Well yeah, that’s a fairly standard body part to eroticize.
In some cultures, anyway.
Orion Fury
As a cis-straight male from America, I feel compelled to say “Normal cultures do.” Show of hands as to those who hate the culture of toxic masculinity?
Paul
Not ‘normal’ cultures, but it’s arguably a typical body part to eroticize, as most cultures eroticize the breasts. This is because they’re directly tied to the act of raising children and maternity, and are therefore the closest body part not directly tied to the act of intercourse.
Fertility goddesses and matriarchal societies similarly emphasize breasts as a symbol of femininity.
So before we get all echo-chambery and circle-jerky over toxic masculinity, let’s remember -why- they’re eroticized.
Orion Fury
Ah good. Nice to know that it’s not cause of that then.
Lawzlo
I thought that there was also a theory that human women have larger fat deposits in their breasts to advertise to men that they have that extra fat, so they’re more likely to survive in lean times. You could turn that around and theorize that there could be an instinct to notice such fat deposits.
I am not, however, a scientist by a long shot, so I could be completely off-base on this.
Lawzlo
Not that “noticing” something and “eroticizing” it necessarily go hand-in-hand, but I could see how one could turn into the other with a lot of people.
People with larger amounts of estrogen have larger fat deposits in the chest, because relative concentrations of estrogen and testosterone as one of their secondary sex characteristics they affect, cause differences in fat distribution.
Greater concentrations of estrogen causes fat distribution in cheeks (for softer facial feature), butt, and abdominal area (creating breasts). Greater concentrations of testosterone causes fat distribution in belly (aka “beer belly”) and waist, as well as sideways on the chest (creating a “wider chest”).
Mess with the concentrations in any way, it’ll change fat deposits. Mammals in general have subcutaneous fat in general largely because our internal body temperature is typically higher than most environments, so it is crucial cushioning and warmth generation to combat that as we are warm-blooded and thus internally regulate our own temperature.
Has literally nothing to do with sexual signalling, we’ve just eroticized it in the west, largely because we eroticize signals of being “a woman” and it is one of secondary sex characteristics our brains typically use to assume the gender of the people we interact with.
thejeff
I’m missing the step here between “here are the effects of gender linked hormones on fat distribution” and “has literally nothing to do with sexual signaling”.
Wouldn’t any sexual signal be controlled by such hormones?
Tranq
@thejeff, sexual signaling is controlled by hormones because no culture has ever sprung up in the absence of the biologic. So yes, “way back in the day” when fertility (linked to strong hormonal production and secondary sexual characteristics) controlled whether humans and cultures lived or died, humans of all cultures developed a preference for large breasts and hips on females, wide shoulders on males, etc. Lots of cultures *lack taboos* about body parts whose development is inherently sex-linked (one reason I can think of off the top of my head is a lack of clothing in the culture) but doesn’t mean those body parts *aren’t sexualized*. Even cultures with little/no clothing (e.g. indigenous cultures of Tierra del Fuego?) retain the concept of an ideally sexually attractive individual, where the basic criteria match up with those of other cultures.
tl;dr: stuff that’s true of “the West” is not necessarily untrue of everywhere else, and in this case it certainly is not.
CJ
I thought you were talking about hair at first.
The covering of women’s hair to avoid that the poor, hormon-driven men react to it shows up in several cultures, too.
Though I’m hard put to imagine a hard-wired biological reason why anyone should find hair erotic.
It is something that can easily be changed, bedecked, … so that it makes sense erotizising it (my autocorrect tried ‘erotic phishing’ for that one) is a cultural thing.
Well, at least one of those cultures also requires men to cover their forearms, so it seems the human body is just kinda sexy all over…
Godfather
Preface: I speak as an American and Muslim woman, but do not claim that my knowledge is absolute. Oversimplification of the subjects below is occurring, and please, do not take my word as gospel about entire groups of people. My viewpoint is narrow. And may not make sense.
At first, this strip didn’t make sense to me. However, thinking of the religious Muslim community I was raised in, it actually makes perfect sense. I can only speak with authority about the one section of culture that does suggest covering one’s head to preserve modesty. Females only, of course. And I’m referring solely to conservative Muslims who follow the teachings of imams (religious leaders) educated in areas of the Middle East and central and Southern Asia. This isn’t even the majority of Muslims in the U.S., and, of course, conservative is a spectrum in and of itself.
