Questions for WAM fans

[pfredx]

Hi all-

As I mentioned in a recent post, I'm working on an article about WAM for the culinary/cultural quarterly that I edit: www.fishandgamequarterly.com. We delight in subjects and voices outside of traditional (read: boring) food writing. I'm looking for different perspectives from people involved in the scene as performers and consumers of WAM content, especially anyone with long-time involvement going back to the Splosh days. I have a list of questions below. Feel free to answer any or all of them, or to address anything I neglected to ask.

I respect your privacy. If I use your answers in my piece, I will refer to you by your handle on this forum unless instructed otherwise. If you want me to link to your site(s), please let me know.

Anyone willing to let me use some images (that are yours to share, and which will be credited to you) should also please let me know.

My questions:

1. How did you discover WAM, and when? If you're a veteran, I'd love to hear about the history going back to Splosh.

2. Are you a performer, practitioner, or consumer of WAM content? (Or more than one?)

3. Is it a major part of your identity and lifestyle, or more of a small facet?

4. Are you part of a scene wherein people meet in person for WAM activities, or is it mostly conducted online in the form of shared or commissioned videos and photos? Or is this something you engage in with your partner(s)?

5. Can you describe what attracts you to WAM—how it makes you feel good, what it accesses inside you that nothing else can reach? Is it always erotically charged?

6. Are you based in the UK? (You can be as specific as you like.) Besides its origination there, do you think there's anything uniquely British or English about WAM? My father was from Birmingham so this is particularly interesting to me.

7. Do you have any images (which belong to you) that you'd be willing to let me publish?

8. I assume this is a part of your life that you keep secret. Is it a source of shame or worry that people might find out, or are you comfortable with it?

9. Do different categories of materials have different associations or rituals? (Like paint as opposed to food, for example.)

10. Do you know of any other people who might be willing to help me as you have? The more perspectives, the better. I'd be grateful for any introductions you can make.


Thanks in advance to all of you willing to help me out. I look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers,


Peter

[messyalan]

Okay, I will start this off.

1. How did you discover WAM, and when? If you're a veteran, I'd love to hear about the history going back to Splosh.
It all started a long time before the Web and Splosh. I think it came from watching pie fights on old B & W movies but not really sure.

2. Are you a performer, practitioner, or consumer of WAM content? (Or more than one?)
All of the above

3. Is it a major part of your identity and lifestyle, or more of a small facet?
it is a smaller facet than I would like it to be if that makes any sense.

4. Are you part of a scene wherein people meet in person for WAM activities, or is it mostly conducted online in the form of shared or commissioned videos and photos? Or is this something you engage in with your partner(s)?
I used to play with my partner but she was never that interested and played more to keep me happy. Now I play alone.

5. Can you describe what attracts you to WAM—how it makes you feel good, what it accesses inside you that nothing else can reach? Is it always erotically charged?
Again it is difficult to put my finger on it but possibly for me it I the first messy thing hitting the clothes. Either by accident or on purpose. It is doing something you're told not to. The destruction of gorgeous clothes. It is not always erotically charged but the feeling of slipping and sliding in something messy can usually arouse me.

6. Are you based in the UK? (You can be as specific as you like.) Besides its origination there, do you think there's anything uniquely British or English about WAM? My father was from Birmingham so this is particularly interesting to me.
I am in the UK but never really see it as a UK thing. Sure, we like the slapstick clown but other countries have their own messy fun.

7. Do you have any images (which belong to you) that you'd be willing to let me publish?
Possibly. With some more discussion.

8. I assume this is a part of your life that you keep secret. Is it a source of shame or worry that people might find out, or are you comfortable with it?
I'm really getting past what other people think. I keep it a secret only because most other people wouldn't understand. However if asked I would probably admit to some or all of my fun.

9. Do different categories of materials have different associations or rituals? (Like paint as opposed to food, for example.)
No. For me it just needs to be something that is going to make a real mess. However, sometimes I just have a bath or shower fully clothed.

10. Do you know of any other people who might be willing to help me as you have? The more perspectives, the better. I'd be grateful for any introductions you can make.
Hopefully some more reply on her.

[pfredx]

Brilliant, thanks. Re: #1, do you recall when you first discovered that others shared your interest? Was it a copy of the magazine?

Anyone else? The more firsthand accounts I get, the better my piece will be.

