Lit makes it into the Guardian newspaper

[Rustyoznail]

I thought this was important enough to start a new thread so those who don't wander into the coffee shop might see it.

Interesting, I opened the site front page and noted a link to that very English of newspapers, 'The Guardian' about COVID-19 stories. 'The Guardian' (or 'Grauniad', as it it's known for its sometimes cavalier approach to spelling and typo's) is that most middle-English of newspapers, usually commenting genteelly, in a calm, 'oh I say, that's not right, old chap' way on the foibles of Brit politicians and the sang-froid in general of the British people, while maintaining an air of slightly left-of-center decorum (HP will back me up here) as an effective antidote to the rabid Tory racism of papers like 'The Daily Express', 'The Dail Mail', and 'The Daily Telegraph', so for them to jump in and write articles about Literotica and the recent spate of Lockdown sex stories shows the impact the site is finally making on the twin-set, pearls and teatime set. We've arrived!

That must be the article Ogg was talking about!

***edit - and here’s the link!***

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jul/06/from-neighbourly-romances-to-zoom-sex-the-boom-in-lockdown-erotica

 

[yowser]

Thanks for this. An interesting piece. I am surprised that so many authors were contacted for commentary (maybe more than provided such) who include: Ian Snow, silkstockinglover, Kethandra, Defluer, GoneGray, SleeperyJim, Corpse_rider as well as the contest winners (hurray!) JoeDreamer, Bebop3 and MsCherylTerra.

I suspect Literotica is now on more maps (radars?) than it was before.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Thanks for this. An interesting piece. I am surprised that so many authors were contacted for commentary (maybe more than provided such) who include: Ian Snow, silkstockinglover, Kethandra, Defluer, GoneGray, SleeperyJim, Corpse_rider as well as the contest winners (hurray!) JoeDreamer, Bebop3 and MsCherylTerra.

I suspect Literotica is now on more maps (radars?) than it was before.

I'm actually proud to be part of this site now (and an another one, as well). I hope we get more attention in the media. We don't seem to have problems getting readers, however.

To digress a bit: I've never really been in lock-down. I walk and take the bus as needed, and I go shopping as needed. I've been into Manhattan a number of times, even though my daughter and ex-wife told me not to do it. I guess there is a risk, but I can't live like that.

It is weird to see how little traffic there is on Manhattan streets; the place looks moribund. In contrast, The Bronx seems to be bustling with activity.

 

[Bewleybrother]

I thought this was important enough to start a new thread so those who don't wander into the coffee shop might see it.

Thankyou for posting the link,what with lockdown I still missed the article.

02:24 am UK

 

[sirhugs]

Almost like erotica is mainstream...

 

[Handley_Page]

Almost like erotica is mainstream...

I thought it was already. . . .

 

[gunhilltrain]

I thought it was already. . . .

Well, yes, but there is still is a puritanical streak in our society.

I know many authors here won't show their work to other people they know. I wouldn't do it. I know we are trying to protect our privacy, but still . . . I'm sure some people would be quite surprised to know what I'm writing about.

 

[SisterJezabel]

The story linked to an Aussie dildo which then lead me down the pokemon themed sex toys!

 

[sirhugs]

The story linked to an Aussie dildo which then lead me down the pokemon themed sex toys!

you say that as if those are bad places to go...

 

[Emirus]

It is weird to see how little traffic there is on Manhattan streets; the place looks moribund. In contrast, The Bronx seems to be bustling with activity.

On one of our visits to New York, we had theatre tickets booked and our hotel was a 10 minute walk across town from Broadway. The rain was torrential so we took a cab. Took 30 minutes. Up until then we hadn’t realised how bad the traffic was, just it was a very busy city, because we walked everywhere. I can imagine it must feel really strange now, particularly to someone who lives nearby and regularly goes into manhattan.

 

[Oxida]

I thought this was important enough to start a new thread so those who don't wander into the coffee shop might see it.

Thank you for sharing it. It is good to see recognition and presence in such a medium as Guardian. There is some premium content here for any type of reader. Proud to be a part of the community!

 

[Emirus]

I know many authors here won't show their work to other people they know. I wouldn't do it. I know we are trying to protect our privacy, but still . . . I'm sure some people would be quite surprised to know what I'm writing about.

The only person who knows I write is a fellow writer in America who I met through this site. I can’t imagine any circumstances in which I would tell anyone unless they found out by accident. I sometimes think it would be nice to have conversations with another English writer but it would have to come about in the same way as with my American friend and not just go looking for someone.

 

[SimonDoom]

Almost like erotica is mainstream...

I'm not sure what "mainstream" means. I'm not sure whether anything relating to sex is "mainstream." Sex is everywhere in media, and yet in many ways people are more conflicted and more judgmental and more disapproving about sexual issues than ever before. For many, many people, I think, anything having to do with sex still has the whiff of the taboo and forbidden.

Which, in a way, is a good thing for us writers. If erotica ever truly became mainstream I'm not sure if it would be as fun.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

. If erotica ever truly became mainstream I'm not sure if it would be as fun.

You may be onto something. To quote Oscar Wilde, “As long as war is regarded as wicked, it will always have its fascination. When it is looked upon as vulgar, it will cease to be popular.“

 

[SisterJezabel]

you say that as if those are bad places to go...

My bank account is lighter after the experience!

 

[oggbashan]

Note that the Guardian article only appeared in their digital version, not the printed paper.

 

[SisterJezabel]

Note that the Guardian article only appeared in their digital version, not the printed paper.

What is this printed paper you talk about ;-)

I'm sure Her Maj is a Torygraph or Times reader, but I can imagine Camilla and Charles reading the Guardian over breakfast... Shame they may have missed the story!

 

[sirhugs]

Note that the Guardian article only appeared in their digital version, not the printed paper.

I'm sure online has greater reach.

 

[gunhilltrain]

You may be onto something. To quote Oscar Wilde, “As long as war is regarded as wicked, it will always have its fascination. When it is looked upon as vulgar, it will cease to be popular.“

That's a great quote. I wonder what he would have thought of the Twentieth Century.

Even in the memoirs of combatants, a kind of fascination with it creeps in. Robert Graves was appalled by the war, yet he was still proud of this unit, the Royal Welch Fusiliers.

When he was wounded (I believe at The Somme) and was sent back to England to be a training officer, he still felt ambivalent about leaving his comrades back in the trenches. (He had had enlisted in August, 1914, so one would think he had done his bit.)

He considered going to fight in Palestine, because there was no trench warfare there and no poison gas.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I'm not sure what "mainstream" means. I'm not sure whether anything relating to sex is "mainstream." Sex is everywhere in media, and yet in many ways people are more conflicted and more judgmental and more disapproving about sexual issues than ever before. For many, many people, I think, anything having to do with sex still has the whiff of the taboo and forbidden.

Which, in a way, is a good thing for us writers. If erotica ever truly became mainstream I'm not sure if it would be as fun.

Yes, even in our highly sexualized society, there is still ambivalence about it.

It's as if the idea of sex is popular, but the actual practice of it is considered kind of icky. So I wouldn't worry about the fun part of it going away.