A woman exposing her belly

A belly fetish (also known as a stomach fetish, or alvinolagnia)[1] is a partialism in which an individual is sexually attracted to the midriff[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] or belly.[11][12][13][14]

Description

The belly is widely considered as an erogenous region,[15] meaning it holds multiple nerve endings that make it sensitive to various sensations.[16] Therefore, having a belly fetish usually coincides with belly-related sexual acts including but not limited to touching/rubbing the belly region, using sex toys and other objects (e.g., food, candles, ice, feathers, massage oils) to stimulate the belly region, rubbing one's belly against a partner's belly, or licking or sucking the navel.[17] For this reason, belly fetishism (alvinolagnia) often co-exists with navel fetishism (alvinophilia).[18][19] Overall, the belly fetish is a form of partialism.[16]

Belly-to-belly contact

Individuals with alvinolagnia tend to enjoy having sexual intercourse in the missionary position given the position's heightened belly-to-belly contact between partners.[20] It is theorized that this sexual desire for belly-to-belly contact is linked to the evolutionary need for ventral-ventral contact when being nursed as an infant[21][22] or to entice feelings of being nurtured and loved.[23] One participant of a social experiment involving belly-to-belly contact described the act as "a very intimate thing, even when it's not meant to be."[24]

Non-sexual belly-to-belly contact in a sports post-play celebration

The evolutionary need for ventral-ventral contact may also contribute to sexual arousal during objectively non-sexual belly-to-belly contact which may happen when hugging or cuddling while wearing skin-revealing clothing (e.g., crop top, bikini);[25] taking part in some forms of partnered dance (e.g., bachata (dance));[26] or participating in sports involving belly-to-belly contact either due to the sports' nature (e.g., wrestling, mixed martial arts)[27] or as a strategy for obtaining rest, breaking-up an opponent's rhythm, heightening camaraderie during play, and/or eliciting post-play celebration (e.g., boxing, beach volleyball).[28][29][30][31]

Cultural background

Western culture

Some assume that alvinolagnia is a cause of the prevalent western fashion of female midriff exposure.[32] In the Victorian era, a small waist was considered the main trait of a beautiful woman.[33] The advent of bikinis in 1946,[34] the cheerleading fashion of the 1970s[35] and low-rise fashion started in the early 1990s[36] have contributed to widespread fascination of the belly region. Specific breakthroughs of the belly region being featured in American media include Cher in the 1970s "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour," as well as the character Ariel in Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989 film).[37] Midriff exposure also became common in the culture of 20th-century music with many famous female pop stars appearing on and offstage and in music videos with their midriff exposed.[38][39][40] Some get attracted to women wearing a crop top or bikini.[41]

Despite the prevalence of alvinolagnia, midriff exposure, and sexual belly-to-belly contact throughout Western pop culture, it is rare for belly-to-belly contact to be featured in Western media under a non-sexual tone. Nonetheless, non-sexual belly-to-belly contact in Western media generally represents either the establishment of a non-sexual friendship or the strengthening of an existing bond between two people.[42] For example, the North American sitcom Will & Grace features two characters, Jack and Karen, who initiate and periodically bolster their long-lasting friendship via non-sexual belly-to-belly touch,[43] a quirk so infamous that it appeared on the show's holiday special.[44] More recently, non-sexual belly-to-belly touch became a key characteristic of Bayley and Sasha Banks' The Boss n' Hug Connection, a former women's professional wrestling tag team known for engaging in a post-match celebration involving belly-to-belly hugs.[45]

Middle Eastern culture

Belly dancing movements are considered to be seductive.

