Pornography, orporn, is the name forwriting,pictures andfilms featuringsex for the purpose ofarousing people sexually, either to help themmasturbate, or to prepare them for sex with a partner.[source?]
When the purpose of these works is not arousal, but for exampleeducation, or art, these works are not called pornographic. People instead speak about"erotica."[1][2][better source needed]
In most countries,showingnaked people is not called "pornography" unless the people are doing something sexual; even so, material that counts as pornographic may still be legal. When people consider photographs ormovies to harm or to disrespect the people depicted or the viewers, or to violate the community'smoral orreligious standards, they condemn the material as "obscene." Most countries have laws against obscenity. One type of pornography against the law in most countries ischild pornography.[source?]
Pornography can be made in differentmedia. Some ways includephotos,drawings,paintings,animations, andmovies. Live shows (like sex shows orstriptease) are usually not considered pornography. Pornography is made toentertain adults. Many people are involved in the industry of making, selling, or showing pornography. People shown in pornographic movies are calledpornographic actors or actresses, and when they attain the popularity to appear in many films, they are called "porn stars."[source?]
The word "pornography" comes from theGreek words meaning "prostitute" and "writing".[3] The word was first used for stories about sex, but is now also used forphotographs, paintings, illustrations, cartoons, andmovies that depict sex to arouse people to sexual activity. It is also called "porn" or "porno" for short.[source?]
The wordpornography is made of two ancient Greek words:πόρνος (pórnos) "fornicators", andγράφειν (gráphein) "writing, recording, or description".[4] No date is known for the first use of the termpornography, the earliest attested, most related word found isπορνογράφος (pornographos) i.e. "someone writing about harlots" in the 3rd century CE workDeipnosophists byAthenaeus.[5]
The oldest published reference to the wordpornography as in 'new pornographie,' is dated back to 1638 and is credited toNathaniel Butter in a history of the Fleet newspaper industry.[6] The modern wordpornography entered the English language as the more familiar word in 1842 via French "pornographie," from Greek "pornographos".
There are different ideas about what is and what is not pornography. Diana Russell, apsychologist, says that there is adifference between pornography anderotica.[7][better source needed] The word "erotica" is often used for pictures, movies or stories that focus on the beauty of sexuality. There is not often a clear difference between "erotica" and "pornography." Thedispute over what is or is not pornography can even go to thecourts.[source?]
Some people believe that anything that shows anaked body is a type of pornography. The laws of theUnited States and many other countries do not support this.[8][better source needed] There can be all sorts of reasons for showing a naked or partly undressed body. Some of these reasons include art work or amedicaldiagram.[source?]
Pictures that show models in a sexy pose are sometimes called "soft porn".
There are different kinds of pornography. The term "soft porn" is sometimes used for pictures that show people who may or may not be naked, but who areposed in a sexy manner. Pictures of women like this are sometimes called "cheesecake," and pictures of men are called "beefcake." Pornographic pictures or movies which show people having sex are sometimes called "hard porn."[source?]
Businesses have been making pornography for many years. Until the 1970s, businesses making pornography were small since there were many laws against it. In the 1970s, pornographic magazines such asPenthouse became a huge and successful business. Pornographic movies also become popular at this time. In the 1980s, the creation of thevideo cassette recorder caused a rise in the pornography business. A number of companies began making pornographic videotapes in the United States.[source?]
In the 1990s, as more people began using theinternet, businesses began selling pornographic pictures on the Internet. In the 2000s, the increased speed of computers allowed pornography companies to sell porn videos over the Internet. The pornography brand Mitchell Gaffney was the first website that contained such items.[source?]
Many different kinds of businesses make and sell pornography:magazines such asPlayboy andHustler, movie companies such asVivid Video, andwebsites, such asPornhub, that make and sell porn. Since "pornography" is a word that many people consider being the name for something that is morally wrong or ugly, businesses do not say that they are in "the business of pornography," but rather in the "adultentertainment" business.[source?]
In the nations ofWestern Europe and the United States, the law permits people who have reached the legal age ofadulthood (the age of majority) to own, buy, sell, make, or participate in pornography. Laws about the public display of pornographic materials for sale may vary in the West: inThe Netherlands the veryliberal laws allow stores that sell pornography to display books, magazines, photographs, and the covers of videos openly, but inCanada and the United States the laws require that such stores keep pornographic material out of the sight of children. In some parts of Asia, such asIndonesia,Iran andPakistan, making or owning pornography is a crime.[source?]
In the law of most countries, those people who have not reached the age of majority, or minors, may not buy, let alone sell, pornography of any sort. More importantly, there are laws against showing minors naked in photographs or films meant to arouse others sexually or showing them engaged in sexual acts.
Such material is called "child pornography," and is considered not just illegal, but a serious crime. The laws against child pornography, also called "child porn", are meant to protect children against people who "use" or "exploit" them. The laws also require those who make pornographic photos or films to keep records to prove that their models, actors, and actresses are over the age of legal majority.[source?]
Since the 1970s, many women's groups andfeminist writers have criticized pornography, especially hardcore pornography, arguing that such pornography degrades and humiliates women. Somepsychologists who have talked with many people in jail for violent sex crimes believe that pornographic depictions of violent sex often make people less caring about other people's feelings, which might make them more likely to commit rape and other sex crimes. Manypedophiles, who sexually assault children, also have collections of child pornography.[9][10]
Religious people believe that, because it depicts the sexual act without any relation to love and marriage, pornography is unholy. Most parents do not wish their children to see pornography because they believe that it will make them less capable of romantic love. Specialcomputerprograms can be installed on computers to block access to pornographic websites, or websites otherwise objectionable.[source?]
Even though many countries have laws against child pornography, enforcement has become a problem because new computer technologies allow pornographers to make an adult in a photograph look like an adolescent, or in making a film can use actors and actresses who, although they have passed the age of majority, still look much younger. In addition, organized crime makes money fromtrafficking human beings; they forcegirls andwomen intoprostitution, and sometimes force them to make pornography.
↑Athenaeus (1927) [3rd CE]."Book 13.567b".The Deipnosophists (in Greek). Translated by Gulick, Charles Burton. Harvard University Press, London.ISBN9780674993617. Archived fromthe original on 6 December 2022.
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