Skip to main content

Deep Dive: Tickled (2016)

Play Trailer

Film Lens

Tickled
Tickled is a 2016 documentary directed by David Farrier and Dylan Reeve that investigates the world of competitive endurance tickling. The film begins with Farrier, a New Zealand television reporter, discovering online videos of young men being tickled in a competitive format. His attempt to interview the producer, Jane O'Brien Media, leads to a hostile response, prompting him and Reeve to conduct a deeper investigation into the producers and their practices. As they uncover the operations of Jane O'Brien Media, they encounter legal threats and intimidation tactics. The film reveals the coercive treatment of participants and the manipulative strategies used by the producers, including defamation campaigns against those who speak out. The documentary also connects Jane O'Brien Media to David D'Amato, who has a criminal history and filed a $40 million defamation lawsuit against his stepmother, showcasing the complex and troubling dynamics behind the tickling video industry.

Why Watch

  • •Follow David Farrier's investigation into tickling videos.
  • •Meet the controversial figures behind Jane O'Brien Media.
  • •Discover the dark side of competitive endurance tickling.

Did You Know

•David D'Amato served a six-month prison sentence for disabling computer systems.
•D'Amato filed a $40 million defamation lawsuit against his stepmother in 2017.
•The follow-up special 'The Tickle King' aired on HBO in February 2017.
•D'Amato died of a heart attack on March 31, 2017, at age 55.

Perfect For

Documentary enthusiastsTrue crime fansInvestigative journalism