To think that 50shades (and other erotic fiction) is not the same as internet porn.

[boodles]

Let me first say I haven't actually read 50shades (from what I have heard it is crap) but I know lots of ladies do and I know many ladies also enjoy other erotic fiction.

AIBU to be fed up with hearing people, my BIL for example and also people on threads on the internet, compairing a lady reading erotic fiction to a man watching on line porn. My BIL 'Hahaha, she can't have a go at me for watching porn any more, not now she [his wife] is reading that 50shades book'. To me, words on a page are not comparable to internet porn, GAH!

YABU for referring to it as 'erotic'

He needs to get a grip on what is fictional and what is real life? Does he think the people in porn are computer generated?

The execution is different but the intention and outcome are the same - both are works of minimal creativity designed purely to get one's rocks off.

And 50 shades of boredom might be a more accurate title?

Couldn't agree more cheeky. I'm a glutton for punishment and tried reading 50 shades darker too but god it was awful. I've seen darker episodes of Eastenders.

What gordy said.

Whilst the intention and outcome are indeed the same, the means of delivery are completely different. Erotic fiction is something that has been imagined, but pornographic pictures/videos have been made using real people. And because of the nature of the porn industry, consent can never be fully guaranteed.

I'm not a 50 Shades fan but those men are kidding themselves.

to me the difference is the exploitation of real people in one

Yanbu

I don't think the people I've seen reading 50 Shades on the train to work at 9am have hidden vibrating devices getting them off. It's not remotely comparable to videos of humping and sucking designed purely for men to jack off over.

Oh, and he forgets the exploitation of vulnerable young women by the thousand in the internet porn industry which is missing from a book... way to exclude women from one's calculations. Not that this sado-"erotica" isn't a feminist issue in itself.

X post Kew, what you said

Kewcumber has it in one. I've read Fifty Shades and it's not a great work of fiction and the relationship depicted is not what you'd hope for your daughter (to say the least) but it's not the same as the exploitation of real women which happens in internet porn.

Yanbu. This is one of the things I hate about that shite. It's used to justify porn. Similar to the 'what about sex scenes in films' nonsense. One is real living breathing people, one is words on a page. One is potentially getting off on abuse, one is words on a page. One is a seriously dodgy billion £ industry, one is words on a page.

I think 50 shades is damaging crap for a whole host of other reasons, but porn it isn't.

Here we go again

Again and again!

YANBU. BUT! Some men like the anime cartoon style porn.

Would this woman be okay with that since its not real?

Funny how it's 'lady' reading a book but 'man' watching porn...

This porn lark is getting boring. Each to their own fgs.

Haven't read 50 shades but yes personally I would be happy with any fictional porn that doesn't exploit a real person. Provided of course that it doesn't lead the reader on to exploit other real people.

Personally I would prefer fiction that doesn't degrade women or trivialise them or normalise exploitative sex in any way. But I can live with it as long as it stays in the realms of the imagination.

Yes agreed - each to their own - which includes not exploit other human beings for pleasure.

YANBU

I'm sick to death of people saying it's porn too, especially guys. I've read it and it did nothing for me. It's about as 'erotic' as you allow your imagination to be.

They should write this on the back of it ....'No people were exploited during the production of this book'
......unlike porn films!!!

Okay, serious question. As GoldShip says, there's anime/cartoon style porn, which (IMO) is as acceptable as the 50 Shades variety of erotica as it's fiction. Only difference is that it's visual rather than written.

I'm just wondering what people think, with either anime or fiction, when the acts being described are with (let's say) children. So there are no real children involved, but cartoon pictures of them, or words on a page that have particular emphasis on the fact that they're children. Presumably this has cropped up already?

It's just that I find that idea deeply disturbing - but it seems to go against my previous argument that there's no exploitation because there are no real peple.

Agree with Kewcumber - and, therefore, yes Goldship - I guess I'm saying that animated porn would be OK too.

There are whole other issues with the representation of women that still make lots of erotic fiction or animation 'not OK'. 'Fifty Shades' is a fairly accurate description of an abusive relationship, which I'm not very comfortable with.

But fiction or animation are still not equivalent to filmed or photographed porn.

TheDogDidIt - there are people who defend 'Lolita' - essentially imagined child porn - on the basis that it's great literature and examines the whole area of attraction to forbidden fruit, which is a real part of the human existence and needs to be addressed. And there are those that say it's disgusting and shouldn't be allowed.

Generally, I think I err on the side of the 'great literature' argument with 'Lolita' but maybe if something less 'worthy' were describing child rape I might not. I think it depends on the intention of the author - are they exploiting the child for titillation or is it a genuine exploration of why an adult might be attracted to them?

Either way, I'd rather see it in print than on a screen.

A thread about a thread.

how is it a thread about a thread? There's no reference to another thread.

Are you very tired then?

Goldship, the reason it is a 'man' watching porn and a 'lady' reading the book is because that is exactly how it was. It was my BIL [a man] discussing film and my SIL [a lady]reading the book and, had it been the other way round, I woud have written that. I don't see why that may be a problem?