FEATURES HIGH GEAR, MARCH, 1977

Village Grotto

COLUMBUS, OHIO

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FETISHISM

By Leon Stevens

The first animate object a duckling usually sees after emerging from its shell is its mother whom it instinctively follows about until it reaches adulthood. If, however, an inflated beach ball is rolled past the newly emerged duckling, it will follow the beach ball. Even if its real mother is introduced later, it will continue to trail after the ball. What is more, when the duckling matures, it will be sexually aroused only by beach balls and will ignore other ducks! This phenomenon was discovered in a series of classical psychological experiments and is referred to as

"imprinting."

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Imprinting seems to be a key factor in the development of many animals. It is still uncertain as to the extent imprinting may figure in human behavior and more specifically, sexuality. Most psychologists agree that sexual identity is determined by the ages of five or six. This means that whatever environmental or internal events contribute to our becoming gay, occur within the first five years of life and they are irreversible. Could imprinting be responsible for homosexuality? Not likely! Homosexuality is too universal among higher mammals spanning many species and varied human cultures, so that it is difficult to conceive of a single and constant visual or tactile stimulus which might trigger gayness. Other sexually related manifestations, however, might well be traceable to imprinting. Fetishes such as leather and drag might be attributable to early conditioning.

Needless to say, leather has a special sensual appeal by virtue of its frequent inclusion in male attire. It is generally perceived as a "masculine" material. But more especially, leather possesses fetish value for some gays and straight alike. Usually, a leather belt must be unfastened to reveal the genitalia, a pattern repeated by most Euro-American men from very early childhood.

Leather fetishism is perhaps more common than we think The German "Lederhosen," for example may not be merely a haphazard article of folk costuming. Leather shorts, often with attached bibs, are worn over much of Alpine Central Europe including Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy and Slovenia! These shorts appear to be relatively impractical for cold mountaineer climates. They require long, heavy stockings and still leave some of the leg exposed. Although leather is costly for these highlanders, it appears they prefer to invest it in pants rather than more practical boots. Leather near the genitalia seems to be a priority. The same could be said for the Tatra mountaineers of Poland and

Page 12

mense leather belts often measuring a foot wide. Their feet, however, are meagerly shod in flimsy mocassins.

Most fetishes are very specific, i.e., they pertain to a given fabric, item or circumstance. Fulfilling sex for some people might include, for example, making love in a risky or fearful situation, making love with the use of athletic equipment, often restricted to a given. piece of gear such as a baseball, basketball, etc. or a material, e.g. feathers, satin or, of course, leather.

In early homonoid development key aspects of an "imprintee's" environment relative to sex were no doubt predictable as the life styles of early humans like those of ape-like ancestors were relatively simple. Intimate physical contact which was no doubt witnessed by young animals was made between estrous females and males. The imprinting apparatus was either scheduled or primed to capture such sexual moments to reinforce innate instincts; however, highly complex contemporary human behavior has no doubt confounded the imprinting mechanism, making it receptive to irrelevant exercises.

Another theory holds that imprinting has become generalized to encourage continuous sexual excitability. That is to say, the imprinting apparatus may record a regular but innocent event to stimulate frequent future sexual arousal.

What is fascinating about the imprinting phenomenon is that we may all be closet imprintees. This means that much compulsive behavior which we assume to be non-sexual, may in fact be critically and highly sexual. An example of this can be found in the novel Cat and Mouse by German author Guenther Grass in which the leading character is so devoted to the statue of the Virgin Mary that he causes even the most zealous clergymen considerable embarrassment, although he is unaware of the sexual overtones implicit in his narcotic idolatry.

This raises the question of whether, Freudianism exlcuded, such things as eating or ritualized ideals like Nazism may in fact be sexual and if allowed to be concentrated or maximized might result in a fulfilling orgasmic zenith.

How much of our culture and how much of our personal lives is or consists of overt and/or controlled fetishism? And can televised violence or Sesame Street puppets describe the sexual behavior of future generations of mature adults? It is entirely possible that imprinting and modern human cultural complexity work hand in hand to produce some of the most inexplicable and bizarre animal behavior.

Would your chewing gum lose its flavor if bed-

Czechoslovakia who wear and post every inieren't on the be

im-