[sol84]

Here are my responses -

1. How did you discover WAM, and when? If you're a veteran, I'd love to hear about the history going back to Splosh.

From earliest memories, Watching Laurel & Hardy etc as a child I saw it as funny ( just as everyone else seemed to ) but there was something more ( which no one else seemed to feel ). I only got to discover WAM/ SPLOSH etc existed as a genre when I chanced on a TV show with Bill in it. It showed him in Soho and going into the sahop Janus; making it seem that was his base. This was such a relevation that within a few days I arranged time to drive to London ( from Northern England ) and wandered Soho until I found the shop. Within I found Splosh magazine and for that ( despite obvious sexual tones of this fetish ) I shall be eternally grateful to Bill for on a plain and simple level. I wrote and told him how he had made Sploshing Ok for so many people and expressed my thanks - this always seemed to rather embarrass him, but I remain glad I did.

2. Are you a performer, practitioner, or consumer of WAM content? (Or more than one?)

Practitioner and consumer

3. Is it a major part of your identity and lifestyle, or more of a small facet?

I'd like to say its a small facet. It does not dominate my time schedule and I can eat a whole bowl of porridge without the absolute need to pour it in my pants. BUT it is a central core of my ego/ self and that reflects through to everything that I am. The emotions it engenders are strong and deep seated, so perhaps my first sentence is a bit self delusioned? Going back to #1 above - doing a 900 mile round trip to get hold of Splosh mags indicates a certain compulsion!

4. Are you part of a scene wherein people meet in person for WAM activities, or is it mostly conducted online in the form of shared or commissioned videos and photos? Or is this something you engage in with your partner(s)?

For the most part personal and private. Occassionally shared with partner. A few times historically I took part in a group type meeting, whilst lots of good memories from that and a desire to do more, there was a funny/serious aspect - fetish is a very personal thing. The slightest nuance can make or break a scene and the thrill of it and co-ordinating a number of people can be much harder than you think unless all are very open minded and caring about the feelings of others.

5. Can you describe what attracts you to WAM—how it makes you feel good, what it accesses inside you that nothing else can reach? Is it always erotically charged?

Fundamentally it is an erotic response for me. It is deep seated and I'm conscious of all the usual endorphine release tell tales - the 'buzz' that I get from it. And therein brings on the guilt at times. Seeing someone custard pied is on first thought a sexual act for me. I suppose as every pervert always claims - I'm not one! - but I see the world much as everyone else and imagine if you will how inappropriate sexual behaviour makes you feel. See the conundrum? Safe, Sane, Consensual the tenets of good sex practice dont really fit when people dont realise there is any sexual connotation!

Hence I am incredibly polite and would never actually indulge in lots of messy things that are fairly normal events. Despite the fantasy.

6. Are you based in the UK? (You can be as specific as you like.) Besides its origination there, do you think there's anything uniquely British or English about WAM? My father was from Birmingham so this is particularly interesting to me.

Now in Scotland. From the North originally. WAM is world wide, but I think the delicate balance of humour/ coercion/ victim that Bill achieved was near ( for me ) perfect and isnt really matched anywhere else. I'd contend that there's a unique humour in the UK that I hope Bill would be pleased to hear.

7. Do you have any images (which belong to you) that you'd be willing to let me publish?

Sorry - none.

8. I assume this is a part of your life that you keep secret. Is it a source of shame or worry that people might find out, or are you comfortable with it?

As above. Basic shame element, in part for reasons as described above. Yet not really bothered that people fimd out - there's far worse out there! Really its a personal guilt.

9. Do different categories of materials have different associations or rituals? (Like paint as opposed to food, for example.)

I'm a WAM Polygot - its all good! Though I do categorise 'harder/ softer' substances. The harder ones have that deep thrill element for me. Often relates to difficulty getting clean. So paint, flour etc more hardcore than foam, custard etc. If the mood is right, then hardore is the deeper turn on - mostly from the realisation of how much clean up there will be.

10. Do you know of any other people who might be willing to help me as you have? The more perspectives, the better. I'd be grateful for any introductions you can make.

None - but I'd say this forum is a great starting point.

Per your post above - discovering it was a wider fetish - all down to Bill and Splosh.

Hope that helps.

[pfredx]

Yes, very helpful. Thank you for taking the time to share your story.

Anybody else following this thread, my deadline has been pushed a bit so if you're so inclined, please weigh in with your answers.