Therapy Gecko – “I HAVE A FART FETISH”

Episode Date: October 8, 2025
Host: Geck (Lyle)
Podcast: Therapy Gecko (iHeartPodcasts)

Overview

In this candid and humorous episode, Therapy Gecko (Geck) takes calls from listeners about their unique life experiences, sexual fetishes, and personal journeys. The episode’s main focus is on a conversation with Hank, a polite and thoughtful British man who reveals his fart fetish and explores the psychology and social dynamics behind it. The second half features Tom Hollow, a charismatic American with a colorful personal history—working as a bouncer, caregiver, and aspiring content creator—who shares stories from his unusual life and offers a perspective on anxiety, belonging, and self-acceptance.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Hank’s Fart Fetish and the Psychology of Fetishes

• Discovery & Early Memories

  • Hank recounts (04:02) how, before he understood his own sexuality, he was curious about “gross things like farts” but in a “non-sexual way.”
  • He reflects on the roots of many fetishes potentially being present from a young age.

• Relationship Experiences

  • Hank has dated several women who have indulged his fetish (“about 7 or 8” partners; 05:51), and describes how he broaches the subject, often “reading the room” before bringing it up (06:01).

• Navigating Acceptance & Rejection

  • He states he’s “never had anyone be completely disgusted” (07:32) but avoids mentioning it with those he senses would not be receptive.
  • Mutual openness is key for him: “Part of that is because I can't say, ‘I want you to sit on my face…’ but then your one request, ‘Oh, absolutely not.’ That's kind of a bit. Bit of a dick move.” (08:58)

• Kink Reciprocity: Trying New Things for Partners

  • Hank has tried other kinks for partners (09:06): “Piss play. Nothing I've ever been interested in, but a girl wanted to piss on me, so I let her.”

• Boundaries & Hard Limits

  • He has personal boundaries (09:36): “The only thing I've ever said no to was knife play, and that’s just a little bit too risky for me.”

• Fetish as a Form of Submissiveness

  • Hank links his fetish to a desire for “suffering” and dominatrix dynamics: “It’s mainly a suffering thing. Farts is just a specific point of that, which I can’t seem to shake.” (11:35)

• Dating Challenges & Compatibility

  • He emphasizes the importance of sexual compatibility in relationships, especially as he seeks more long-term partnerships at age 27 (12:21–13:18).
  • There’s no set “rule of thumb” about when to mention his fetish; sometimes it’s brought up early, sometimes after a year (14:05).

• Community and Self-Understanding

  • Hank discusses efforts to find others with similar fetishes on Reddit (“just guys saying, ‘I wish that was me’ ”; 19:30), and the lack of serious spaces for connection or sharing advice.

• On Not Choosing Fetishes

  • Notable Quote (24:17): “People don’t choose their fetishes. I don’t know why. I’m just glad mine is legal, you know.”
  • Geck and Hank ponder nature vs. nurture in forming fetishes (24:17–25:16).

• Possible Explanations & Trauma

  • Hank references psychological theories about controlling suffering due to childhood trauma, but his own experience is more “half marks”—general family disruption, but no specific link to his fetish (25:42–26:47).

• Balancing Fetish with Regular Life

  • Hank is able to have “regular, normal sex” and is not defined or limited by his fetish (27:22–28:09).

• Life Outside the Fetish

  • He leads a “pretty normal life,” works in the ambulance service, and stresses he’s in control of his fetish; it only applies in certain contexts (28:41–29:27).

• Dreams and Normalcy

  • Ultimately, Hank dreams of a “house in the countryside with a loving wife... just a pretty normal life,” where “you’d never think that guy’s probably going to get farted on later” (29:59–30:53).

Key Quotes

• “You have such a polite British candor that… it’s really hard for me to imagine somebody farting on you.” – Geck (05:08)
• “You gotta know your audience. That’s always a good lesson in life.” – Hank (07:32)
• “I just want to live in a house in the countryside with a loving wife… you’d never know. There’d be no signs.” – Hank (30:53)
• “He works hard for people in need and he loves eating farts. And he can be all those things at once.” – Geck (31:21)

2. Tom Hollow: Anxiety, Bouncing, and Caregiving

• Opening Up About Anxiety

  • Tom expresses anxiety about phone calls and content creation, though he handles crisis situations with calm (36:03–36:50, 49:01–49:11).

