미국, 포옹만 해 주는 직업 '인기' Professional Cuddlers Embrace More Clients(VIDEO)

 

​ '커들러(Cuddler)? 스너글러'(Snuggler)?' ​ 월스트리트저널(WSJ)은 성관계를 하지 않는 조건으로 침대에서 낯선 사람을 껴안아 주거나, 고객의 품에 안겨주는 직업이 미국에서 뜨고 있다고 9일(현지시간) 보도했다. ​ 이른바 '커들러'와 '스너글러'로 불리는 전문 직업인들은 적어도 미국의 16개 주에서 활동하며 수천 명으로부터 예약을 받고 있다. ​ 뉴욕 하이랜드에 사는 킴벌리 킬브라이드(33)는 시간당 80달러, 하룻밤에 400달러에 고객을 맞는다. 세 아이의 엄마인 그녀는 손님이 있는 날에는 침대맡의 가족사진을 치우고 잠옷으로 갈아입고 손님과 침대에 눕는다. ​ 그녀의 일은 손님에게 안기거나 간지럼 태우고 포옹해 주는 것이다. 침대에 잠옷 차림으로 누웠지만 성관계는 물론 성적 본능을 자극도 하지 않는다. ​ 워싱턴 주 밴쿠버에서 프리랜서 작가로 일하는 멜리사 더클로스-유르돈(35)은 글의 주제를 찾으려고 낯선 남자의 품을 찾았다가 매료된 경우. 그녀는 "커들러의 치유 효과에 대한 생각이 완전히 바뀌었다"고 말했다.   커들러 또는 스너글러가 미국에 처음 등장한 것은 5년 전으로 알려졌다. ​ 심리학 전공자로 한 때 스트리퍼로 활동했던 트래비스 시글리(27)가 샌프란시스코에 '커들 테라피'(Cuddle Therapy)를 연 게 시작이었다고 업계 관계자들은 전하고 있다. 시글리는 치료사와 고객 간에 신체 접촉을 못 하는 데 좌절해 이 사업을 시작한 것으로 전해졌다. ​ 이후 이 일에 뛰어드는 사람들이 늘어났고, 특히 스마트폰이 보편화하면서 사업이 활성화됐다. 스마트폰 앱을 통해 고객과 쉽게 연결된 것이다. ​ 무료 앱인 '커들러'는 작년 9월에 론칭한 이후 불과 4개월 만에 24만 회의 다운로드를 기록했으며 매일 7천∼1만 명이 이용한다. ​ '커들 컴포트'라는 앱도 현재 1만 8천 명의 회원을 확보했다. 이 앱은 회원들이 사진, 프로필 등을 올리고 서로 관심 있는 사람을 연결해 주는 기능을 한다. ​ 그러나 이 사업을 보는 주위의 시각은 좋지 않다. ​ 사실상 매춘이나 유사한 행위가 이뤄진다는 의혹에 시달리면서 일부 업체는 다른 지역으로 이사한 경우도 생겼다. ​ 해당 업체들은 신체 접촉 범위 등을 엄격하게 정해 운영하기 때문에 우려할 필요는 없다는 입장이다. 일부 업체는 감시카메라를 설치해 감시하고 있으며, 커들링 장소를 사무실로 한정한 업체도 있다고 월스트리트저널은 덧붙였다. 연합뉴스  |  작성자 뉴욕=박성제 특파원

 

 

The Snuggling Industry Takes Off, but Clothes Stay On; Spooning or Tickling Sessions for a Fee

​By Stephanie Armour

Kimberly Kilbride is a professional cuddler.

For $80 an hour, or up to $400 for an overnight gig, the 33-year-old mother of three dons flannel pajama bottoms, puts away her family pictures and two pit bull mix dogs and invites clients into her bedroom in Highland, N.Y., to snuggle. Once the spooning begins, she insists that it stay strictly platonic.

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The cuddle-for-hire business is taking off—even though the clothes stay on. Thousands of customers across the country are booking appointments with professional cuddlers in at least 16 states. The snugglers squeeze, tickle and bearhug clients for a fixed rate. Patrons who booked these services out of mere curiosity say they have become hooked on their therapeutic benefits.

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“I am a convert,” says Melissa Duclos-Yourdon, 35, a freelance writer and editor in Vancouver, Wash. She originally hired a cuddler after hearing about it from members of her book club, thinking it could provide fodder for an essay. Once cuddled, “I felt transformed,” she says.

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While snuggling businesses have existed for years, interest is accelerating with newer online apps and meet-up services. Plans are under way for a cuddling convention.

Kelly Peterson and client

One free app, Cuddlr, launched in September and already has had about 240,000 downloads, according to Charlie Williams, a founder and developer. The location-based social-media application allows users to find people near them to cuddle with. Between 7,000 and 10,000 people are using the service daily, he says. The company’s slogan: “Ever just want a cuddle?”

