List of pornographic subgenres

Last updated

Pornography is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purpose of sexual arousal. It is commonly grouped into a number of distinct subgenres. Pornography is typically categorized as either "softcore" or "hardcore" pornography.

Softcore pornography

Softcore pornography or softcore porn is commercial still photography or film that has a pornographic or erotic component. It is less sexually graphic and intrusive than hardcore pornography. It typically contains nude or semi-nude actors involved in love scenes, and is intended to be sexually arousing and aesthetically beautiful.

Nudity in film

Nudity in film is the presentation in a film of at least one person who is nude, partially nude or wearing less clothing than contemporary norms in some societies consider "modest". Since the development of the medium, inclusion in films of any form of sexuality has been controversial, and in the case of most nude scenes has had to be justified as being part of the story, in the concept of "artistically justifiable nudity". In some cases nudity is itself the object of a film or is used in the development of the character of the subject. In some cases, nudity has been criticized as "superfluous" or "gratuitous" to the plot, and some film producers have been accused of including nudity in a film to appeal to certain audiences. Many actors and actresses have appeared nude, or exposing parts of their bodies or dressed in ways considered provocative by contemporary standards at some point in their careers.

Human sexual activity human behaviour which is sexually motivated, including sexual intercourse

Human sexual activity, human sexual practice or human sexual behaviour is the manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality. People engage in a variety of sexual acts, ranging from activities done alone to acts with another person in varying patterns of frequency, for a wide variety of reasons. Sexual activity usually results in sexual arousal and physiological changes in the aroused person, some of which are pronounced while others are more subtle. Sexual activity may also include conduct and activities which are intended to arouse the sexual interest of another or enhance the sex life of another, such as strategies to find or attract partners, or personal interactions between individuals. Sexual activity may follow sexual arousal.

The majority of the genres in this list relate to hardcore pornography.

Overview

Pornographic films are characterised as either softcore and hardcore, which can contain depictions of sexual penetration or extreme fetishism. Subgenres can also be classified into the characteristics of the performers or the type of sexual activity on which it concentrates, and not necessarily on the market to which each subgenre appeals. Pornographic films are classified into a number of subgenres, each of which usually conforms to certain conventions, and each of which caters to particular markets.

Sexual penetration sexual activity that involves inserting a persons body part into another person

Sexual penetration is the insertion of a body part or other object into a body orifice, such as the vagina, anus or mouth, as part of human sexual activity or animal sexual behavior.

A niche market is the subset of the market on which a specific product is focused. The market niche defines the product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price range, production quality and the demographics that it is intended to target. It is also a small market segment.

Convention (norm) set of agreed, stipulated, or generally accepted standards

A convention is a set of agreed, stipulated, or generally accepted standards, norms, social norms, or criteria, often taking the form of a custom.

Traditionally, pornographic films were made for a male market. A typical pornographic film featured a female performer on whom the film focused. Her male partner had no distinctive features other than a large penis. However, there has been an increase in female viewers over time, and there have recently been efforts to increase the sexualization of male performers also. New features such as men with smaller penises, charming facial features and well-built bodies are becoming predominant, as well as the emergence of feminist pornography. [3] [4]

Sexualization is to make something sexual in character or quality, or to become aware of sexuality, especially in relation to men and women. Sexualization is linked to sexual objectification. According to the American Psychological Association, sexualization occurs when "individuals are regarded as sex objects and evaluated in terms of their physical characteristics and sexiness." "In study after study, findings have indicated that women more often than men are portrayed in a sexual manner and are objectified. In addition, a narrow standard of physical beauty is heavily emphasized. These are the models of femininity presented for young girls to study and emulate." Women who embrace their sexual desires are considered to be sexy and attractive to men who want nothing more than to have a woman as a sex toy. In the eyes of men, women that practice this behavior serve the pure purpose of providing satisfaction and showcasing their human nature. According to the Media Education Foundation's, Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising's Image of Women, the sexualization of girls in media and the ways women are portrayed in the dominant culture are detrimental to the development of young girls as they are developing their identities and understanding themselves as sexual beings.

