These are some thoughts from a response to a comment I made on an unexceptional and entirely innocent girlie pic (since deleted) that was posted in Fetish Portraits. The photographer "decided that his fascination, admiration and desire caused by flat, sexy, soft skinned little bellies was enough to call it a fetish". It didn't deserve a diatribe though, so I put the diatribe here!

The dA definition of fetish (see below) is a little bit rambling and self referential and forgets to properly address the core issue of what is a fetish? (avoiding the issue by meaninglessly saying a fetish pic "implies fetish ideals"). It also implies that dA believes normal human sexuality is "rational" - yeah right! I think there's sometimes a lot of wordy enthusiasm but not much rigorous thinking in the way dA policy is derived and expressed.

So anyway my comment was You can't fetishistically associate power of death to a machine gun, coz it already IS deadly. It would be fetishistic to ascribe (by association) deadliness to a wooden mask. You can't fetishistically associate a power of sexuality to a girl's pelvis and belly, coz it already IS sexual. It would be fetishistic to ascribe (by association) sexuality to a leather belt......You're MEANT to want to reproduce with her, that's your NORMAL human sex drive, why we humans flourish to the point of six billion people!


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I know it's not a totally straightforward subject! HERE is a longer discussion of the origin and meaning of "Fetish".

Anyway here's a few thoughts:
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I don't think there's any necessity for a fetish to be "out there", which is just a subjective judgement. Fetishism in an erotic context is the imbuing of a nonsexual object or part of the body with sexual potency. A picture of a conventionally sexy human body is not fetishistic.

A fetish is the redirection of that straightforward reproductive urge by association, into an nonsexual object like leatherwear, a whip, a shoe; or a nonsexual part of the body. With the caveat that due to the extraordinary sexuality of us humans, many parts of the body are sexually differentiated and hence might be seen as secondary sexual characteristics.

My point is really that if this pic is a fetish portrait then every picture of a human being is a fetish portrait. The fact that the submitter feel strongly about it is not fetishistic because it is normal human sexual behaviour, which is indeed a strong drive - as most of us experience - but a fetish is a redirection of that. I know you can jokingly say "haha I find her so sexy its an obsession" but I just think it pointlessly subverts the gallery structure in dA.

Maybe sometimes a human secondary sexual characteristic can be a fetish, when the obsession overtakes the straightforward sex drive and for instance all a guy is interested in is breasts to the exclusion of other sexual behaviour. But again, that would categorise so much normal human sexuality (including ALL homosexuality) as "fetishistic".



Conclusion
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Right, so the question is, do I think too much?





..... references....

From the description of fetish for dA:
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Gallery: Fetish Portraits

Original and artistic photography where the subject is human, and implies fetish ideals, in an artistic setting or style. All subjects must be over the age of 18 when depicted in a sexual context.

Artistic photography of people arousing sexual desire: for example, an inanimate object on a body (rope, chain), or nonsexual part of the body that arouses sexual excitement in some people. BDSM & D/s themed artistic photography belongs in this gallery, as does fetish fashions worn on the body such as latex, leather, stiletto heels etc. Artistic photography of objects of obsession: an object, idea, or activity that somebody is irrationally obsessed with or attached to is acceptable, as long as it involves the human body.

Photos of objects not accompanied by the human body will be removed. Any non-artistic fetish photography (random snapshots or web cam close-up shots especially of feet, hands, eyes or tattoos, or digitally manipulated photography will be removed without notice, as will snapshots of family and friends in a non-fetish context).


This is straightforward, from Dictionary.com:
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1. An object that is believed to have magical or spiritual powers, especially such an object associated with animistic or shamanistic religious practices.
2. An object of unreasonably excessive attention or reverence: made a fetish of punctuality.
3. Something, such as a material object or a nonsexual part of the body, that arouses sexual desire and may become necessary for sexual gratification.
4. An abnormally obsessive preoccupation or attachment; a fixation.