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Erotica
Erotica
is any material or device that arouses sexual interest or is used to
enhance a sexual experience. Largely as a result of Gloria Steinem's
1980 article, the term has come to be used by most to refer to material
that contains loving interaction that goes beyond the mere sexual.
Commonly, erotica is in the form of sexually explicit writing or visual
images such as photographs, drawings and films. Devices made to vary or
enhance pleasure during sexual activity, sometimes referred to as "sex
toys", are also considered erotica.
Sexually explicit written
and visual material dates back as far as ancient times and has been
known to exist in numerous cultures. With the advent of the modern legal
system some sexually explicit material - depending on its degree of
explicitness and based on the interpretation of the observer - has been
classified as obscene. The U.S. Supreme Court has set standards of legal
obscenity, which are always implemented on a state or local level, but
they are extremely difficult to apply on a case by case basis. There is
no formula for deciding when something is erotica or obscenity (also
called pornography),
thus decisions are often left up to communities and individuals.
There are many reasons
why people are interested in the use of erotica. Viewing and reading
erotica provides a source of knowledge and comparison about sexual
anatomy and behavior. Erotic materials are used by some to spark sexual
arousal rather quickly or to prolong it, depending on the person's
appetite at the time. Some people use erotic readings, pictures or
movies to accompany masturbation. Like sexual fantasies, erotica
triggers the imagination and allows people to deal with forbidden or
frightening aspects of sex in the controlled environment of the
imagination. Erotica gives people opportunities to rehearse in their
thoughts acts that they hope to try or are curious about. Others use
erotica primarily to heighten their sexual desire (but not as the main
course), to turn on their partner, or simply to enrich a sexual
experience with their partner.
Preference for one type
of erotica over another is a matter of individual taste. Some people
prefer the real-life action of films, whereas others prefer to let their
imaginations expand on a drawing or photograph or find that stories or
other written accounts of a sexually explicit nature offer greater
erotic potential. Whatever the venue, there seems to be little
difference in the sexual arousal that they help produce. In contrast,
the content of erotica, rather than its style of presentation, does have
a specific effect. People are more likely to be aroused by content to
which they can relate, rather than by depiction of sexual acts that they
find uncomfortable or offensive.
The sexual arousal that
occurs with the use of erotica can be both psychological and physical.
Many investigators have noted specific physiological changes in people
while they watch erotic movies, read erotic passages, or listen to tape
recordings of erotic stories. Men often experience erection and women
undergo changes in vaginal blood flow or lubrication. In had been
generally assumed that men responded more frequently and powerfully to
erotica than women. However, research indicates that this is not
necessarily the case. Both sexes are capable of responding to erotic
material in much the same ways, although the type of erotica (style,
content, plot) may be important in determining its turn-on potential.
Furthermore, until recently, most erotica has been developed by men for
men. This may be one reason why some women do not find traditional
erotic materials as appealing as men do.
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Sex
