# Based on a conversation with another poster...



## Maricha75 (May 8, 2012)

I was wondering, what makes porn "porn"? Not asking for the usual debate of "porn vs romance novels" etc. I mean would you classify home made videos in the porn category? Where would you classify certain types of movies/television shows/miniseries? If there are any shows/series you would put in that category, feel free to list them. This is mainly to get an idea of cutoffs for hardcore/soft core/ erotica/etc.

Again, NOT about debating porn vs books. What is the cutoff for certain categories. And, for those who are "against porn"... do you allow concessions for "lower forms" of television/video viewing?


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## SoWhat (Jan 7, 2012)

countdown till someone mentions the Potter Stewart "I know it when I see it" line...

Wait, I just did it. Crap!


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## kingsfan (Jun 4, 2012)

I'm not really going to wade into what is/isn't porn, as I think it's an individual choice. Reading some peoples interpretations on here can show you that.

All I'll say is home made movies is and isn't porn in my books. It is porn in the standard definition, but it's not to the couple that made it. I know if I made a tape with my fiancee, I wouldn't label it as 'porn.'


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## MindOverMatter (Jul 1, 2012)

SoWhat said:


> countdown till someone mentions the Potter Stewart "I know it when I see it" line...
> 
> Wait, I just did it. Crap!


Haha.....nice, very nice. It really was just a matter of time, because I was going to use that line.

As to the OPs question, porn can be somewhat subjective. I think the line has been blurred recently. I would definitely count homemade sex tapes as porn, though it can be fairly erotic to make them.


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## Hope1964 (Sep 26, 2011)

If you have to be 18 and go to a store where the windows are all covered over to get it, it's porn. Or if they keep it behind the counter at the Mac's store.

The stuff floating around the internet is harder to classify. I don't like to lump internet porn in with DVD's and magazines, because the internet is interactive and porn pops into your face sometimes when you aren't even looking for it. It's FAR easier to be drawn in by it - FAR easier. It's passive - you don't have to go looking for it to find it even. In order to look at a magazine or a DVD you have to go actively seeking it.


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## 2nd_t!me iz_best (Feb 28, 2011)

i think its explicitness that makes it porn.
so i would also say that home movies are porn. but thats the good kind


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## diwali123 (Feb 17, 2012)

I think each couple who has issues with it needs to talk explicitly about it. I know a woman whose ex had an addiction and even if he watched some kind of playboy swimsuit vid with no sex acts and no nipples showing she considered it a breach of his promise not to look at porn.
Erotica is just porn with better lighting, acting and directing. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Maricha75 (May 8, 2012)

So, my reason for asking this was because a few times, posters have brought up "where would the cut off be?" And, in reading those, I was thinking about that. I mean, hubby and I have done videos ourselves, we have taken pics of each other and of ourselves and sent to each other. We regularly watch shows like Game of Thrones and True Blood. But nothing "higher" level than that. While *I* wouldn't consider it porn, there may be others who would... based solely on the sex content. The thing is, each of those shows would be fine *without* the sexual content. So, I guess you could say that hubby and I prefer something with a real plot, where the sole purpose isn't sex. And I, personally, don't view our home made videos as porn either, but I realize some do.

I guess, if you view home movies in that category, then I do watch it. If you consider the above mentioned shows to be the same, then I do watch. Pretty much depends on how each person views it, as some have mentioned. The "hardcore" stuff... neither of us care for.


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## Hope1964 (Sep 26, 2011)

Home movies are porn for OTHER people, but if they're just for yourselves, then I wouldn't consider it porn. You aren't watching OTHER people have sex.


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## 2nd_t!me iz_best (Feb 28, 2011)

Hope1964 said:


> Home movies are porn for OTHER people, but if they're just for yourselves, then I wouldn't consider it porn. You aren't watching OTHER people have sex.


but you are using them for sexual stimulation most likely.


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## Hope1964 (Sep 26, 2011)

It's using your own and your spouses naked body for visual stimulation. Is that different than gazing at them draped naked over the bed? I get visual stimulation from looking into my hubby's eyes sometimes too. If I recorded his gazing eyes and watched it, would that be porn?


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## 2nd_t!me iz_best (Feb 28, 2011)

Hope1964 said:


> It's using your own and your spouses naked body for visual stimulation. Is that different than gazing at them draped naked over the bed? I get visual stimulation from looking into my hubby's eyes sometimes too. If I recorded his gazing eyes and watched it, would that be porn?


:/


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## costa200 (Jun 27, 2012)

> I mean would you classify home made videos in the porn category?


I don't know Maricha, send them to me and i'll tell you 



> countdown till someone mentions the Potter Stewart "I know it when I see it" line...


Done...


