First Time Cuddle Party

I would rather go to a petting zoo. Llama's make great huggers,

great video, very nice job.

I can't get my head round this. I'm not a touchy feely person, and this would be my idea of hell!

creepy!!!!!!

Your poor thing!

I think Tania is so cool for trying this. Go Tania!

I actually think it would be fun,but there is nothing like that in my state. I have never been to a Cuddle Party so I would be totally nervous. But an open mind is always good. I couldnt get over how rude and closed minded Tania was about the experience. I felt she was threatened by it. And wow...she even had to play the race card. From her response at the end,she wasnt empowered at all. She was just "high" knowing she had the control to tell everyone no. It looked like she simply enjoyed that control. For some reason,she reminded me of a snob looking down on the "vulgar commoners". She was right about one thing though...she was definately out of place there. The rest actually had good attitudes.

Wow, Tania is hilarious. And was she ever right about a bunch of white, toe sucking people in the group, too? . . . The groups seems to be sweet and innocent enough, but how sad is it that we have to go to a workshop to feel comfortable being touched?

Very intriguing. I don't think I would ever do something like that, but I could definitely see the benefits of it, especially for people with social anxiety problems.

...wow. I don't know.

The only way you could get me to do that would be if you paid me a LOT of money, gave me a boiler suit and a year's supply of instant hand sanitizer. Gross.

Yup, modern day hippies it looks like.

This is a great idea however they are not the first ones to come up with touch positive get-togethers. Look up Love Tribe on the internet. They have been doing this for five years all over the country.

i love the idea of these parties, i would like to go to one.

Look at Tania Michael

Oh Tania.

Most DEFINITELY, wtf.

i like that rolling thing they did towards the end.ide like to get around town like that

Not being funny, but after watching this am i the only person thinking that this Tania is one of THE rudest journalists ever/person.

What is the point of being a producer if you can't go into something open minded and think okay, this is different to what i'm used to but for these guys its cool. Its in eleven states for a reason.

Tania, just plain negative really. But still, not gonna slate a great pod. The pace and the music and the interviews were really nice. Congrats Julie.

ew

@cmruready
I met Julie at a CuddleParty. Our cuddle resembled the funny moment in the video when a bunch of people log-rolled - that is, it was a silly giggly cuddle! It turned out we're neighbors and now we're friends.

At another party I met a man I subsequently dated for six months. Our 'cuddle' started as sitting cross-legged in front of one another chatting and holding hands on our knees - with lots of eye contact.

In part, Cuddle Parties are just cocktail parties without cocktails, and everyone is in jammies. They can also be really powerful workshops for self-acceptance, asking for what you want, and learning to say 'no'.

Of course, there's always two socially awkward people, one creepy guy, and a wild card. On the plus side there are Burners, buncha hippies, nervous nellys, couples, cuties, etc.

I really dug it... The problem I am having is weird.
There is a role reversal going on... I find myself
telling women I want to "just cuddle". BUT - when
I start the non-sex acts, the women end up jumping
me. I'm exhausted...

wow a great pod! the narration is engaging and it well represents the physical need of a non touching society. for me i come from italy it sounds really weird such a party.
good job julie, keep on making pods!

Soooooo weird!! So weird.

Very good Julie_Soller. I'd point out that "cuddle party" first timer Tania is mistaken about just what it is "empowering" her, that her explanation is a "rationalization" not fact. I'd guarantee that she has long been touch deprived whether she'd admit it, realizes, is aware of it or not.

In fact, it was being "touched" in an environment and a circumstance her self-imposed notions of appropriate behavior (those lessons interpreted by her learned largely by example and unstated rules of conduct from family and society) were suspended sufficiently to allow her to enjoy the experience. Not fully, not enough to openly admit (perhaps to herself even) validating, nurturing, affectionate human contact (even with strangers) beyond (her definition of) normal American conventions is "empowering," life enhancing and validating.

Those deprived adequate touch, unable to ask for what they have been deprived, don't know and probably aren't very comfortable with, like so many adolescents (and adults alike) resort to the most extreme or intimate form of human contact, sexual relations prematurely in an effort to fulfill their need(s), or a situation such as [Sephroe] spoke of occurs.