The eastern art of belly dancing places the female midriff on center stage.[46][47] The dance movements of the torso are considered to be seductive.[48]

Indian culture

The exposure of midriff and navel in a sari
The exposure of midriff and navel in a sari

The bare female midriff is considered attractive and erotic in India.[49] Baring the midriff has always been a fashion in Indian women attire.[50][51] Indian women have traditionally worn saris[52] that bares the midriff, especially South Indian women.[53][54] The exposure of midriff in a sari is considered to be erotic.[55] The midriff is revealed in other traditional female attires like Ghagra choli.[56] Belly chains known as kamarband in India when worn with low-rise saris and lehengas are considered sensuous.[57] Most Indian women wear belly chains during weddings and other ceremonies as a show of culture and tradition. Nowadays, women have been pairing these chains with western outfits, mostly to draw attention to their figures.[58]

Men are intrigued by the demure floor-length attire and tantalising display of a bare midriff in the back.[59][60] Indian actress Ileana D'Cruz had commented that there were shots where a big porcelain seashell was thrown on her belly and flowers decorated around her waist during the shoot of her debut film and stated that the belly and navel is supposed to be a mark of a woman's beauty in South Indian films and they believe that the waist line is the most attractive part.[61][62][63][64] Indian Singer Chinmayi once tweeted against a fan's request for sarees during performances, saying, "Groups of men...take photographs of my waist + side of my chest, circle it and upload it on soft porn websites.", "I get messages on how they're masturbating to it."[65]

Some Indian men are aroused by pinching a woman on her midriff bared by the sari.[66] This scenario was depicted in an advertising campaign for a leading constructions company group in India.[67] With the tagline "Everything you love, is in arm's reach", it featured a man at office extending his arm out to pinch his wife's midriff at home, with her expressing joy by smiling and biting her lower lip.[68] It was featured as a full-page advertisement in Dec 6, 2013 Chennai issue of the Times of India.[69]

Accessories and tattoos

Gemma, a model wearing a belly button piercing

Some people wear accessories like belly chains, navel piercings, tattoos etc., to enhance the appearance of the belly.[70] It can be a delicate thin or heavy thick chain.[58] As of 2023, Kim Kardashian was still commonly wearing her belly chain.[71][72][73]

Managing editor of digital of Canadian magazine Flare Rebecca Perrin stated in an article, "a woman's waist and hips are two of the most physically attractive body parts there are – emphasizing them shouldn't immediately be considered a faux pas and should instead be encouraged." Celebrities like Beyoncé,[74][75] Rihanna,[76] Miley Cyrus[76] etc. are known for flaunting their belly chains.[77]

Navel piercing[78] and navel tattoos[79] have become more common among young women. The trend of piercing or tattooing the navel became popular in the 1990s.[80] It is popular among middle-aged women.[81][82] Some belly chains attach to a navel piercing; they are called "pierced belly chains".[83] Similar to navel piercings, hip piercings are also popular among women to express a bold personality.[84]

Some get stomach tattoos to attract attention of the onlookers,[85] but these tattoos are more commonly preferred by women. There are many variations in design, from tribal to flowers.[85][86] Some women even get these tattoos drawn on their lower backs[87] and flaunt them in low-rise jeans, shorts or skirts.[88]

