Random thoughts
Erotic romances are chick porn. Yeah, yeah, I know everyone says they’re not, but the issue bothered me so I did a little investigating.
Porn is hot button word and yes, I’m using it partially to be provocative and in part to incite a little outside of the box thinking about what kind of romance stories qualify as pornography.
Here is the dictionary definition of pornography. Sexually explicit material: films, magazines, writings, photographs, or other materials that are sexually explicit and intended to cause sexual arousal.
Frankly, the dictionary’s description surprised me. It was not nearly as nasty as the ideas the word triggers in my head. The word pornography brings up images of deviant sex acts, explicit photos, and plot-less movies.
According to the dictionary there’s nothing in the definition of pornography, which precludes fine literature, compelling plots, elegant writing, or vibrant characterization. Nor did it hint at what percentage of the material must be explicit for the work to be considered pornographic. Ten percent? A single word? More than fifty percent? Slippery business trying to measure art with numbers.
I suspect pornography, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. The more popular term for sensual women’s fiction is erotica. Don’t go getting all comfortable.
Here’s what the dictionary says about erotica. Sexually explicit material: films, magazines, writings, photographs, or other materials that are sexually explicit and intended to cause sexual arousal. Same thing as pornography. Exactly the same.
How about erotic romance? Dictionary didn’t help with this one. By cobbling together the definitions of erotica and the RWA’s definition of romance, I arrived at a working definition.
A love story which includes sexually explicit material intended to cause sexual arousal, which contains both a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying and optimistic ending.
Am I the only one who obsesses about this kind of thing?
Porn is hot button word and yes, I’m using it partially to be provocative and in part to incite a little outside of the box thinking about what kind of romance stories qualify as pornography.
Here is the dictionary definition of pornography. Sexually explicit material: films, magazines, writings, photographs, or other materials that are sexually explicit and intended to cause sexual arousal.
Frankly, the dictionary’s description surprised me. It was not nearly as nasty as the ideas the word triggers in my head. The word pornography brings up images of deviant sex acts, explicit photos, and plot-less movies.
According to the dictionary there’s nothing in the definition of pornography, which precludes fine literature, compelling plots, elegant writing, or vibrant characterization. Nor did it hint at what percentage of the material must be explicit for the work to be considered pornographic. Ten percent? A single word? More than fifty percent? Slippery business trying to measure art with numbers.
I suspect pornography, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. The more popular term for sensual women’s fiction is erotica. Don’t go getting all comfortable.
Here’s what the dictionary says about erotica. Sexually explicit material: films, magazines, writings, photographs, or other materials that are sexually explicit and intended to cause sexual arousal. Same thing as pornography. Exactly the same.
How about erotic romance? Dictionary didn’t help with this one. By cobbling together the definitions of erotica and the RWA’s definition of romance, I arrived at a working definition.
A love story which includes sexually explicit material intended to cause sexual arousal, which contains both a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying and optimistic ending.
Am I the only one who obsesses about this kind of thing?
posted by Evanne Lorraine at 3:35 PM
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