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In addition to non-fiction such as The Infested Mind: Why Humans Fear, Loathe and Love Insects, Oxford, 2013), I write mystery novels (Poisoned Justice and Murder on the Fly, Pen-L 2016, 2017).
Given that you should write about what you know, my protagonist (Riley), is a cop-turned-exterminator pursuing both two- and six-legged pests. The upcoming book in the series is tentatively titled Lethal Fetish, and various psychological conditions involving insects are integral to the plot—including a trio of mysterious deaths. This provides an opportunity to delve into the “infested mind” and raise some interesting questions.
In the following excerpt, Riley is pursuing a lead involving crush fetishism—a practice in which men derive sexual gratification from watching women crush various creatures (see another PT blog post on the subject here). A psychologist is helping him understand this unusual practice—and challenging his view of what is normal and acceptable.
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“Generally speaking, the soft crush community is highly critical of hard crush practitioners,” Dr. Chen explained.
“Why? Seems odd for cricket crunchers to be judgmental of mouse mashers.” She didn’t appreciate my analysis and gave me the look that Sister Mary Leon used when I was being a smartass in junior high. “Isn’t soft crush a gateway to the hard stuff?” I asked, trying to regain professional decorum.
“Like I said, not usually. I know this is hard for you to understand, and even professionals such as myself struggle with the notion of abnormality. But think of it this way, as a soft crush fetishist who visited my graduate seminar explained. Killing insects for sexual gratification is a choice, a way of finding pleasure at the cost of a living creature. But, he asked, what about those who choose to eat beef or pork? Sentient animals are raised in factory farms and brutally killed so that meat eaters can derive sensual fulfillment. Nobody needs to see worms crushed or to consume cattle flesh. We do it because it is enjoyable. But who has the moral high ground—the fetishist or the carnivore?”
I thought about my juicy Whiz burger from last night, but there was no way I could see how my meal was the same as asking my lover to skip sex and crush a roach. Not wanting a philosophical argument, I returned to the topic we’d been avoiding.
“Here’s what I meant when I talked earlier about kittens and kids. Is it possible that for someone on the hard crush track, the ultimate high would be to watch a woman smash a human being?” There was a long silence as Dr. Chen closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.
“I’ve never imagined that the fetish could lead to murder,” she said. “But yes, it’s conceivable.” She stopped rubbing and leaned forward. “So what’s your next move?”
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So, is there an ethical difference between crushing insects and eating mammals for pleasure? Riley insists that morality and mental health are not merely whatever a group of people happen to decree as being socially acceptable. Is he right?