Sometimes, looser clothing such as scarves or skirts around the female waist and curves can be sexually appealing.[89] Scarves wrapped around the waist are common among belly dancers.[88][90]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Holmes, Ronald M.; Holmes, Stephen T. (2002). "Sex crimes: patterns and behavior". Psychology (2, illustrated, reprint ed.). Sage Publications. p. 19. ISBN 9780761924173.
  2. ↑ "CRM 397 : Sex Offences" (PDF). criminology.missouristate.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  3. ↑ Rosalyn Sternberg. "Understanding Sexual Fetishes And Paraphilias". kinseyconfidential.org. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  4. ↑ John Curra (8 May 2013). The Relativity of Deviance. SAGE Publications. ISBN 9781483321202. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  5. ↑ Ian Kerner; Steph Auteri. Good in Bed Guide to 52 Weeks of Amazing Sex. Good in Bed Guides. p. 221. ISBN 978-0984322152. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  6. ↑ Susan Scutti (2014-06-12). "The Museum Of Sex Will Teach You About Your Sexual Nature And Possible Fetishes". medicaldaily.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  7. ↑ "Dirty Sex Dictionary". Daily Loaf. Sep 16, 2012. Archived from the original on 19 July 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  8. ↑ Purnis, Jan (2010). "Digestive Tracts: Early Modern Discourses of Digestion". University of Toronto: 25–26.
  9. ↑ Maddan, Sean; Pazzani, Lynn (2017). "Sex Offenders: Crime and Processing in the Criminal Justice System". Aspen Criminal Justice Series: 56. ISBN 978-1454887232.
  10. ↑ Snow, William Benham (1917). American Association of Electrotherapeutics and Radiology, American Electrotherapeutic Association, International Association of Climatologists, New York Electrotherapeutic Society (New York, N.Y.). "The American Journal of Electrotherapeutics and Radiology, Volume 35". The American Journal of Electrotherapeutics and Radiology. 35: 48–49.
  11. ↑ Paul Convery (2012). Inkhorn's Erotonomicon: An Advanced Sexual Vocabulary for Verbivores and Vulgarians. Vol. 1. Troubador Publishing. p. 13. ISBN 978-1780883151. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  12. ↑ "Chat of the Clubs". The Dart and Midland Figaro. The Ohio State University. 1886. p. 6.
  13. ↑ Charnock, Stephen (1864). The Complete Works of Stephen Charnock. Vol. 1. James Nichol. p. 240.
  14. ↑ V.Gallery, Daniel (1965). Eight Bells, and All's Well. the University of Michigan. p. 299.
  15. ↑ Pallavi Tyagi (Jul 31, 2012). "Most pleasurable moan zones!". Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  16. 1 2 Arman Khan (Aug 20, 2022). "What Is Navel Play? A Beginner's Guide to Belly Button Fetishes". Vice Media Group.
  17. ↑ Krissy Brady (Mar 15, 2016). "11 Sexy Things to Do to Your Partner's Belly Button in Bed". Women's Health Magazine.
  18. ↑ Aggrawal, Anil (2009). Forensic and medico-legal aspects of sexual crimes and unusual sexual practices. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. p. 121. ISBN 978-1420043099. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  19. ↑ Viren Swami, Adrian Furnham (2008). The Psychology of Physical Attraction. Indiana University: Routledge. p. 134. ISBN 978-0415422505.
  20. ↑ Caroline Shannon-Karaskin; Aryelle Siclait; Lydia Wang (Nov 9, 2022). "14 Ways to Make Missionary Sex So. Much. Hotter". Women's Health.
  21. ↑ Patricia McConnell (Feb 9, 2010). "Hugging". The Other End of the Leash.
  22. ↑ "Skin-to-Skin Contact". UNICEF United Kingdom. 2022.
  23. ↑ Chewy Editorial (Jan 20, 2021). "Do Dogs Like Hugs?". BeChewy.
  24. ↑ The Doctors (Apr 17, 2017). "Do Shirtless Hugs Reduce More Stress?". YouTube.
  25. ↑ Sarah Hunter Myrray, Ph.D. (Aug 28, 2017). "The Sexual Science of Cuddling". Psychology Today.
  26. ↑ "Latin Club Dances". Phoenix Latin & Ballroom. 2022.
  27. ↑ Kyle Carroll (2014). "Technique of the Week: Belly-to-Belly Suplex". MyMMANews.
  28. ↑ Jacob Smith (Oct 10, 2022). "Why Do People Hug in Boxing?". Casino.org.
  29. ↑ "What's up with all the hugging in beach volleyball?". Reddit. 2021.
  30. ↑ Mustafa Gatollari (Aug 2, 2021). "Volleyball Players Celebrate After Every Point for Two Reasons". Distractify.
  31. ↑ Tetsuchi Kajimoto; Paresh Dave (Aug 6, 2021). "Beach Volleyball-America's Ross and Klineman beat Australia for gold". Reuters.
