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Erotica

Erotica

Erotica is any literary or artistic work that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotically stimulating or sexually arousing but is not pornographic. Erotic art may use any artistic form to depict erotic content, including painting, sculpture, drama, film or music. Erotic literature and erotic photography have become genres in their own right.

Curiosa is erotica and pornography as discrete, collectable items, usually in published or printed form. In the antiquarian book trade, pornographic works are often listed under "curiosa", "erotica" or "facetiae".[1]

Erotica and pornography

A distinction is often made between erotica and pornography (as well as the lesser known genre of sexual entertainment, ribaldry), although some viewers may not distinguish between them. A key distinction, some have argued, is that pornography's objective is the graphic depiction of sexually explicit scenes, while erotica "seeks to tell a story that involves sexual themes" that include a more plausible depiction of human sexuality than in pornography.[2] Additionally, works considered degrading or exploitative tend to be classified by those who see them as such, as "porn" rather than as "erotica" and consequently, pornography is often described as exploitative or degrading.[2][3] Many countries have laws banning or at least regulating what is considered pornographic material, which generally do not apply to erotica.

Feminist writer Gloria Steinem distinguishes erotica from pornography, writing: "Erotica is as different from pornography as love is from rape, as dignity is from humiliation, as partnership is from slavery, as pleasure is from pain." Steinem's argument hinges on the distinction between reciprocity versus domination, as she writes: "Blatant or subtle, pornography involves no equal power or mutuality. In fact, much of the tension and drama comes from the clear idea that one person is dominating the other."[4][5][6]

References

[1]
Citation Linkbooks.google.comSuraj, V.K. (2005). Encyclopaedic Dictionary Of Library And Information Science. Gyan Publishing House. p. 620. ISBN 9788182052536.
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[2]
Citation Linktech.mit.edu"Erotica Is Not Pornography". William J. Gehrke. The Tech. December 10, 1996.
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[3]
Citation Linktimesofindia.indiatimes.com"Don't confuse erotica with porn". Jug Suraiya. The Times of India. August 15, 2004.
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[4]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgSteinem, Gloria (1984). Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions (1 ed.). New York: Henry Holt & Co. p. 219.
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[5]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.org"Erotica and Pornography: A Clear and Present Difference". Ms. November 1978. p. 53.
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[6]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.org"Pornography—Not Sex but the Obscene Use of Power". Ms. August 1977. p. 43.
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[7]
Citation Linkwww.psychologytoday.comWhat Distinguishes Erotica from Pornography?
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[12]
Citation Linkupload.wikimedia.orgThe Naked Maja (c. 1800–1803) by Francisco de Goya.
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[13]
Citation Linkupload.wikimedia.orgPainting by Édouard-Henri Avril.
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[14]
Citation Linkupload.wikimedia.orgA terracotta plaque depicting a man and a woman having sexual intercourse. From Mesopotamia, early 2nd millennium BCE.
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[15]
Citation Linken.wikipedia.orgThe original version of this page is from Wikipedia, you can edit the page right here on Everipedia.Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Additional terms may apply.See everipedia.org/everipedia-termsfor further details.Images/media credited individually (click the icon for details).
Sep 21, 2019, 11:05 PM