Plot Without Porn

[angearia]

What's your definition?

To me, Plot Without Porn means that the plot isn't about sex.  There can be sex in the story, but sex shouldn't be the goal or the end-all-be-all.  Which means that you can dance that fine line and have sex in your story and it would still be Plot Without Porn, but it's harder to do.  I suppose the reason why people think of

Comments

[angearia]

So Plot Without Porn means a removal of explicit descriptions of sex. So cutaway scenes, watercolor scenes of sex...

I think there's exceptions, though. Like Buffy and Spike first having sex in Smashed. That is very graphic (as graphic as it can get on network TV), yet for all that they're having sex, sex isn't the sum total of their interaction. So I still think there's a fine line where you can have graphic sex, but that it doesn't detract from the plot.

What bothers me most of all is when sex is used as a solution. ZOMG they had sex and now they're going to live happily ever after! The end. Or ZOMG they had sex and they just need to keep doing it until they trust and love each other enough so they can live happily ever after, because if they have sex enough times, then surely they'll be happy! The end.

Great, there goes my whole evening...

Just trying to keep you entertained. And it's not like I need to remind you of that scene, do I...? It suddenly occurs to me that someone should make a GIF of that moment for all the Buffy/Faith fans. ;-)

[beer_good_foamy]

I think there's exceptions, though. Like Buffy and Spike first having sex in Smashed.

I'd say that's not an exception, it's a very good example. It's sexy, yeah, but I don't see it as porn.

Of course, courts have been trying and failing to define porn since the Roman Empire, so...

And it's not like I need to remind you of that scene, do I...?

Not really. :-) This was my Faith/Buffy icon for ages:

[angearia]

Perhaps the simplest way to define it is a story with a strong plot that lacks gratuitous sex...

Meaning sex can be in the story, but it's not overdone and it's not the whole point of the plot.

My head hurts now.