To me, this kind of fetishization/demonization of hair, as much as I’m trying to be open minded about it, is a product of severe indoctrination in controlling one’s desires, frequently found in religious communities, but not necessarily reinforced EVERYWHERE. Everything is a case-by-case basis. However, this makes me think of the many rather misogynistic interpretations of head covering that suggest that women are precious things to be wrapped away, not complex beings capable of their own agency. Again, this thought is complex in itself, but Becky’s reference to what she was taught coupled with the fact that she asserts that her brain knows what is erotic reminds me of these boxes that intolerant religious leaders try to force young minds into. Her kink of what lies beneath the hat is not unnatural to me-rather, it is the product of her experiences and upbringing combined with the lustful instinct that manifests itself throughout us in different ways.
Becky is not sinful. I put no value judgements on this. But this strip makes perfect sense to me after thinking of my own experiences!
Godfather
Good lord, apologies for the long-ass post!
DarkVeghetta
No apologies necessary. It was an informative perspective, though I’d suggest a much more simple reasoning: the universal appeal of the unrevealed, especially so if it’s your partner, by the second or third power if it’s your first relationship even. Also, it’s funny – this being a webcomic that shouldn’t be underestimated as reasoning to take something down a certain path.
Orion Fury
What the hell kind of thread did I start due to a self-deprecating joke? Not that it’s bad, mind you.
Yul Brynner. (What?! He was a serious sex symbol before I got married)
inqntrol
I heard that the physical appereance of Professor X was based on him, that makes him more than just a sex symbol.
CJ
I think both a instances of power being erotic and as power is less easy to to imitate, certain outstanding physical characteristics are the coded as erotic (both by those trying to imitate and those who search for someone like that)
gwalla
Telly Savalas. Who loves ya, baby?
Jason
I don’t think people find Patrick Stewart sexy because he is bald, generally speaking. I think people find baldness sexy because of Patrick Stewart.
Deanatay
Well, it was a fetish long before he came along. Yul Brynner, as Opus pointed out.
StClair
The irony, of course, being that when he started losing his hair in his twenties, I think? he was convinced that was it, his (dating) life was over.
Oh, Pat.
Sir Pat. Mr. Stewart. No.
Also foot massages rock, but I was referring to a body part that would embarrass her more and I think it would be Becky staring at Dina’s feet with lust in her eyes.
^ this is coming from a woman who had an ex who liked to have his elbow licked, so I’m more cool with kinks than most 😉
Worth also noting that folks have erogenous zones everywhere and so those types of interactions can be genuinely erotic and amazing foreplay.
One of my partners has just crazy amount of erogenous zones on their scalp and neck, so when I lightly run fingers over their scalp and gently rub their neck, it’s like super their jam.
DarkVeghetta
More common then one might expect.
Personally I love to have my hair pulled for that very same reason. The feeling of running my fingers over my scalp after I shave my head every year or so is AMAZING for the first day or two as well.
That sed, this is more about eroticizing someone’s scalp/top which I’d say is likely less common, but as rule 36 states – everything can be the subject of a fetish if given the right circumstances (even ducks aren’t immune!).
StClair
Back in the days when I went in for the whole wash-and-cut thing at a salon, rather than just going to a barber, the experience was intense. Not sexual, per se, but…
I think it was the combination of being touched somewhere I normally am not, by someone else; at the risk of provoking lewd jokes, it’s not remotely the same when I do it myself. Something about (not) having the kinesthetic/haptic feedback.
Petting. Nuzzling. Scritching. Any sort of touching is sensual, thus potentially erotic.
Ntrovert
Ever had someone else wash your hair? Especially by someone that you could be attracted to. I was’t even trying to sexualize the experience and it felt wonderful. I didn’t want to make things awkward by showing wood, but it was difficult. I stopped going to the salon, because I was sure that my arousal was apparent, and I was embarrassed and didn’t want them to feel like I was a perv.
The early Chinese culture did, binding girl children’s feet in tight bandage until they grew only about half size and twisted in the bargain. Small feet were a desireable trait.
Too bad it crippled the grown woman.
Jason
I uh
I don’t think that was generally considered a negative side effect. At the time.
DarkVeghetta
The point was it showed how that woman didn’t ever need to do any manual labor, because of her social status, by way of making her physically incapable of doing so anymore.
It’s an interesting example of willfully crippling someone to make a social statement about their abundance of power/wealth.
