Pornography or Erotica?

[madelinemasoch]

Do you consider what you write “pornography” or not? How about what you read? Is some erotica “pornography” while other erotica is not? Is there a meaningful distinction in your mind between erotica and porn? I’d be fascinated to read some genuine thoughts on the matter.

 

[ICantLeafYou]

I consider my writing to be porn. My stories barely have any plot and just focus on pleasure.

 

[SimonDoom]

I don't see them as separate categories. I think of "erotica" as a very broad category of art that appeals to the erotic sensibility or creates an erotic effect. I think of "pornography" as something you masturbate to, or something more or less like that. I regard "pornography" as a subset of "erotica." I don't see them as exclusive sets.

But beyond that, I think it's very hard to say this is erotica and that's pornography. A person with a banana fetish might masturbate to a banana, so art with a banana could be pornography. I don't ever think about this when I write stories and don't make any attempt to classify my stories as one or the other, or both.

 

[Ssbbw4u1974]

I feel I mostly write pornography....
It's full of sex. Different styles, etc. It's not really sensual...
I can write erotica, and I have one story called, "Sexxy Texy" about 2 characters who aren't as exotic as my other stories, but it's more passionate...

 

[Statius]

I write porn, often absurdist. I've written one sex scene at the end of a story I would call erotica, but the other sex scenes in that story are definitely porn.

 

[KittyOfSteele]

Yes, and I'm sick of pretending the opposite. I will take no further questions.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Gotta go with Justice Stewart, circa 1964, "I know it when I see it."(pornography). Beyond that. I got nothing...

 

[GuiltyCowboy]

Do you consider what you write “pornography” or not? How about what you read? Is some erotica “pornography” while other erotica is not? Is there a meaningful distinction in your mind between erotica and porn? I’d be fascinated to read some genuine thoughts on the matter.

Erotica depicts sex that is based on love. Porn depicts sex that only happens because people are being paid to do it.

That’s the original definition, I believe.

How we use that to distinguish what’s written here, frankly, I have no idea. I suspect most people would say they’re writing porn but actually it’s erotica. Which is quite sweet, really.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Erotica depicts sex that is based on love. Porn depicts sex that only happens because people are being paid to do it.

That’s the original definition, I believe.

How we use that to distinguish what’s written here, frankly, I have no idea. I suspect most people would say they’re writing porn but actually it’s erotica. Which is quite sweet, really.

Well, dammit. I thought I was writing erotica, but I won a contest and got a check. I guess that means I'm writing porn.

 

[UnexpectedLuggage]

I'd consider my writing more pornographic. I tend to go into detail about the sexual acts, and treat the sex almost like a porn (plenty of position changes and the likes).

But my writing is all based on fantasies of mine, so the story I add to it is usually a device to get to the fucking.

 

[Bamagan]

In general, I tend to think of erotica as any media that are primarily intended to arouse or titillate, with pornography comprising the more explicit depictions. By that definition, I mostly write porn, assuming you consider any work that contains any amount of explicit sex to be categorically porn. One could argue for there needing to be a certain amount or ratio or type of explicit sex to qualify as 'true' porn... kind of like how PG-13 movies get one use of the word 'fuck' (with restrictions) before they get tossed in the R bin for language. I think they can have brief T&A as well, and Rs can have a brief flaccid ding-dong shot without going NC-17. Anyway, if one believes that's the case, a few of mine might be non-pornographic erotica.
For that matter, though, there are some stories here that include explicit sex scenes but very little else in the way of titillation, which makes me waver on whether or not they're really erotica (which is not to say the stories I'm thinking of are in any way bad; most are excellent, even if they're not arousing).

 

[Djmac1031]

Pornography or Erotica?

Yes.

 

[Statius]

To answer the rest of the question: for me there is a difference. FOR ME erotica involves more emotion, it's sensual, slow, maybe not quite as graphic- the way I write it, it's probably different for other writers.
Pornography for me is graphic, extreme, and borders on unrealistic, which is why I consider mine absurd. And it's intentionally so, like watching a porn vid. Most, not all, of my absurdist porn lacks any real emotion as well, in that most of the time it's not about the connection between the characters. When I write a pornographic scene much of the time I'm probably chuckling to myself, writing an erotic scene my headspace is usually emotional.

 

[DeMont]

Do you consider what you write “pornography” or not? How about what you read? Is some erotica “pornography” while other erotica is not? Is there a meaningful distinction in your mind between erotica and porn? I’d be fascinated to read some genuine thoughts on the matter.

@madelinemasoch,
Good evening my dear colleague. It's funny, to me anyway, that you should ask this particular question right now.

I have just had three pieces published in succession, two of them are of a three part series and I would consider them "Erotica" - there is as much having gone into the story line as there is that has gone into the sexual aspects of the tale.

The third work that just went up is all about sex, THE sex and nothing but THE SEX - it's out and out Porn and that's the way I intended it, and wrote it.

Interestingly enough the ratings on the first two are approximately (each) double that of the third. Call it my "grand experiment" if you wish.
Deeply respectful,
D.

 

[THBGato]

Neither: most of mine are Romance. They are essentially all about woman A and woman B developing feelings for each other and navigating their way through various social and emotional barriers to couplehood. Sex is (sometimes) part of that journey or a sign the destination has been reached. (Though Clara and the Star is erotica, while the last page or so of Pygmalion 3.0 is quite clearly porn.)

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Erotica implies the naughty bits, but doesn't detail them.

 

[Cagivagurl]

In general terms, I see them as different genres.
Erotica, is like the soft porn. No frontal nudity, no sex, but plenty of hunger for it... Erotica is the path...
Porn is, well... Porn, no plot required. It's all about sex...
There is room for both, people are different...

That of course is merely my opinion...

Cagivagurl

 

[ElectricBlue]

I'm relying on readers to tell me.

"I didn't ask Ruby about her life, she didn't ask me about mine." One of the reasons I've liked all your stories so far.

This one read like a good story in The New Yorker. Except, of course, for the explicit sex.

A total pleasure!

I guess that makes it erotica. With explicit sex.

 

[kreemi_pi]

I consider my writing to be porn. My stories barely have any plot and just focus on pleasure.

I love your honesty

 

[TheRedChamber]

I view my stories as 'bawdy' in the great British tradition running from Chaucer to Confessions of a Window Cleaner...

 

[ICantLeafYou]

I love your honesty

My writing is a way for me to get my fantasies out and into something I can "see". I have aphantasia and zero mental imagery. Writing lets me explore my fantasies without visuals. I don't care for much beyond getting the sexy bits onto the page.

 

[kreemi_pi]

My writing is a way for me to get my fantasies out and into something I can "see". I have aphantasia and zero mental imagery. Writing lets me explore my fantasies without visuals. I don't care for much beyond getting the sexy bits onto the page.

I'm so glad you can express yourself that way

 

[Kasumi_Lee]

Do you consider what you write “pornography” or not? How about what you read? Is some erotica “pornography” while other erotica is not? Is there a meaningful distinction in your mind between erotica and porn? I’d be fascinated to read some genuine thoughts on the matter.

I'm gonna be pedantic and say they're two different things. The "graphy" part comes from the Greek word for images, hence the word "graphic", so strictly speaking it's only pornography if it involves videos and photographs. That would also mean that erotic audiobooks are technically "pornophony", even though nobody uses that word. If it involves the written word, then it's erotica or smut.

 

[kreemi_pi]

Alls i knows is i knows it when i sees it

 

[SchnellFick]

The things I post here? Porn, plain and simple. Erotica, or things containing romance have their own channels.