• Unique Experiences

  • Shares about a rare family reunification from foster care (37:52–39:06) and reflecting on the failures of adults to treat children kindly.

• Life as a Bouncer

  • Describes working in Salem (“the city where all the witches died”; 41:12), and running security in eclectic club settings—sushi restaurant by day, metal/alt club by night (41:55).
  • “I can talk a dog off a meat wagon. It’s one of my skills.” (40:28)

• Current Role as a Memory Unit Worker

  • Works with dementia patients, using his bouncer experience to defuse tense moments and provide compassionate care (47:37–48:18).

• Aspirations & Online Life

  • Aspires to return to bouncing, create content, and reconnect with vibrant city life (“I want to get back to Salem. I love it.”; 51:00–51:04).
  • Promotes his TikTok (“Tom Hollow 97”) and discusses the disconnect between his voice and appearance (52:20–55:41).

• Stories and Humor

  • Shares funny and spooky stories, including gym locker room mishaps and childhood urban exploration with haunting discoveries (57:15, 58:39).

Key Quotes

• “It all melted away. I feel great now. Thank you.” – Tom, on talking through anxiety with Geck (49:01)
• “No matter what you do, someone is gonna think that it’s their full-time job to make you feel like you’re not doing shit. But as long as you know you’re giving it your all, that’s all that really matters.” – Tom (62:17)

Notable and Memorable Moments

• Polite British Kink (05:08): Geck’s playful ribbing of Hank’s juxtaposition of “polite British candor” and his fetish.
• Reciprocal Kink Openness (08:58): Hank’s philosophy of sexual openness in relationships.
• Reddit and PornHub Comments as Community (21:13–22:17): Discussion of searching for genuine connection or conversation spaces among niche fetish communities.
• Extending Empathy (31:01): Hank’s reminder to listeners to check in on friends, especially regarding mental health.
• Unexpected Life Layers (31:21): Geck’s reflection that people can “be all kinds of conflicting things,” using Hank as an example.

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |---------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:07 | Beginning of Hank’s Call | | 03:16 | Geck reads Hank’s original email | | 05:08 | Geck comments on Hank's “polite British candor” | | 07:32 | Handling rejection or disgust from partners | | 08:58 | Mutual kink openness; Hank’s philosophy | | 11:35 | Submissiveness and the kink’s psychological roots | | 12:21–13:18 | On relationships and sexual compatibility | | 19:30 | Attempting to find community online | | 24:17 | “People don’t choose their fetishes” | | 25:42–26:47 | Trauma, control, and possible origins | | 27:22–28:09 | Regular sex vs. fetish play | | 29:59–30:53 | Hank’s dreams of a “normal” life | | 31:01 | Hank’s PSA on mental health | | 35:25 | Beginning of Tom Hollow’s Call | | 36:03–36:50 | Tom discusses anxiety | | 40:28 | Tom’s “talk a dog off a meat wagon” line | | 41:55 | Life as a bouncer in Salem | | 47:37–48:18 | Transition from bouncing to dementia care | | 51:00–51:04 | Tom expresses wanting to return to city life | | 57:15 | Funny story from the gym | | 58:39 | Tom’s “scary” story: books of the dead in a childhood adventure | | 62:17 | Tom’s encouragement on self-worth |

Tone, Language, and Final Thoughts

The episode is frank but warm, irreverently honest, and supportive of vulnerability. Geck balances humor and empathy, giving space for guests to share stories that are both strange and deeply human. There’s no judgment, only curiosity and acceptance.

Host’s Final Reflection:
“Look at Hank. Hank is a supportive friend. He’s a good citizen. He works hard for people in need and he loves eating farts. And he can be all those things at once. … It’s easy to think that every part of your existence has to be perfectly neatly aligned. But it doesn’t. You can be all kinds of conflicting things.” (31:21)

In Summary

This episode of Therapy Gecko moves from the playful to the profound, using the topic of fetish and life’s weird corners as a springboard for discussions about acceptance, authenticity, and community. From the gentle honesty of Hank’s kink journey to Tom Hollow’s tales of resilience and redemption, the message is clear: It’s okay to be entirely, unapologetically yourself—even if that self is full of contradictions.