Webmaster Emma explained it to me once years ago, and I even did a balloon shoot for her at one of the Vegas trade shows. DWB is onto it - has a lot to do with the anticipation and the moment of popping and the reaction - similar to how some folks love watching the reaction of someone getting a facial. Typical pop psychology explanation is that it starts in childhood when kids get excited at birthdays, blah, blah, blah. Some folks also are turned on by that horrendous squeaking noise too.
For Emma, I blew up a huge balloon, took about an hour, and I was huffing and puffing and sweating like a pig trying to get through it by the end. When it finally exploded it burst with a huge disgusting cloud of my spit (distilled just from the condensation in my breath) that pretty much soaked me down and everyone else within the 10' radius of blast zone.
I guess that means I did gay for pay...
