What does the term 'vanilla' mean?
Some people use it to mean kind of plain or ordinary.
I'm not aware of anything else it could be used to mean, other than the flavour of course 
Maybe some other people will have other ideas?
Imogen wrote:
Some people use it to mean kind of plain or ordinary.
I'm not aware of anything else it could be used to mean, other than the flavour of course
Thanks for the fast response Imogen! That makes sense in the context in which I have heard it.
Whenever I've heard this in a sexual context it's been someone into e.g., BSDM referring to conventional "without whips and chains" sex.
"Kink-free" might be a good translation in the context.
People who are 'vanilla' are deemed to be people who are not into fetishes or any thing outside the regular norm of sex.
So no spanking, bondage, anal - as BerkshireAndy said "Kink-Free"
Vanilla - from Urban Dictionary:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=vanilla
Above posts cover it, pretty well. 'Unexciting, the opposite of kinky'. Yup.
anyone who doesn't stray from the normal plain sex i.e. they prefer it in the bed, on their back, no kinkyness, don't do anything that is deemed 'risky' etc
basically a plain jane in the bedroom
Unexciting? Plain Jane?
So much for open-minded acceptance here.
rose hip wrote:
Unexciting? Plain Jane?
So much for open-minded acceptance here.
Have to agree with you Rose, not a very open minded way of expressing it, kink-free is much better.
Vanilla sex doesnt have to be unexciting, we all have our own needs/desires besides which one person's idea of kink is the next person's vanilla.
xGGx
argh double post
xGGx
rose hip wrote:
Unexciting? Plain Jane?
So much for open-minded acceptance here.
so, just because i put my opinion across, which has been asked for, i get tarred?
shame really
ghostgirl wrote:
Vanilla sex doesnt have to be unexciting, we all have our own needs/desires besides which one person's idea of kink is the next person's vanilla.
Especially when some of the listed options such as spanking and anal are becoming pretty widely considered to be 'vanilla', too, with only the more extreme versions being a part of the kink domain. 
But, I don't think any offence was intended.
Blueeyes82 wrote:
rose hip wrote:
Unexciting? Plain Jane?
So much for open-minded acceptance here.so, just because i put my opinion across, which has been asked for, i get tarred?
shame really
You really don't get it?
BashfulBabe wrote:
ghostgirl wrote:
Vanilla sex doesnt have to be unexciting, we all have our own needs/desires besides which one person's idea of kink is the next person's vanilla.
But, I don't think any offence was intended.
People can still be careful with the words they choose. There are very few contexts in which 'unexciting' is a positive comment.
Blueeyes82 wrote:
rose hip wrote:
Unexciting? Plain Jane?
So much for open-minded acceptance here.so, just because i put my opinion across, which has been asked for, i get tarred?
shame really
Not getting tarred and I am sorry that you feel that way, but this is an open minded and accepting community, not every one who reads the forums or posts is into kink there are many who would consider themselves to be vanilla. When I joined the forum I was one of them and although i would accept that my sexlife was boring that was not because it was vanilla but because I was with a man who didnt excite me.
xGGx
I'm not a fan of the term vanilla. Some people just like different things. AND while i love a little light bondage, i point blank refuse to have a massive toy shoved up my arse. This means alot of people would classify me as vanilla.
I think the ladies have given an apt description of it being 'kink -free" but then what u feel is kinky is someone else vanilla or super kink lol
I'm confusing.com lol x
Who needs a label? You just like what you like whatever it is, is how I see it? Labels really annoy me.... One persons vanilla could well be another persons extreme, depending on their viewpoint, so just don't bother, we're all individuals who like different things, doesn't make any one of us right or wrong.... just my opinion tho...
I used the word 'unexciting' - it came from one of the Urban Dictionary defintions. Hope this is clear.
I think the OP's question has been answered.
As Einstein said, everything is relative.
Outside the forums, people use all sorts of pejoratives to describe BDSM etc. Within the fourms, we're very careful to NOT use them or at least include some sort of disclaimer.
Shouldn't 'vanilla' sex, and the people who prefer it, be given the same respect?
For what it's worth, vanilla is one of my favourite flavours of ice cream. It might seem unexciting to some, but there's a subtlety to it which can be very satisfying, especially when teamed up with a dessert that stands up on its own merits (e,g. apple pie). Maybe there's an analogy there.
I'm mostly vanilla in the bedroom, but I don't mind using that adjective about myself, nor does it bother me that others enjoy more racy stuff. Indeed, some of my fantasies are very kinky, but I tend to believe that they only work inside my own head,