Boyfriends and friends used to tell Jacqueline Samuels, the woman pictured above, that she was so good at cuddling and spooning she should do it for a living. Now, she does. She runs a professional cuddle parlor in Rochester, New York called The Snuggery. Business is good, which inspired a Portland, Oregon woman named Samantha Hess, pictured below, to become a professional cuddler herself. Hess charges $60 a visit. She first meets a potential client in a public place, and if she gets a good vibe from them, she will cuddle them. But there’s no funny business. Clothes stay on. Although I can’t help but think that most of these women’s clients (most of whom are men) want to have sex with them, the fact that they don’t probably makes the sessions therapeutic (surely intimacy without sex builds character or promotes personal growth?). Jacqueline says that many of her clients are getting divorced, going through a breakup, or are otherwise between relationships and miss being touched. Supposedly, this is a fast-growing field. I can’t wait to one day attend a convention of professional cuddlers. I would be fascinated to observe the types of people who are willing to caress the skin and stroke the hair of strangers.