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## Caribbean Man (Jun 3, 2012)

I consider homade vids crappy and they are porn. My wife doesn't like hardcore porn. She prefers softcore,and there must be some kind of plot. 
For me I got fed up of hardcore stuff a while ago,because I found most of it to be fake. Any man who knows a woman's body could see it. There is nothing in it to draw my imagination. The script is always the same.
1] Male meets female.
2]Female gives male a BJ, talk dirty while trying to get him hard.
3]Male gets semi erect ,because of " performance pressure." [cameras etc.]
4]Female rarely gets wet and has to use saliva for penetration.
5]Male penetrates and female begins to say " oh god yes..", or some other fake crap.
6]They go at it for about 10 - 15 mins,the director gives them a signal.
7] Male deposits his DNA on female's face.
8]Female looks into the camers and forces a smile.
End of " movie."


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## costa200 (Jun 27, 2012)

> 5]Male penetrates and female begins to say " oh god yes..", or some other fake crap.


Actually i've seen plenty where they start moaning even before the man touches her :lol:

But the softcore stuff ain't much better. Nothing like a real romp.


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## Maricha75 (May 8, 2012)

costa200 said:


> I don't know Maricha, send them to me and i'll tell you


Not even a temptation


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## costa200 (Jun 27, 2012)

Maricha75 said:


> Not even a temptation


I was going for the complete douche bag approach, mission accomplished :smthumbup:


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## WadeWilson (Jul 4, 2010)

If sex scenes are part of a legitimate story line or have a legit plot... No

If its used as a scene to escalate comical situations... No

Documentary that show or depict sex... No

Only in our situation: softcore like "skinamax" we look at to laugh at and make fun of... Sooooo.... No

But, if you use it to "fap" to (even to include above mention)... Yes

Home Movies.... Is kind of both... Mutual or agreed solo use... No... Solo use with a firm disagreement... Yes


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## Cosmos (May 4, 2012)

Good question, Maricha.

The TV series The Tudors - Erotica
Home Videos (for private use) - Not porn
Material that focuses and sensationalizes the physical act alone - Porn


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## Aristotle (Apr 4, 2012)

Caribbean Man said:


> 2]Female gives male a BJ, talk dirty while trying to get him hard.
> 3]Male gets semi erect ,because of " performance pressure." [older, not quite as turned on as a teenager, etc.]
> 4]Female rarely gets wet and has to use saliva for penetration.
> 5]Male penetrates and female begins to say " oh god yes..", or some other fake crap.
> ...


I am not sure if I am offended or just old, but this is my actual sex life.


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

Maricha75 said:


> I was wondering, what makes porn "porn"?


Legally or linguistically?


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## Maricha75 (May 8, 2012)

ocotillo said:


> Legally or linguistically?


Asking for opinions. More because I choose not to watch certain shows/videos because they are absolutely in the porn category, whether hardcore or softcore. But, I watch others that some think could go either way. 

For instance: I mentioned in another thread that hubby and I have done occasional videos and pictures, and we view those. But I have said all along that I don't watch porn. One person kinda jumped on the home movies and said "ahhh so you DO watch porn, just special stars" or something to that effect lol. Which is fine, to me, if someone views that as porn. I, personally, never considered it as such because it is my husband and me, for our eyes only. If it was made to show others, then yes, I would call it porn.

I don't watch shows like Red Shoes Diaries. I have seen it a few times in the past (before meeting hubby). It's not to my tastes. I have no problem with shows that have sex scenes, whether necessary to the plot or not. But if the story revolves around setting up a sexual encounter, it doesn't interest me. Hubby and I watch Game of Thrones. If you have seen that show, you know how much sex goes on in there. Same with True Blood. But we both prefer not to get any further than that. It is distasteful TO US. If it works for someone else, that's cool. It just doesn't work for us.

I haven't seen that new movie Magic Mike. I have no desire to. Unless there is a REAL story to it, and not just about some guy dancing in a club for women. Otherwise, I'll pass. 

I know the difference between art and porn pics. I wouldn't call the sculpture "David" porn. It is art. As are other sculptures/paintings like them. Again, some may view it otherwise.

So...you can choose legally or linguistically. IDC LOL


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

Maricha75 said:


> I know the difference between art and porn pics. I wouldn't call the sculpture "David" porn. It is art. As are other sculptures/paintings like them. Again, some may view it otherwise.
> 
> So...you can choose legally or linguistically. IDC LOL


The reason I asked is because the two aren't quite the same. 

In the U.S., the legal definition revolves around obscenity law with the notion of 'Redeeming social value' as an exception to exclude works of fine art and literature. Obscenity includes pornography, but may also include things like public nudity, nude dancing, sexually oriented commercial telephone messages, and lewd comedy routines

The dictionary (linguistic) defintion is not as inclusive as the legal definition and limits pornography to only that which is sexually explict. Simple nudity doesn't qualify as pornography by the dictionary definition, but it may still qualify as visual erotica.


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## Tall Average Guy (Jul 26, 2011)

Aristotle said:


> I am not sure if I am offended or just old, but this is my actual sex life.