291 thoughts on “Bitty”
Ana Chronistic
BITEY
Mr. Mendo
Somehow, I think if Becky was staring at Dinah’s chest, Joyce would be LESS embarrassed. ^_^
Wheelpath
Wouldn’t you be?
Kernanator
Well yeah, that’s a fairly standard body part to eroticize. But the top of someone’s head? That’s a little off-beat.
(Apparently either Firefox or WordPress not recognize the word “eroticize”?)
Bluewind
But her brain is under there! Her big sexy brain! O_O
Bagge
Ooooooh, nice point
AveryAves
Beck’s a sapiosexual now, there’s no turning back
Fart Captor
That just makes me think of sapient pearwood and the mental imagery of someone doin’ it with the Luggage is horrifying
Idontcarenomore
Wouldn’t last long doing it with ‘THAT’ luggage 🙂
CJ
Why, imagine a little luggage trudging after every nice doa-character.
Wouldn’t that be worth the risk?
???
Charlie Spencer
Most of these kids have enough luggage trundling after them already.
Plus, Mike with Luggage?
Mollyscribbles
Maybe if the Luggage was into the person? I dunno, I’m not gonna kinkshame Luggage if it’s consenting.
Lawzlo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf-2msaWYqE
nobodybasically
Scientists once believed the Dinasaurus had a second brain in its butt, as a single head brain couldn’t possibly hold all those dinosaur facts.
So Becky should be staring at Dina’s butt.
Conuly
Well yeah, that’s a fairly standard body part to eroticize.
In some cultures, anyway.
Orion Fury
As a cis-straight male from America, I feel compelled to say “Normal cultures do.” Show of hands as to those who hate the culture of toxic masculinity?
Paul
Not ‘normal’ cultures, but it’s arguably a typical body part to eroticize, as most cultures eroticize the breasts. This is because they’re directly tied to the act of raising children and maternity, and are therefore the closest body part not directly tied to the act of intercourse.
Fertility goddesses and matriarchal societies similarly emphasize breasts as a symbol of femininity.
So before we get all echo-chambery and circle-jerky over toxic masculinity, let’s remember -why- they’re eroticized.
Orion Fury
Ah good. Nice to know that it’s not cause of that then.
Lawzlo
I thought that there was also a theory that human women have larger fat deposits in their breasts to advertise to men that they have that extra fat, so they’re more likely to survive in lean times. You could turn that around and theorize that there could be an instinct to notice such fat deposits.
I am not, however, a scientist by a long shot, so I could be completely off-base on this.
Lawzlo
Not that “noticing” something and “eroticizing” it necessarily go hand-in-hand, but I could see how one could turn into the other with a lot of people.
pbarnrob
Thus the term “Reubenesque”!
Storel
Actually, it’s “Rubenesque”, after the Flemish Baroque artist Rubens, who was fond of painting full-figured women.
Cerberus
People with larger amounts of estrogen have larger fat deposits in the chest, because relative concentrations of estrogen and testosterone as one of their secondary sex characteristics they affect, cause differences in fat distribution.
Greater concentrations of estrogen causes fat distribution in cheeks (for softer facial feature), butt, and abdominal area (creating breasts). Greater concentrations of testosterone causes fat distribution in belly (aka “beer belly”) and waist, as well as sideways on the chest (creating a “wider chest”).
Mess with the concentrations in any way, it’ll change fat deposits. Mammals in general have subcutaneous fat in general largely because our internal body temperature is typically higher than most environments, so it is crucial cushioning and warmth generation to combat that as we are warm-blooded and thus internally regulate our own temperature.
Has literally nothing to do with sexual signalling, we’ve just eroticized it in the west, largely because we eroticize signals of being “a woman” and it is one of secondary sex characteristics our brains typically use to assume the gender of the people we interact with.
thejeff
I’m missing the step here between “here are the effects of gender linked hormones on fat distribution” and “has literally nothing to do with sexual signaling”.
Wouldn’t any sexual signal be controlled by such hormones?
