Hannah Attia
Professor Daphne Rankin
Human Sexuality
Fetishizing Innocence: the Lolita Complex
While the most common way of defining a fetish is, "any object or nongenital part of the body that causes a habitual erotic response or fixation", a fetish can also be, "an object, idea, etc., eliciting unquestioned reverence, respect, devotion." (dictionary.com). It is argued by many that a fetish can only be an inanimate object, but as seen in the definition, it can also be the sexual desire for a specific idea or activity. One of the ways that make sexual fantasies different than fetishes is that often times, the fetishist (who is most commonly male), will be unable to orgasm without this particular object or idea present.
While pedophilia itself is not necessarily a fetish, but is instead a psychological disorder, there are still connected elements that have to do with the fetishization of young girls and virgin- esque innocence.
English: The Norman Hackerman Building at the Univ...
the grave of Vladimir Nabokov (Russian-American wr...
Nabokov House in Saint Petersburg where Nabokov wa...These fetishes can be in the form of outfit choices, hairstyles, or even word choice and way of speaking. It is not only pedophiles or sexual predators that play into these fetishes, but instead, this "Lolita" innocence fetish is being used on a constant basis as a tool in popular culture, media, and advertisements.
One of the ways that people may play into their innocent girl fetish is through wardrobe choices, which is so popular that the term 'fetish fashion' has even been coined. "Clothing fetishes are sexual fetishes where individuals derive sexual arousal and pleasure from either (i) viewing or imagining very specific items of clothing, (ii) viewing or imagining a set of clothes (e.g.) a particular uniform or fashion look), and/or (iii) individuals (themselves or others) wearing the clothing item or uniform" (Griffiths). The "school girl" uniform has become a popular costume, made...