Pornography, Erotica, and Nude Art – There Is a Difference

Pornography is a subject that has always been argued and stirs up controversy almost anywhere it may arise. There are people who are against it, and would like to ban all pornography for the benefit of everyone, while there are those who defend it, claiming it is part of their “guaranteed” free speech, to express themselves in a manner of their choosing. With the issue of pornography being debated and spoken of, one major mistake people make is that they look at pornography according to their own views. Different types of people look at pornography differently, and therefore create their own definition of pornography in their minds. Usually, pornography tends to be mistaken with nude art and erotica, so some people consider erotic as pornography. Although all three may be similar, they each possess qualities that that can make them distinguishable. There should be a legal distinction among pornography, erotica, and nude art, so that they cannot be confused with each other, and so that there can be a uniform guideline for people to use when distinguishing the three expressions. The goal of pornography is to sexually stimulate and arouse people, and it possesses no artistic value to the artistic community. Pornography can be expressed through the form of almost every media, which includes images, drawings, text, sound, and video. Generally, all pornography is sexual and shows, or gives the impression of either an individual or individuals participating in sexual acts. Two main types of pornography in which other types may be classified under are softcore pornography and hardcore pornography. Softcore pornography is not as intense as hardcore, and does not show penetration, but is still considered pornography. Hardcore pornography, as explained by its name, is much more extreme and intense, and does show penetration in visual/video type pornography. Textual pornography describes the actions of an individual or individuals in a sexual act in words, and

Cited: Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” 2181 – 2192. “Softcore,” “Hardcore,” “Erotica”. The American Heritage Dictionary. 4th ed. 2001 Strossen, Nadine. “Sexual Speech and the Law.” Left, Right, and Center: Voices from Across the Political Spectrum. Eds. Robert Atwan and Jon Roberts. New York: Bedford/St. Martin Pr., 1996. 462 – 472.