Good question. I prefer intense crying because that's usually when the lip curls. People crying over something banal usually will not cry very hard (and it's pretty annoying if they do). Technically it doesn't matter why they're crying, because for me it's about the sights rather than the experiences. However, I do feel like a bit of a dick when I get turned on by the woman who's crying at a funeral or something like that. I think my favourite scenario is when a sportswoman or any kind of female competitor cries because of winning or losing a competition. They get overwhelmed and cry pretty hard, but you feel less guilty because it's not a serious reason (not to me, anyway).

My preference is happy tears - people crying at weddings or births etc
The tears tend to flow but they are not hurt physically or emotionally.

Crying because of the baby blue in the few days after childbirth is a good one as well. As long as it does not get out of control most new mum's (including my wife) have cried buckets but don't really know why they are crying.
My wife cried for 5 hours solid with tears streaming down her face completely uncontrollably - but ask her what was wrong and she could not really tell you - she just needed to cry. The volume of tears was amazing.

I was actually thinking about this the other day. I generally agree with Woundedpuppy. I like guys who have had their feelings hurt, or are sad or lonely more on a general level, not necessarily in response to a specific event. I like a "just need to cry" sort of cry. I also love it when a guy cries because he is touched.
I don't go for deaths, total despair, or physical pain. The first two because they're either too sad or tend to get into out-of-control hysterical territory, which actually frightens me a bit. As for crying from physical pain, my feelings about it are really incongruous, considering my fetish. I actually think it's sort of weak. I mean, sure, if it's huge huge pain, that's one thing, but if you hit your head on a door or something, I'm kind of turned off and think, "suck it up, dude."

Great answers from all!

I don't tend to go for happy tears as much but they would definitely be the most guilt free. I do think happy crying is a beautiful thing though.

Reptongeek, I have done that before - engaged my boyfriend in a staring contest just to watch his eyes fill with tears! Sadly none escaped.

I definitely identify with the attraction to vulnerable guys who need my help, as described by Woundedpuppy and others - comforting a crying guy is a gorgeous thing! The 'just need to cry' is probably my favourite kind of cry.

Meantangerine - you say hysterical crying frightens you. I think I feel kind of the same, but I also think there might be an element of nervousness to the fetish on all levels, at least in my case. I used to find crying people quite awkward as I didn't know what to do, which then developed into a fascination with tears that I believe may still draw on the adrenaline caused by that sense of fear. Hmm. Interesting.

Also quite interesting that nobody goes for physical pain. I quite like the idea of a guy hurting himself (not seriously) and then trying really hard not to cry because it's not manly, but letting out a few tears anyway. Then he would be all embarrassed about crying, which I LOVE, and I'd get to be all 'No, it's fine, don't worry'. As long as he didn't milk it and wasn't in agony, I could see that being a bit of a turn-on.

And Carrotcake, I know what you mean about feeling mostly concern in certain crying situations. Whether or not I'm aroused by someone's tears, I do still want to make them feel better even if that means they won't cry for as long.

Happy crying is my personal favorite, even though there's no "comforting" aspect present per se, (and I do love comforting!) joyous occasions such as the birth of a baby or a wedding offer a good reason to hug the crying individual.  Also, happy occasions can still be tinted with a bit of sadness - such as when a father gives his daughter away at a wedding - or other emotions.

Like woundedpuppy, I do enjoy deep-seated emotional issues as well, with the exception of depression and psychological issues.  I've struggled with depression myself in the past, and I can take no pleasure out of a severely depressed person's crying.  I'm also not a fan of crying over physical pain, because I find myself sympathizing too deeply with the person who's hurting.  Although I do recall one instance where a friend of mine teared up slightly because he felt a very intense pain once after eating something because his teeth were so sensitive.  (That was kinda hot.)   

I guess I'm the only one so far who enjoys fantasizing about people crying at funerals or over someone's death to comment!  Part of what I like so much about crying is the emotional honesty of it, and crying at a funeral or over someone's death is one of the most emotionally honest things I can think of.  Yes, the crying person is sad, but it's natural and appropiate to mourn the loss of a loved one with a few tears.  (I cried a great deal in the months after my mother died, and we weren't even that close.)

Now, before anyone accuses me of being totally heartless, I would just like to say that in general, my crying fetish only applies to fictional scenarios.  I am a total drama whore when it comes to fictional stories, and I enjoy watching people react to very intense scenarios (birth, death, deep emotional issues, etc) in fiction, be it movies, tv, books, or fanfiction.  I don't often picture friends/boyfriends or anyone I know in real life crying over the loss of a loved one, but it does happen, and I try not to feel too guilty about it because I know I wouldn't enjoy seeing people I care about in pain.

In real life, I'm a lot more uneasy/concerned about the affected party in crying scenarios, with the exception of "happy" crying.  Even if the cause of crying is over a less intense situation, such as a bad day or a breakup, it's rare for me to be turned on at that real-life moment - usually the turn-on aspect happens later, (if at all) long after the person has stopped crying, when I'm replaying the scene in my head.

Last edited by thedreamer (January 5, 2012 12:31 am)