At
77,
w ite
Cathe i e
Hille
decided
to
step
outside
he
comfo t
zo e
by
payi g
$69
to
atte d
a
cuddle
pa ty
i
New
Yo k
City.
She
expected
a
eve i g
of
affectio ate
physical
co tact
with
st a ge s,
imagi i g
people
emb aci g,
st oki g
o e
a othe
a d
fo mi g
cosy
g oups.
I stead,
the
expe ie ce
was
fa
mo e
subdued.
The
eve t
was
st ictly
o -sexual
a d
ce t ed
o
co se t,
with
pa ticipa ts
equi ed
to
ask
fo
pe missio
befo e
touchi g
a yo e.
Afte
a
wo kshop
o
bou da ies,
Hille
made
a
few
equests
he self,
but
obody
asked
to
touch
he .
Ma y
atte dees
simply
talked
athe
tha
cuddled,
leavi g
he
disappoi ted
a d
p ompti g
he
to
leave
ea ly.
Why
the
77-yea -old
woma
paid
$69
to
cuddle
with
st a ge s
Hille
said
she
had
o ly
cuddled
people
she
k ew
well,
i cludi g
he
husba ds
a d
so s
whe
they
we e
you g,
but
became
cu ious
about
what
it
would
be
like
to
sha e
affectio ate
physical
co tact
with
st a ge s.
He
husba d
of
25
yea s
i itially
thought
the
idea
sou ded
st a ge,
while
a
f ie d
was
also
u imp essed.
Hille
eve theless
bought
a
ticket
a d
decided
to
atte d
alo e.
Befo e
the
eve t,
she
imagi ed
a
much
mo e
i timate
expe ie ce,
pictu i g
st a ge s
comfo tably
emb aci g,
st oki g
each
othe ‘s
hai
a d
lyi g
togethe
o
cushio s.The
eve t
was
adve tised
as
a
o -sexual,
d ug-
a d
alcohol-f ee
gathe i g
fo
adults.
Pa ticipa ts
we e
equi ed
to
ask
fo
pe missio
a d
eceive
a
ve bal
yes
befo e
touchi g
a othe
pe so ,
while
obody
was
obligated
to
cuddle
a yo e.
The
official
Cuddle
Pa ty
ules
simila ly
state
that
the
eve ts
a e
plato ic,
that
clothes
emai
o
a d
that
pa ticipa ts
ca
efuse
a y
equest
o
cha ge
thei
mi ds.The
eve i g
bega
with
a
wo kshop
o
co se t
a d
bou da ies.
Pa ticipa ts
p actised
maki g
specific
equests
fo
physical
co tact,
efusi g
equests
a d
accepti g
ejectio .
Hille
i itially
wo de ed
why
a
e ti e
hou
was
eeded
fo
such
exe cises,
but
late
ealised
that
the
wo kshop
made
people
mo e
comfo table
commu icati g
what
they
wa ted
a d
did
ot
wa t.
The
fo mat
is
desig ed
to
help
atte dees
p actise
these
commu icatio
skills
befo e
the
f ee-fo m
cuddle
sessio
begi s.
