Would You Like to Rub/Pop/Ride My Beautiful Balloon?

For “Looners,” A Balloon is More Than a Balloon.

If it makes your dick hard or your pussy wet when “99 Red Balloons” plays, you might be a Looner. If the sound of someone blowing up or popping a balloon turns you on, you might be a Looner. If you want to rub balloons all over your naked body or watch someone else rub them all over theirs, you might be a Looner. And, of course, if the thought, touch, smell, or sight of a balloon makes cum, you’re definitely a Looner.

What the hell is a “Looner?”

A Looner is someone who self-identifies as a balloon fetishist. Looners are more than fond of balloons, although each has their unique reasons for doing so. It’s not a well-researched paraphilia because it’s not been studied academically and many of its participants are in the closet about their favorite fetish or fetish add-on. The fact it’s a fairly recent fetish because balloons didn’t even exist until Michael Faraday invented them in 1824 adds to the mystery.

What we do know is that many Looners believe their fetish is related to strong childhood memories, associations, or experiences. Being startled by a balloon popping nearby. Bouncing on a sturdy inflatable and feeling genital pleasure. Seeing a crush pop a balloon. Becoming aroused when someone lets the air squeal out of a party balloon. Each of these has been cited as the inspiration for a Looner’s adult attraction to latex balloons. What they like to do with their balloons once they have them is becoming increasingly creative and distinctly unique to each person.

The infamous DMS 5 claims that paraphilia is a disorder if it causes “significant distress or impairment.” For most people, that is not the case. The stress of enjoying a taboo activity, while exciting to some, can be deeply unsettling to others. Until the Balloon Buddies pen-pal club started in 1976, finding other balloon fetishists or information about techniques and safety was difficult. When the club went online in 1994, it became much easier to locate resources and community.

Although mostly a fetish embraced by heterosexual men, there are women and gay men who enjoy watching, participating in, or performing sexy antics with balloons. Former porn performer Alia Janine once appeared in a scene where she entered a balloon-filled room, blew up some more balloons, rubbed herself on them, and got down and dirty with them. What she did not do was pop them. Not a one. Her scene was crafted for Looners with what is called “Non-Popper” tastes. This means that the balloon survives the experience.

Non-poppers enjoy play such as “stuffing,” where inflated balloons are tucked inside of loose garments so that the latex can be felt directly against the skin. For some, this can mimic pregnancy or result in a feeling of being overwhelmed by the balloon. It’s such an erotic experience for some that they incorporate sturdy inflatables into their sex routine. One way to do this is for the bottom to lie across the ballon on their belly, balancing precariously during doggy style.

“Poppers” have a different twist on the fetish, thrilling in the eventual destruction of the object of their desire. Courtney Trouble, owner of Trouble Films, has worked with balloons and was surprised to learn that even clothed, the combined touch of them against her crotch and the anticipation of waiting for them to pop gave her an orgasm. That building of tension and arousal is part of the fun for poppers, some of whom confess to having been terrified by the sound in their youth and that, as they grew older, that nervous energy proved unexpectedly arousing.

Whether one is a B2P Looner (Blow-to-Pop) or an S2P (Sit-to-Pop), the goal is to make some noise. The pop can be accomplished in a variety of ways, with the use of a cigarette or a pin, or by sitting and bouncing on it like a Hip-Hop. That is called boinking, which is just adorable. While great fun, waiting for the inevitable pop and both fearing and yearning for its arrival is an example of “the misattribution of arousal,” which is a fancy way of saying that being horny and being afraid both raise your blood pressure, make your breath come in short gasps, and can be interpreted by the mind and body as sexually stimulating.

If the plan is to sit or have sex on a balloon, some special things need to be considered if the goal is not to be involved in the destruction phase of the inflation, admiration, interaction, and destruction process. Fortunately, there are balloons made specifically for this purpose available online. The anonymity, variety and superior fetish understanding of online purchases and merchants both save Looners from outing themselves at the local party store and make higher quality balloons available for greater safety, as well as color and shape selection. Qualatex is a well-respected brand.

It's probably obvious by now that there are a lot of kinky things that can be done with balloons. Some Looners go beyond having a preference for the color, body, or neck of a balloon. Larger than party-sized balloons are increasingly popular if hard to find without an online search. While some are content to blow up a balloon or hold it, others want to play with huge inflatables, like pool toys, beach balls, and swim rings. People with letters after their names call this Macrophilia. Ponies and other animal-shaped PVC inflatables exist that are large enough to ride or even get inside, although the latter carries more risk.

For Looners like the infamous Whale Man, who was a viral sensation in the early 2000s, it’s not enough to attend balloon parties with other fetishists, watch kinky porn in slow-mo, or fill their showers or closets with balloons and then play Five-Minutes-in-Heaven. They want to experience the unique hug of PVC or latex, which is reported to be calming in addition to passion-inducing due to the smell and soft sensation of vinyl against the skin. Larger balloons are easier to cuddle, ride, or fuck on. Fortunately, there are suitable balloons as tall as 16” and even larger.

Whale Man likes to get inside of his inflatables and has even created a couch that a person can rest inside of while their head pokes through a hole in the side, as well as a special suit. Breathing is an important consideration for those who like to be inside of inflatables, whether they’re balloon suits or God knows what else. Some suits have no head covering or they opt for open faces or perforated patches on the face area to breathe through. Others require a breathing tube, snorkel-style mouthpiece, CPAP-type mask, or just a full-fledged, full-faced snorkel. When getting inside an inflatable, it is vital to involve another person for safety reasons and ease of entry/exit. While some toys and suits come with zippers or valves for ease of escape, it’s never a bad idea to have something sharp in hand before indulging in the PVC hug.

Because there are so many ways to indulge in balloon play and to integrate it into other forms of kink, it’s interesting to see how it relates to other forms of fetish. Because of the shape and feel of balloons, it can be linked to breast fetishism. Foot or shoe fetishists may enjoy watching someone step on a balloon until it explodes. The process of inflating the balloons appeals to breast expansion and general inflation lovers. And, as has been mentioned previously, balloons haven’t got a chance when in the hands of smoking fetishists who also have a thing for balloons that pop.

Whether a Popper or a Non-Popper, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with perverting Michael Faraday’s wonderful rubber discovery and invention. For all we know, he was the world’s first Looner.

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