  32. ↑ Victor T. Cheney (2004). The Sex Offenses and their Treatments: The Problem--The Solution--Commentary. AuthorHouse. p. 135. ISBN 978-1418429515.
  33. ↑ Silver, A.K. (2004). Victorian Literature and the Anorexic Body. UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 38 & 48. ISBN 0-511-03051-7
  34. ↑ The Two Piece Swimsuit Evolution Archived 2015-11-17 at the Wayback Machine. Gla moursurf.com.
  35. ↑ Tim Delaney, Tim Madigan (2009). Sports: Why People Love Them!. University Press of America. p. 248. ISBN 9780761844891.
  36. ↑ New York Media, LLC (10 May 1993). "Navel Mauvers". New York. p. 26. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  37. ↑ Leon F Seltzer, PhD (10 May 2017). "What's So Sexy About Belly Buttons? Might navels be the most tantalizing--but least publicized--erogenous zone?". Psychology Today.
  38. ↑ Christina Anderson (18 July 2012). "Rihanna, Madonna And 48 More Celebrities Who Made The Midriff So Fabulous (Photos)". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  39. ↑ DANELLE SANDOVAL (May 19, 2015). "The 9 Best Christina Aguilera Midriff Moments From The '90s To 2000s, From Her "What A Girl Wants" Days To The "Dirrty" Era". BUSTLE. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  40. ↑ "Boobs, Belly & Thigh! Dissect the Sexy Anatomy Of the ACM Awards Right Here!". perezhilton.com. 2014-04-07. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  41. ↑ "Alvinolagnia". gaypopculture.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  42. ↑ Larry Gross (26 Dec 2001). "Up from Invisibility: Lesbians, Gay Men, and the Media in America". Google Books. ISBN 9780231529327.
  43. ↑ Ali Velez (17 Jan 2017). "17 Times Jack & Karen from "Will & Grace" Were Friendship Goals AF". Buzzfeed.
  44. ↑ Emily Longeretta (20 Nov 2017). "'Will & Grace' Cast Throw It Back for Holiday Special". Weekly US News.
  45. ↑ "Sasha Banks and Bayley Hug Moments". YouTube. Jan 19, 2022.
  46. ↑ drmarkgriffiths (2013-10-02). "Dance encounter: A beginner's guide to choreophila". drmarkgriffiths.wordpress.com. Archived from the original on 23 May 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  47. ↑ Charlene Chua (Mar 28, 2012). "Belly sexy dancing". Asia One. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  48. ↑ Karin van Nieuwkerk (1998). ""An hour for God and an hour for the heart": Islam, gender and female entertainment in Egypt". Music & Anthropology. §5. Archived from the original on 30 November 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  49. ↑ Alka Pande (2011). Shringara the many faces of Indian beauty. Rupa Publications. ISBN 978-8129125316.
  50. ↑ Miller, Daniel & Banerjee, Mukulika; (2004) "The Sari", Lustre press / Roli books;
  51. ↑ "Grange Official says Optimism Prevails about India's Future". Reading Eagle. Apr 6, 1969. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  52. ↑ Dhamija, Jasleen; Jain, Jyotindra (1989). Handwoven fabrics of India. Mapin. p. 149.
  53. ↑ Alkazi, Roshan (1983) "Ancient Indian costume", Art Heritage;
  54. ↑ Ghurye (1951) "Indian costume", Popular book depot (Bombay)
  55. ↑ Khushwant Singh (2012). Sex, Scotch & Scholarship. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978-9350292426.
  56. ↑ "Social Science a Textbook in History for Class IX as per New Syllabus - FK Publications". Archived from the original on 2016-05-13. Retrieved 2016-09-19.
  57. ↑ Priyanka Dasgupta (Sep 13, 2011). "Vidya Balan inspires Rituparna Sengupta?". The Times of India. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  58. 1 2 "Rocked the body chain yet?". The Times of India. Jun 19, 2015. Archived from the original on 2 September 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  59. ↑ Novia McDonald-Whyte (August 12, 2002). "Unfolding the Indian Sari". Jamaica Observer. Archived from the original on 2014-01-14. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  60. ↑ Sowmya Rajendran (16 June 2017). "Sai Pallavi's debut in Telugu and Tamil: Here's some 'real beauty' coming our way". TheNewsMinute.com. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  61. ↑ Sowmya Rajendran. "Shooting the messenger: Why Ileana and Amy slamming Tollywood's navel obsession isn't 'hypocrisy'". www.thenewsminute.com. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  62. ↑ "Ileana D'Cruz: It would be prudish to say 'I don't want to be a prop in a film'". BollywoodLife.com. 27 August 2017. Archived from the original on 16 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  63. ↑ "Ileana D'Cruz Seconds Taapsee Pannu's Comment On South's Midriff Obssession [sic] With Her Own Experience". India.com. