“Elle”, a Denver-based dominatrix, is a balloon fetishist. For her, inflating a balloon is similar to foreplay, and when it pops, it serves as a kind of metaphor for an orgasm.
Elle recently appeared on “Taboo”, a docu-series on the National Geographic Channel, where she explained:
“A ‘blow-to-pop’ is where you inflate a balloon until it pops. It feels wonderful. I feel strong when I blow it up. You’re just waiting. ‘Is it going to pop? Is it going to pop? Is it going to pop?’ So when it does, it makes you go, ‘Yeah.'”
Journalist Karen McIntyre has studied the balloon fetishist culture, and explains that “looners” can be attracted to various aspects of the balloon, such as the smell, shape or colour.
Kevin Volkan, a professor at California State University, believes balloon fetishes can usually be traced back to a particularly emotional event in childhood. He said:
“These undigested emotions later become sexualised and attached to a certain kind of object.”
On the other hand, the idea of being sexually aroused by a balloon is appalling to 27-year-old Dave Collins of Little Rock, Arkansas, who describes himself as a “non-popper”. He considers popping a balloon to be similar to murder. Collins explains:
“Your heart just reaches out this beautiful, beautiful balloon. I believe these balloons are my children.”
Pop Pop balloons is great for wnkriog on concepts, thank you. First I previewed the language associated w/ the activity: shapes, sizes, colors, then I let my student make whatever she wanted, and helped her to talk about it (e.g., I made a big, red, heart balloon”). Then, I had her follow my directions to make specific ones. I had her direct me to make some, and finally, I made several w/ contrasts in each element and directed her to pop them (e.g., pop the little red star balloon, pop all the big balloons, etc.).