Along those lines, our society criminalizes boys over 18 years of age for example, who find it easier to feel close to and intimacy, to experience that life enhancing, nurturing "empowerment" from a girl under 18 years old (than his own age group) who seek the same nurturing, affection and "empowerment." Rather than realizing such a circumstance for what it is, the needs of such unfortunate boys (and girls) are criminalized, then they are labeled "sexual predators."

Those prosecutors and legislators who enforce and write such laws are no different than Tania in their lack of self-understanding and awareness as a result of their own developmental deficiencies (and / or personal ambition by playing to the ignorance and lack of self-awareness of the population at large) - resulting from a deprivation of affection, nurturing, life enhancing human contact.

A person deprived a basic need when confronted with it (in this case physical contact), all too often rejects the contact as an affront due to the negative emotions associated with it - as a result of the deprivation. The drive for sex or "preservation of the species" helps to break those barriers allowing the human race to survive.

I say all this because it is compassion and understanding we must strive for foremost with our fellow human beings in pursuit of a healthier society.

I'm not picking on Tania, really. She just presented a great opportunity for me to illustrate my point. A hug for Tania if she verbalizes a "Yes."

Good pod, Julie. Next time, let's find out if Tania or someone else get into a relationship with someone they met at a cuddle party.

This video is supposed to debut on Current TV at 8pm Pacific Time, 11pm Eastern on December 2. After you watch it, check out cuddleparty.com to find out if there are cuddle parties happening in your city. Personally, I love them! Thanks for commenting and vote this up.

I want one!!!! I think that is an awesome idea for peace on earth.

Awwwww!!!!! i wanna cuddleparty lol

Ha ha I agree with petzl. Who ever heard of a scented rag. There's no such thing. Now I'm going to have to find out if they truly exist.

Do you get kicked out at first sign of wood?

not really my scene but i wouldn't mind trying it. they seemed to have fun

This is three hours of hard-core fore play! After these gatherings someone is bound to stay after and "do it like they do it on the discovery channel"...Great for failing marriages however!

I want to cuddle with Tania!

At first I thought: Wow, this /smoking/ hottie
is thinking about going to this cuddle party.

But No. She's a producer for the people taping
the segment being used as a guinea pig.

Creepiest moment: the dude with the
"scented herbs" in his rag. In reality, it probably
is scented with ... chloroform! (Watch out Tania!
Oh, too late.)

for most people touch is intertwined with sex, so this was refreshing, but at the same time, i would be extremely nervous too.

There is no such thing as "non sexual touching". Come here, let me prove it...

Three hours of "non-sexual touching" will eventually lead to some sort of sexual touching, in my opinion. Sounds like three hours of foreplay to me!

This was a great pod. It's nice to know people who enjoy cuddling still exist! It's encouraging in that a world of text messages, e-mails, Internet forums, social network websites, interactive video games, online dating programs, meaningless hookups and reality TV... there are still some people out there keeping the sacred art of human touch alive. It's a form of communication that is becoming frighteningly obsolete... enough where you have to form or join a club in order to find that sort of interaction.

bunch of hippies ....hahahahahaa

3hours of non-sexual touching. its either football or a massage :D

It was a great film though. I hope to see more like it. ^_^

There needs to be more physical contact in society, too many people are hypersensitive about being touched by strangers. I think the australian radio program on sexism I was listening to talked about a guy who is always happy go lucky "I pat you on the back" kind of guy was fired for sexual harassment for giving a girl a friendly pat like he would anyone else.

We really don't have enough trust in ourselves or those around us. It's a wonder we expect anyone to save anyone during a disaster for fear they're taking advantage of the injured.....

I'm glad these gatherings exist. I think a lot of single people have problems because of lack of touch. My mom's a massage therapist, and she deals with people every day who are nervous about being touched.

I'd be weirded out if the host of the cuddle party met me with a little tank top and no bra, though.

...ahh, California...the very frontierland of WTF ;)

excuse me but, do u mind if i suck your toes?

cuddlingus!

It's really light-hearted, love it!