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  64. ↑ "Objectification Of Women Is Not Just An Issue In South But In Bollywood Too, Says Ileana D'cruz". Indiatimes.com. 26 August 2017. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  65. ↑ Anusha Iyengar. "Chinmayi Sripaada gives it back to a fan who asks her to wear a saree while performing - check her tweet here". TimesNow.com. Archived from the original on 28 January 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  66. ↑ Rachel Vara. "What's With Indian Men And The Navel Fetish?". onmogul.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  67. ↑ "KGS Corporate". kgscorporate.com. Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  68. ↑ "KGS Sunnyside Advertising Campaign". identitidesign.com. Archived from the original on 18 June 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  69. ↑ "KGS Ad". epaper.timesofindia.com. Times of India. Archived from the original on 2016-10-11. Retrieved 2020-01-03.
  70. ↑ Amy Devan (2015-10-26). "Sari Gone West: 4 Innovative Ways to Style a Classic". india.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  71. ↑ Meehan, Julia (May 25, 2023). "Kim Kardashian Paired Her Midriff-Baring Two-Piece Set With This Throwback Y2K Accessory". Yahoo Finance.
  72. ↑ Jackson, Clementina (July 7, 2023). "Kim Kardashian just hit new levels of extra with her mega diamond belly chain". Cosmopolitan.
  73. ↑ Parker, Ashley Joy (July 10, 2023). "Kim Kardashian Drips In Diamond Belly Chain: Shop The Style". Loop Magazine.
  74. ↑ Madeline Boardman (Feb 13, 2013). "Beyonce's 'Life Is But A Dream': Singer's Belly Chain Is The Unsung Hero Of New Documentary". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  75. ↑ Kat Stoeffel (January 9, 2013). "GQ Put Beyoncé in a Belly Chain". nymag.com. Archived from the original on 4 August 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  76. 1 2 "About Those Blingy Body Chains ..." People. September 25, 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  77. ↑ Rebecca Perrin (2013-02-13). "Great or Gauche: Belly chains". o.canada.com. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  78. ↑ Veronica Manlow (2009). Designing Clothes: Culture and Organization of the Fashion Industry. Transaction Publishers. p. 53. ISBN 9781412810555. Retrieved 9 December 2015. Recently we've seen an emphasis in women's clothing on the hips and abdomen—low rise pants, halter tops, and even rings and jewels for the navel.
  79. ↑ Lawrence J. Prelli (2006). Rhetorics of Display. University of South Carolina Press. p. 327. ISBN 9781570036194.
  80. ↑ Jill Condra (2008). The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through World History: 1801 to the present. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 224. ISBN 9780313336652.
  81. ↑ Cindy Sigler Dagnan (16 August 2008). "Guest column: What happened to modesty?". The Joplin Globe. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  82. ↑ Neha Kaura (20 May 2012). "Piercings make a fashion statement". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  83. ↑ "Belly Chains are Very Popular Among Girls". daiira.com. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  84. ↑ "21 Hip Piercing Pictures with Information". piercingmodels.com. Archived from the original on 7 June 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  85. 1 2 "20 Super Sexy Stomach Tattoos". tattoosbeautiful.com. 2015-09-12. Archived from the original on 16 July 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  86. ↑ "Feminine Stomach Tattoos". inkedmag.com. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  87. ↑ "The Tattoo redefined in India". desiblitz.com. 2011-02-08. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  88. 1 2 Shilpa, Sebastian R. (March 28, 2016). "Work that belly flat". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  89. ↑ Neena, Veena Bidasha (2006). The Way of the Belly: 8 Essential Secrets of Beauty, Sensuality, Health, Happiness, and Outrageous Fun (Illustrated ed.). Hay House, Inc. ISBN 978-1401906153. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  90. ↑ Shilpa, Sebastian R. (March 24, 2016). "Celebrating the woman". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.