survey of 360 members of the furry community suggested less than one percent (that is, fewer than four people) attested to being plushophiles. [8]

Pornography and sexual activity involving animal anthropomorphism (including plushophilia and paraphilias involving fursuits and cartoon animals) is known in the furry fandom community as "yiff" (and sexual acts as "yiffing"). [6] [9]

Being in another form

Anne Lawrence has proposed that sexual arousal that depends upon imagining one's self as plush or "representations of anthropomorphic animal characters in animated cartoons" be termed autoplushophilia. [10] Paraphilic interests that involve being in another form have been referred to as erotic target location errors.

See also

Related Research Articles

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A paraphilia is an experience of recurring or intense sexual arousal to atypical objects, places, situations, fantasies, behaviors, or individuals. It has also been defined as a sexual interest in anything other than a consenting human partner. Paraphilias are contrasted with normophilic ("normal") sexual interests, though the definition of what makes a sexual interest normal or atypical remains controversial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urolagnia</span> Paraphilia associated with urine or urination

Urolagnia is a paraphilia in which sexual excitement is associated with the sight or thought of urine or urination. The term has origins in the Greek language. Golden shower is slang for the practice of urinating on another person for sexual pleasure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Furry fandom</span> Subculture interested in anthropomorphic animals

The furry fandom is a subculture interested in anthropomorphic animal characters. Some examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, speaking, walking on two legs, and wearing clothes. The term "furry fandom" is also used to refer to the community of people who gather on the Internet and at furry conventions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual fetishism</span> Sexual arousal a person receives from an object or situation

Sexual fetishism or erotic fetishism is a sexual fixation on a nonliving object or nongenital body part. The object of interest is called the fetish; the person who has a fetish for that object is a fetishist. A sexual fetish may be regarded as a non-pathological aid to sexual excitement, or as a mental disorder if it causes significant psychosocial distress for the person or has detrimental effects on important areas of their life. Sexual arousal from a particular body part can be further classified as partialism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuffed toy</span> Toy with outer fabric sewn from a textile and stuffed with flexible material

A stuffed toy is a toy doll with an outer fabric sewn from a textile and stuffed with flexible material. They are known by many names, such as plush toys, plushies, stuffed animals, and stuffies; in Britain and Australia, they may also be called soft toys or cuddly toys. The stuffed toy originated from the Steiff company of Germany in the late 19th century and gained popularity following the creation of the teddy bear in the United States in 1903. At the same time, German toy inventor Richard Steiff designed a similar bear. In 1903, Peter Rabbit was the first fictional character to be made into a patented stuffed toy. In 1921, Christopher Robin's stuffed toy, given to him by his father, A. A. Milne, would inspire the creation of Winnie-the-Pooh. In the 1970s, London-based Hamleys, the world's oldest toy store, bought the rights to Paddington Bear stuffed toys. In the 1990s, Ty Warner created Beanie Babies, a series of animals stuffed with plastic pellets that were popular as collector's items.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fursuit</span> Costume worn by members of the furry fandom

Fursuits are custom-made animal costumes owned and worn by cosplayers and members of the furry fandom, commonly known as "furries"; a furry who wears a fursuit is called a fursuiter. The term is believed to have been coined in 1993 by Robert King. Unlike mascot suits, which are usually affiliated with a team or organization, fursuits represent an original character created by their wearer, and are often better-fitting and more intricately crafted, with features such as a moving jaw. Fursuits are made in a wide range of styles, from cartoonish to highly realistic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vorarephilia</span> Sexual fetish

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Paraphilic infantilism, also known as autonepiophilia and adult baby, is a sexual fetish or non-sexual fetish that may involve role-playing a regression to an infant-like state. Paraphilic infantilism is a form of ageplay. People who practice paraphilic infantilism are often colloquially referred to as "adult babies", or "ABs".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Blanchard</span> American-Canadian sexologist

Ray Milton Blanchard is an American-Canadian sexologist who researches pedophilia, sexual orientation and gender identity. He has found that men with more older brothers are more likely to be gay than men with fewer older brothers, a phenomenon he attributes to the reaction of the mother's immune system to male fetuses. Blanchard has also published research studies on phallometry and several paraphilias, including autoerotic asphyxia. Blanchard also proposed a typology of transsexualism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Furry convention</span> Formal gathering of members of the furry fandom

A furry convention is a formal gathering of members of the furry fandom – people who are interested in the concept of fictional non-human animal characters with human characteristics. These conventions provide a place for fans to meet, exchange ideas, transact business and engage in entertainment and recreation centered on this concept. Originating in California, United States, during the mid-1980s, as of 2016 there are over 50 furry conventions worldwide each year.

"Fur and Loathing" is the fifth episode in the fourth season of the television series, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. It was broadcast on October 30, 2003 on CBS. The episode was influential in introducing many outsiders to the furry fandom and presented harmful stereotypes about the community.

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Diaper fetishism, nappy fetishism, or diaperism is a type of garment fetish in which a person derives pleasure from wearing or using a diaper. Though separate and distinct, diaper fetishism can also be used as a component of various other kinks, such as ageplay or paraphilic infantilism, which together form a spectrum of practices colloquially referred to as "adult baby/diaper lover" or "AB/DL".

Erotic target location error (ETLE) is a hypothesized dimension for paraphilias, defined by having a sexual preference or strong sexual interest in features that are somewhere other than on one's sexual partners. When one's sexual arousal is based on imagining oneself in another physical form the erotic target is said to be one's self, or erotic target identity inversion (ETII).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clop (erotic fan art)</span> Fan-made cartoons of human-like animals

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yiff</span> Slang term used in the furry fandom

Yiff is a slang term used in the furry fandom to refer to pornographic content. It is considered a tongue-in-cheek term in the furry fandom. The term is also used as a way to insult members of the furry fandom, such as in the phrase "yiff in hell". The term is also used in the plushie fetish community.

References

  1. Hill, Dave (2000-06-19), "Cuddle Time", Salon.com , archived from the original on 2008-03-28, retrieved 2007-08-27
  2. Kelleher, Kathleen (2001-06-04). "Once Seen as Taboos, Sexual Fetishes Are Gaining Acceptance" . Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
  3. Malisow, Craig (2003-12-18). "Wild Kingdom". Houston Press. Archived from the original on Aug 31, 2014. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
  4. O'connor, Siobhàn. "Montreal's furries and furverts defend their unusual lifestyle". Montreal Mirror . Archived from the original on August 30, 2002. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
  5. Kates, Tasha. "Animal Magnetism". Citypaper.net. Archived from the original on 2015-07-13. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
  6. 1 2 Meinzer, Melissa (2006-06-29), "Animal Passions", Pittsburgh City Paper , archived from the original on 2007-08-27, retrieved 2007-08-27
  7. Gurley, George (March 2001), "Pleasures of the Fur", Vanity Fair
  8. Rust, David J. (2002-08-01). "The Darken Hollow - Thoughts - Furry Sociology". Visi.com. Archived from the original on 2006-10-15. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
  9. "Who are the furries?". BBC News. 2009-11-13. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
  10. Lawrence, A. A. (2009). Erotic target location errors: An under appreciated paraphilic dimension. The Journal of Sex Research, 46, 194-215.