Tranq
@thejeff, sexual signaling is controlled by hormones because no culture has ever sprung up in the absence of the biologic. So yes, “way back in the day” when fertility (linked to strong hormonal production and secondary sexual characteristics) controlled whether humans and cultures lived or died, humans of all cultures developed a preference for large breasts and hips on females, wide shoulders on males, etc. Lots of cultures *lack taboos* about body parts whose development is inherently sex-linked (one reason I can think of off the top of my head is a lack of clothing in the culture) but doesn’t mean those body parts *aren’t sexualized*. Even cultures with little/no clothing (e.g. indigenous cultures of Tierra del Fuego?) retain the concept of an ideally sexually attractive individual, where the basic criteria match up with those of other cultures.
tl;dr: stuff that’s true of “the West” is not necessarily untrue of everywhere else, and in this case it certainly is not.
CJ
I thought you were talking about hair at first.
The covering of women’s hair to avoid that the poor, hormon-driven men react to it shows up in several cultures, too.
Though I’m hard put to imagine a hard-wired biological reason why anyone should find hair erotic.
It is something that can easily be changed, bedecked, … so that it makes sense erotizising it (my autocorrect tried ‘erotic phishing’ for that one) is a cultural thing.
Mr. Mendo
Well, at least one of those cultures also requires men to cover their forearms, so it seems the human body is just kinda sexy all over…
Godfather
Preface: I speak as an American and Muslim woman, but do not claim that my knowledge is absolute. Oversimplification of the subjects below is occurring, and please, do not take my word as gospel about entire groups of people. My viewpoint is narrow. And may not make sense.
At first, this strip didn’t make sense to me. However, thinking of the religious Muslim community I was raised in, it actually makes perfect sense. I can only speak with authority about the one section of culture that does suggest covering one’s head to preserve modesty. Females only, of course. And I’m referring solely to conservative Muslims who follow the teachings of imams (religious leaders) educated in areas of the Middle East and central and Southern Asia. This isn’t even the majority of Muslims in the U.S., and, of course, conservative is a spectrum in and of itself.
To me, this kind of fetishization/demonization of hair, as much as I’m trying to be open minded about it, is a product of severe indoctrination in controlling one’s desires, frequently found in religious communities, but not necessarily reinforced EVERYWHERE. Everything is a case-by-case basis. However, this makes me think of the many rather misogynistic interpretations of head covering that suggest that women are precious things to be wrapped away, not complex beings capable of their own agency. Again, this thought is complex in itself, but Becky’s reference to what she was taught coupled with the fact that she asserts that her brain knows what is erotic reminds me of these boxes that intolerant religious leaders try to force young minds into. Her kink of what lies beneath the hat is not unnatural to me-rather, it is the product of her experiences and upbringing combined with the lustful instinct that manifests itself throughout us in different ways.
Becky is not sinful. I put no value judgements on this. But this strip makes perfect sense to me after thinking of my own experiences!
Godfather
Good lord, apologies for the long-ass post!
DarkVeghetta
No apologies necessary. It was an informative perspective, though I’d suggest a much more simple reasoning: the universal appeal of the unrevealed, especially so if it’s your partner, by the second or third power if it’s your first relationship even. Also, it’s funny – this being a webcomic that shouldn’t be underestimated as reasoning to take something down a certain path.
Orion Fury
What the hell kind of thread did I start due to a self-deprecating joke? Not that it’s bad, mind you.
Kernanator
I thought I had put “in our culture” in there. Apparently my brain failed me. Curse you brain!
Kernanator
Also I appear to have left out the “does” in front of “not” in the parenthetical. Stupid tricksy brainses.
Noiob
that profile picture fits just perfectly
Reltzik
Bruce Willis.
Patrick Stewart.
Maybe you don’t eroticize baldness. But you know SOMEONE does.
zombieundergrnd
Don’t forget Mr. Clean
Reltzik
Dirty your thoughts with Mr. Clean!
…..
…. I don’t know whether that works or not.
Ana Chronistic
it sure does (sorta)
Opus the Poet
Yul Brynner. (What?! He was a serious sex symbol before I got married)
inqntrol
I heard that the physical appereance of Professor X was based on him, that makes him more than just a sex symbol.
CJ
I think both a instances of power being erotic and as power is less easy to to imitate, certain outstanding physical characteristics are the coded as erotic (both by those trying to imitate and those who search for someone like that)
gwalla
Telly Savalas. Who loves ya, baby?
Jason
I don’t think people find Patrick Stewart sexy because he is bald, generally speaking. I think people find baldness sexy because of Patrick Stewart.
Deanatay
Well, it was a fetish long before he came along. Yul Brynner, as Opus pointed out.