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The website Cuddle Comfort offers a matching service where members can post pictures, profiles and find others who are interested in nonsexual spooning. The free site now has around 18,000 members, founder Mark Sanger says. Recent discussions on the site include the best movie genres to snuggle to.

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Not everyone feels warm and fuzzy about for-hire cuddling. When Jacqueline Samuel, 31, opened her business in a Rochester, N.Y.-area family guest home, neighbors worried it would attract unsavory patrons. She moved that business about two years ago to a Rochester commercial district. The Snuggery now charges $50 for 45 minutes and $425 for an overnight cuddle session.

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The Snuggle House, a business in Madison, Wis., closed in 2013 amid concerns from residents it could become a front for something more overtly amorous than snuggling, according to Joel DeSpain, a spokesman for the Madison Police Department. He says officials checked out the operation but never issued citations.

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Cuddle Connection owner Kelly Peterson offers cuddling at her studio and off-site. Kelly Peterson

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Police officials contacted in a half-dozen cities where snuggle businesses operate say they haven’t had complaints and that the operations seem to be following the law.

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Unlike massage therapists, who typically undergo specific training and licensing, cuddlers aren’t licensed. Oversight rests with local regulations and ordinances. Operators in some cases may have to abide by local requirements, such as zoning and land-use restrictions or obtaining a license for a home-based business.

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The blurry nature of for-hire cuddling—part massage therapy, part clinical psychology—can lead to disappointed customers and unorthodox requests, cuddling professionals say. One female professional snuggler turned down a male client’s request to wear a skintight body suit. Another male client would only spoon in his business suit.

“I had one female client who wanted to spend the entire session tickling,” says Travis Sigley, 27, a professional cuddler in San Francisco.

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The industry got its start in the U.S. at least five years ago, according to cuddle entrepreneurs who call Mr. Sigley a pioneer in the field here. The long-haired former psychology student and onetime stripper says he launched his San Francisco business, Cuddle Therapy, because he felt frustrated by restrictions against touch between therapists and their clients.

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Since then, dozens of professional cuddlers have hung out a shingle or contracted to work for online cuddling entrepreneurs. Some outfits require that customers sign a contract spelling out what type of nuzzling is within bounds. Some rely on a body diagram that stipulates in bright red which body parts are off-limits.

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At Cuddle Up To Me in Portland, Ore., leg touching is sanctioned, but not far up the thigh. The storefront business relies on security cameras to monitor sessions.

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“I could tell some were disappointed that all they were getting was a cuddle, but that’s the way it is,” says Becky Rodrigues, 34. She works for The Snuggle Buddies LLC, an online service with cuddlers in 15 states. She nuzzles clients on a bed behind a privacy screen in her Phoenixville, Pa., basement.

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Snuggle client contracts often enforce another way of keeping things clean: They require clients to shower and brush their teeth before sessions.

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The Cuddle Connection, of Roseville, Calif., is one of a growing number of retail shops providing snuggles to customers. Kelly Peterson

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Research shows there are tangible physical and emotional perks to touch. It can increase levels of oxytocin, a bonding hormone produced by the hypothalamus that promotes warm feelings. Touch may lower heart rates and reduce stress, according to academic research.

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Many professional cuddlers tailor their services around a book called “The Cuddle Sutra,” which offers detailed descriptions of poses such as Cheek to Cheek, Come to Papa and Sardines.

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Kelly Peterson, 49, a former high-school teacher, opened Cuddle Connection in February in Roseville, Calif. She says she spent thousands to draft legal documents and secure professional liability coverage.

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Sessions take place on reclining lounge chairs or giant bean bags. Ms. Peterson believes beds give clients the wrong idea. Employees wear “professional cuddling outfits” of velour leisure suits.

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Women have sent husbands and boyfriends to teach them how to cuddle properly. One of Ms. Peterson’s professional cuddlers got so comfortable that the client and the snuggler fell asleep past the alarm notifying them the session had ended.

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Samantha Hess, 30, opened Cuddle Up To Me in November as a storefront in Portland. Business is so brisk she has hired three employees who offer 50 cuddle positions, charging $1 a minute for sessions lasting up to five hours. She says she gets thousands of emails from interested clients—along with a few marriage proposals.

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Ms. Hess is now organizing Cuddle Con in Portland. She says the first-ever cuddling event will feature speakers on touch, communication, pillow fights and massage classes. A crowdfunding campaign launched Tuesday with the hope of raising $33,000 had raised $169 as of Thursday afternoon. The event is scheduled for Valentine’s Day.

Write to Stephanie Armour at stephanie.armour@wsj.com

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