dlowan wrote:Heehee - at one pint we used to end up having bed parties most Sunday mornings - innocent ones, of course.
Did you guys hear about this new trend called - cuddle parties, or something? Apparently big in America - well, in places like NY or Boston I suppose. There was an article about that the other day (or well, month or two three ago), they were just pioneering the concept in London too.
It was well weird, tho kinda intriguing. You register with this organisation, and every x weeks they organise what basically is a kinda pijama party - everybody gets in their jammies and into a huge big bed. No sex allowed (tho the occasional erection doesnt need to be awkwardly hidden) - just hugs and cuddles. Sounded a bit awkward - to avoid any unpleasantries they got a few rules in place, you gotta ask before giving someone a cuddle or hug and all - seems a bit labored - but it seemed to work OK.
The weirdest postmodern phenomenon if you think about it - mostly utter strangers, who just happened to come together through this ad or website or what it was, and ... relax. Apparently lot of people go there who for some reason or other just never get to relax in their ordinary life: busy career people but also overtired mothers and of course, lotsa students and such young types. Did have a kinda nerdy feel to it, tho there was a picture showing indeed quite a regular set of folks (not wholly uncute either), if with something of a 25-35 age bias. Some relationships had formed on the basis of these sessions (its a really safe way to get to know each other just the way you are, no pretense or hype, I guess), but the group leader that they interviewed (cause there is one, originally a communication or relationship therapist or something who started freewheeling) also recounted that there was also just this guy who came, and fell right asleep, until it was over and he woke up and got on his way again - said it was the only proper sleep he ever got. Or couples - theres couples where the one is simply way more affectionate than the other - she told of this couple where the one was in the big bed-thing chilling with the others and the man (or woman?) spent her time in the kitchen making bagels - they seemed fine with it too, somehow.
All in all a well-weird story - good food for apocalyptic theoretisations about where our world's been heading that people have to hook up this way to get some normal relaxed hugging contact - but still - if it works ... it works, right?
Wonder if theres more about it on the net, if it is indeed a trend ... thing is I read about it in Dutch, dont know what theyre formally called in English ... they dont have none here yet, anyway. Guess it could be the next big thing for a mix between the lounge crowd (minus the all too snobby show-ups) and the net nerds (minus the all too geeky freaks) - you'd still have all a mix of ages that way ...
Never heard of that though. 
