Pornography

In addition to media, a live performance may be called pornographic.

In its original meaning, pornography was literally "writing about prostitutes." It evolved into writing about anything sexual, especially in a base manner, and grew to include sexually related material of all kinds, both written and graphical. The term pornography is often used with a negative connotation of low quality, as compared to the more esteemed erotica. Euphemisms such as adult film, adult video and adult bookstore are generally preferred within the industry producing these works. Pornography can also be contrasted with ribaldry, which uses sexual titillation in the service of comedy.

Sometimes a distinction is made between softcore pornography and hardcore pornography. The former generally refers to materials which feature nudity and some sexually suggestive scenes, while hard-core or X-rated pornography contains close-ups of genitalia and sexual activities.

Most countries attempt to restrict minors' access to hard core materials, so that it is only available in adult bookstores, via mail-order, in some countries over special satellite TV channels, and sometimes in gas stations. Many of these efforts have been rendered moot by the wide availability of internet pornography. Most western countries have some restrictions on pornography involving violence or animals.

There are recurring urban legends of snuff movies, in which murders are filmed for pornographic purposes. Extensive work by law enforcement officials to ascertain the truth of these rumours have been unable to find any such works.

• In 1966 in Denmark, the ban on written pornography was lifted and in 1969, Denmark was the first country in the world to legalise (hard core) picture pornography.

• The Netherlands have the most liberal rules: pornography is sold openly at normal newsstands and material involving animals is legal.

• In Sweden material involving animals is de-facto legal but subject to animal-welfare laws. Porn movies can be viewed beginning at age 15, and there are no age restrictions for magazines.

• In the United States, hard core pornography is legal unless it meets the Miller test of obscenity, which it almost never does. The materials may not be made available to persons under 18 years of age. Some attempts at restricting pornography on the internet have been struck down by the courts; see internet pornography.

• In Australia, regulation of pornography has increased somewhat under the Howard government, but remains reasonably widely available. See censorship in Australia.

• In the United Kingdom, hard core pornography was illegal until 1999.

• Hard pornography remains illegal (but tolerated) in Norway.

• In Japan until the mid-1990s, no genitals could be shown, but there is no taboo regarding sex and violence and also much less general concern about portraying teenagers as sexual beings (this applies to both out-and-out pornography and works dealing with other themes). Until recently, Japanese law prohibited the depiction of pubic hair in depictions of any forms of nudity, whether it be pornographic or not. For example, Japanese editions of men's magazines such as Playboy had to have any photographs visible signs of pubic hair airbrushed out.

• In Singapore pornography is illegal, even Playboy is banned.

• In Republic of Ireland pornography was illegal until the mid-1990s.

Anti-pornography movement

Religious conservatives, exemplified by the United States citizen Rev. Jerry Falwell, decry pornography because they see it as immoral; sex is reserved for married couples, and pornography is thought to lead to an overall increase in immoral behavior in society.

In the United States, a 1968 Supreme Court decision which held that people could view whatever they wished in the privacy of their own homes caused Congress to fund and President Lyndon Johnson to appoint a commission to study pornography. The commission's report recommended sex education, funding of research into the effects of pornography, restriction of children's access to pornography, and recommended against any restrictions for adults. The report was widely criticized and rejected by Congress.

In the second half of the 20th century, pornography became available in "men's magazines" such as Playboy. These magazines usually featured nude or semi-nude women, sometimes engaging in the act of masturbation. Other magazines evolved into more explicit displays, featuring sexual penetration, lesbianism and homosexuality, group sex, and fetishes.

The movie camera has been used for pornography throughout its history, and with the arrival of the home video cassette recorder the pornographic movie industry grew massively, people being able not only to view pornography in the privacy of their own home without having to go out to a theater, but also to make their own pornography.

Pornographic computer games have also existed almost since the start of the industry.

With the arrival of the Internet, the availability of pornography increased greatly. Many of the most successful internet entrepreneurs are those who operate pornographic internet sites. As well as conventional photographic or video pornography, some sites offer "interactive" video-game-like entertainment. Due to the international character of the Internet, it provides an easy means for consumers of pornography that is illegal in their country to simply acquire such material from sources in another country where it is legal or not prosecuted. See internet pornography.

The almost-zero cost of copying and shipping of digital data boosted the formation of private circles of people swapping pornography. This type of exchange is especially popular for material that is illegal, most notably child pornography.

A few large companies operating out of Southern California's San Fernando Valley are responsible for much of the pornography produced in the United States. The distribution of pornography has changed radically after the 1980s with videotape and cable television largely displacing X-rated theaters. Video distribution in turn is in the process of being replaced by DVD (and Internet distribution for niche markets). Distribution of pornography is a large industry which involves major entertainment companies such as AOL-Time Warner (which profits from pornography through its cable channels, and in-room movies provided by hotel chains).

Pornography in the United States tends to feature mostly blonde women with large breasts and buttocks and often with small tattoos or body piercing. Men in pornography tend to be older and heavily muscled. American pornography movies often attempt to promote pornographic stars, and the boxes for video tapes tend to be extremely gaudy. Plot in pornographic movies is often minimal.

Playboy (originally only in US, nowadays has editions in many countries)

Penthouse

Hustler Magazine (originally only in US, nowadays has editions in many countries)

Private (Established in Stockholm, Sweden in 1965 as the world's first full color hardcore sex magazine)

Le Ore (Italy), once an ordinary newspaper, in the 1970s had a notable turn in editorial line and represents now the most important title of a wide network of sex related magazines in central Europe.

Playgirl

Erotic authors

Marquis de Sade

Anais Nin

Henry Miller

List of erotic authors

Famous Movies

Debbie Does Dallas

Deep Throat

The Opening of Misty Beethoven

The Devil in Miss Jones

Behind the Green Door

Girls Gone Wild

Personalities

Annabel Chong

Annie Sprinkle

Asia Carrera

Ben Dover

Bob Guccione

Brande Roderick

Chloe Verrier

Danni Ashe

Hugh Hefner

Georgina Spelvin

Ginger Lynn

Gloria Leonard

Ilona Staller

Jenna Jameson

John Holmes

John Stagliano

Karin Schubert

Larry Flynt

Linda Lovelace

Marilyn Chambers

Moana Pozzi

Nicci Sterling

Nina Hartley

Peter North

Rocco Siffredi

Ron Jeremy

Savannah

Tera Patrick

Tiffany Towers

Specialized forms of pornography

• bondage magazines
• spanking magazines

See also

• sex worker
• erotic actor
• list of erotic authors
• slash fiction

External links and references