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[malicious_pengy]

So, I just want to hear from everyone in this community. Obviously everyone here is against porn, but what about erotica? Do you recognize a difference? If so, what? Is erotica acceptable?

I do have fairly strong opinions about these, but I'd like to know what people here have to say first.

Comments

[snidegrrl]

I don't like to use those two words in direct opposition, as if there is no overlap. I don't feel like it's a dichotomy. I just call everything sexual media, and then find myself able to say that I can believe that there could be sexual media that is not sexist and exploitive, but that with a few tiny exceptions, I've never seen it. Which is also largely a function of our culture - we are all conditioned to treat images and film and visual depictions of sexual material in a certain way. Sure there are divergent responses even on that bandwidth, but it's nearly impossible to shake off the attitudes that living in a sexist, patriarchal rape culture shove into our collective consciousness every day.

So really, it's impossible to make a hard and fast distinction, because even something you or I find to be erotic in a positive way could be viewed by someone else through a filter that makes it exploitive.

[demonista]

yes, i find that too. The problem is there are many stupid (meaning: misogynist, phallocentric, patriarchal) definitions of erotica. for example, much women's so-called erotica is actually pornography. for example, it's focussed on intercourse and fellatio, contains sadism against women (and occassionally, men), men are the leaders and seducers, women are done-to, etc.

[malicious_pengy]

Never found anything not exploitive? Hmm.

If you found such material, would you enjoy it?

[questioningit]

i agree with snidegrrl!

[izzerwurst]

i gave up on defending erotica years ago. it's just not worth it. there's not even enough of it out there, and it's not worth the energy of making the distinction. it won't kill people to use their imaginations

[uteral_decay]

Sometimes erotic literature is exceptable...
but at the same time. If i wanna get myself off... i can use the power of mind! Scary huh?
Seriously though, it's almost as if people have no imagination anymore! They need to degrad others in order to "relax" or arouse themselves...Perves.

For debate's sake, not a personal attack

[malicious_pengy]

-But what about erotica where the balance is perfectly even? Yes. It exists. I've read it