You use a director? :scratchhead:


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## Tall Average Guy (Jul 26, 2011)

Maricha75 said:


> I was wondering, what makes porn "porn"? Not asking for the usual debate of "porn vs romance novels" etc. I mean would you classify home made videos in the porn category? Where would you classify certain types of movies/television shows/miniseries? If there are any shows/series you would put in that category, feel free to list them. This is mainly to get an idea of cutoffs for hardcore/soft core/ erotica/etc.
> 
> Again, NOT about debating porn vs books. What is the cutoff for certain categories. And, for those who are "against porn"... do you allow concessions for "lower forms" of television/video viewing?


What about sex stories? There are whole sites dedicated to these, with stories range from short explicit stories with nothing other than sex to long novells where sex is graphically described, but within the context of an involved plot.


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## Maricha75 (May 8, 2012)

Tall Average Guy said:


> What about sex stories? There are whole sites dedicated to these, with stories range from short explicit stories with nothing other than sex to long novells where sex is graphically described, but within the context of an involved plot.


I was specifically asking about viewing, not reading, because debates about reading tend to end in comparing reading vs viewing. Tbh, I have no interest in reading sexually explicit stories. I have read some before, but they do nothing for me.

But, if reading does get brought in, ok. I do wonder why the sexually explicit stories haven't been brought into the conversations before.


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## Sawney Beane (May 1, 2011)

Maricha75 said:


> I was wondering, what makes porn "porn"? Not asking for the usual debate of "porn vs romance novels" etc. I mean would you classify home made videos in the porn category? Where would you classify certain types of movies/television shows/miniseries? If there are any shows/series you would put in that category, feel free to list them. This is mainly to get an idea of cutoffs for hardcore/soft core/ erotica/etc.
> 
> Again, NOT about debating porn vs books. What is the cutoff for certain categories. And, for those who are "against porn"... do you allow concessions for "lower forms" of television/video viewing?


For some people? A site like this, where people are discussing their sexual issues, is "porn".

I kid you not.


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## Tall Average Guy (Jul 26, 2011)

Maricha75 said:


> I was specifically asking about viewing, not reading, because debates about reading tend to end in comparing reading vs viewing. Tbh, I have no interest in reading sexually explicit stories. I have read some before, but they do nothing for me.
> 
> But, if reading does get brought in, ok. I do wonder why the sexually explicit stories haven't been brought into the conversations before.


I certainly don't want to change the question. I just was not sure based on you initial post whether those stories were something you wanted to consider.

I suspect thsoe stories are not as threatening to SOs because although explicit, they still leave much up to the imagination. An SO can believe (or convince themself) that their spouse is imagining the two of them together doing the act. It is harder to convince oneself when there is a video or photo involved.


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## jaquen (Mar 1, 2012)

If you're viewing, or reading, any material for the express purposes of sexual arousal, and sexual arousal alone, it's porn for you. 

There is no such thing as universal "porn". I think pornography needs a willing recipient to be effective and considered active "porn". A JC Penny ladies underwear catalog might not be porn to most, but it sure might be porn to a 12 year old boy who's just coming into his sexuality and using it to get off. The "two girls/one cup" video certainly would never be considered porn to me, but that might be the height of arousal for some.

It all depends on the intent. Everybody knows inherently when they're using something as porn, whether they admit it or not. It goes beyond the typical material that is labeled as "porn". Porn can be just about anything, depending on how you approach it.


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## jaquen (Mar 1, 2012)

Maricha75 said:


> I haven't seen that new movie Magic Mike. I have no desire to. Unless there is a REAL story to it, and not just about some guy dancing in a club for women. Otherwise, I'll pass.


I had the same assumptions you do based off the trailers. I had no desire to see it, because, well, I don't see any reason why I'd watch a flick about the silly 'art' of male erotic dancing. But when I found out it was directed by Steven Soderbergh, one of the better directors working today, that peaked my curiosity. The man doesn't direct junk, he directs art. I still didn't feel comfortable going to see it in public alone (I'm a secure and open guy, but still I have my moments ). But then the wife announced we were going to see it, so that was that.


It's not what you think. The commercials make it look like a vapid fluff piece with no purpose but to titillate. It really is a well directed film, with solid performances, and some real weight to the story. Not the deepest film, but not at all what the ridiculous commercials suggest.


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## Woodchuck (Nov 1, 2012)

Back in the 80's the wife and I would occasionally rent a XXX video. I think it enhanced our sex life. Then the Atty general of Arkansas decided we should not be allowed to see them, and they all dried up.....

Now there is unlimited porn online, and my wife dosn't want me to watch it......

Unlike lots of anti porn women, she dosn't think I am looking at porn and ignoring her, she says I get aroused looking at porn and "take it out on her"...Actually I view porn as "entertainment" pure and simple....

I am extremely HD and I NEED sex more than she does, just the facts. The other night we had a 2 hour session that I REALLY enjoyed, but early the next morning, when she lay down beside me I was instantly aroused.......I can't help it,she just gets me HOT......

I am sure she would rather masterbate on occasion rather than "hound" her for sex.....

I always orgasm MUCH faster when I masterbate if I don't look at porn.....What gets me off so fast without porn? I fantasize about having sex with her.......I guess the poor girl can't catch a break....But i swear that is the truth. She is my sexual icon....


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