StClair
The irony, of course, being that when he started losing his hair in his twenties, I think? he was convinced that was it, his (dating) life was over.
Oh, Pat.
Sir Pat. Mr. Stewart.
No.
illiad
well it not a ‘proper’ word used that way… (too many bad spellings on internet!! :O )
try these.. 🙂 http://www.thefreedictionary.com/s/eroti
heard of ‘rule 34’ ?? well there is also ‘rule 36’.. :/
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Rule+36
in the old days, the only uncovered part was ankles, so…. 😛
Will
Just the tip!
Bluewind
She’s in good company on liking dome scalp 😉
http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/missed/
Bluewind
Better that than her feet 😉
Mr. Mendo
Feet are at least ticklish, which can be fun! ^_^
Bluewind
Also foot massages rock, but I was referring to a body part that would embarrass her more and I think it would be Becky staring at Dina’s feet with lust in her eyes.
^ this is coming from a woman who had an ex who liked to have his elbow licked, so I’m more cool with kinks than most 😉
Mr. Mendo
Now, I’m just trying to figure what could possibly be done, erotically, to the top of someone’s head…
APersonAmI
Palm to scalp contact. Finger to scalp contact. Forehead to scalp contact. Lip to scalp contact. Boob to scalp contact. Tigh to scalp contact.
…I’d be willing to try all of those, sounds like some neat snuggling.
APersonAmI
…Stomach to scalp contact. Overarm to scalp contact. Shoulder to scalp contact…
Orion Fury
12567
Mr. Mendo
Belly to belly suplex?
Sorry, that list started to sound like wrestling moves! 😉
Cerberus
Pretty much.
Worth also noting that folks have erogenous zones everywhere and so those types of interactions can be genuinely erotic and amazing foreplay.
One of my partners has just crazy amount of erogenous zones on their scalp and neck, so when I lightly run fingers over their scalp and gently rub their neck, it’s like super their jam.
DarkVeghetta
More common then one might expect.
Personally I love to have my hair pulled for that very same reason. The feeling of running my fingers over my scalp after I shave my head every year or so is AMAZING for the first day or two as well.
That sed, this is more about eroticizing someone’s scalp/top which I’d say is likely less common, but as rule 36 states – everything can be the subject of a fetish if given the right circumstances (even ducks aren’t immune!).
StClair
Back in the days when I went in for the whole wash-and-cut thing at a salon, rather than just going to a barber, the experience was intense. Not sexual, per se, but…
I think it was the combination of being touched somewhere I normally am not, by someone else; at the risk of provoking lewd jokes, it’s not remotely the same when I do it myself. Something about (not) having the kinesthetic/haptic feedback.
maarvarq
These http://www.orgasmatron.com.au/ were popular for a while.
Jason
The best noogie ever!
Kamino Neko
Petting. Nuzzling. Scritching. Any sort of touching is sensual, thus potentially erotic.
Ntrovert
Ever had someone else wash your hair? Especially by someone that you could be attracted to. I was’t even trying to sexualize the experience and it felt wonderful. I didn’t want to make things awkward by showing wood, but it was difficult. I stopped going to the salon, because I was sure that my arousal was apparent, and I was embarrassed and didn’t want them to feel like I was a perv.
Cerberus
I’m reminded of this note in Gone Home:
http://gonehome.wikia.com/wiki/Dealing_With_Roots
StClair
aaaaand I should have read all the way down.
Idontcarenomore
The early Chinese culture did, binding girl children’s feet in tight bandage until they grew only about half size and twisted in the bargain. Small feet were a desireable trait.
Too bad it crippled the grown woman.
Jason
I uh
I don’t think that was generally considered a negative side effect. At the time.
DarkVeghetta
The point was it showed how that woman didn’t ever need to do any manual labor, because of her social status, by way of making her physically incapable of doing so anymore.
It’s an interesting example of willfully crippling someone to make a social statement about their abundance of power/wealth.
Griffin
Joyce’s last panel face is best.
Orion Fury
5th is 2nd.
TheAnonymousGuy
The “enough of this shit” face, at last.
Bagge
That is the truth.
She did not expect to be cast as the voice of reason, but she rose to the task
AnvilPro
I love seeing smiley-Dina
Train Moblin
if dina is just a hat that means billie is just drinking problems
wait
Orion Fury
Slightly too much distilling of characterization.
GileadsBalm
was that a pun?