Feminist pornography refers to a genre of film developed by and/or for those dedicated to gender equality. It was created for the purposes of encouraging women and their self-beliefs of freedom through sexuality, equality and pleasure. Many third-wave feminists are open to seeking freedom and rights of sexual equality through entering the adult entertainment workforce. Second-wave feminists, contrarily, often have a solidified belief that the oppression and/or sexual objectification of women is inherent to all pornography involving them. The conflict between the two waves causes many struggles between these two different feminist views.

Genre by physical characteristics

Hair

Hair fetishism is sexual arousal connected with hair, mainly:

Hair fetishism

Hair fetishism, also known as hair partialism and trichophilia, is a partialism in which a person sees hair – most commonly, head hair – as particularly erotic and sexually arousing. Arousal may occur from seeing or touching hair, whether head hair, armpit hair, chest hair or fur. Head-hair arousal may come from seeing or touching very long or short hair, wet hair, certain colors of hair or a particular hairstyle. Pubephilia is sexual arousal at the sight or feel of pubic hair.

Body features

Armpit fetishism partialism in which an individual is sexually attracted to armpits

Armpit fetishism is a partialism in which an individual is sexually attracted to armpits - something which may lead to axillism, or armpit intercourse.

Overweight having more body fat than is optimally healthy

Being overweight or fat is having more body fat than is optimally healthy. Being overweight is especially common where food supplies are plentiful and lifestyles are sedentary.

Oral sex sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia by the use of the mouth

Oral sex, sometimes referred to as oral intercourse, is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a person by another person using the mouth or throat. Cunnilingus is oral sex performed on female genitals, while fellatio is oral sex performed on a penis. Anilingus, another form of oral sex, is oral stimulation of a person's anus. Oral stimulation of other parts of the body is usually not considered oral sex.

Race and ethnicity

Race-oriented pornography does not always feature performers who are actually of the race listed in the title. Performers are sometimes billed as being of a certain race, if their facial features, body shape, or skin color fit a publicly accepted idea of what people of that race look like. Some performers are billed as being of one race, and then of another, depending on the film.

Subculture

Age

Fetish

Bondage/BDSM

Bodily functions

Other fetish

Sexual orientation

Pornography features an increasing variety of combinations of actors by their sexual orientation such as lesbian, gay and bisexuals in addition to traditional heterosexual roles.

Men with Women, Women with Men

Men with men

Women with women

Multiple men and women

Reality

Specific sex acts

Anal

Other sex acts

Other categories

Computer-generated, interactive, and animated

Miscellaneous

See also

References

  1. Martin Amis (17 March 2001). "A rough trade". Guardian.co.uk . Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  2. "P20th Century Nudes in Art". The Art History Archive. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  3. "'Porn made for women, by women" May, Catalina. The Guardian, 22 March 2011. Accessed 11 October 2013
  4. "'Artisanal, locally grown, free range porn for women" Nagy, Toni. Huffington Post, 4 March 2013. Accessed 11 October 2013
  5. Ma, Kai (April 24, 2007). "Take My Wife, Please". Nerve . Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  6. Wendy Williams (2009-06-24). "HIV Adult Industry Scare from a TS Point of View". Wendy Williams' MySpace blog. Archived from the original on 2010-09-13.[ dead link ]
  7. Dazed (30 December 2015). "Meet 'the man with a pussy', porn star and feminist producer" . Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  8. "Man? or Woman? You Decide - Manhattan, New York, NY - News" . Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  9. "Buck Angel talks about life as a transsexual porn star" . Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  10. Millward, John (14 February 2013). "Deep Inside: A Study of 10,000 Porn Stars and Their Careers". jonmillward.com.
  11. "Guide to Virtual Reality VR Porn and Virtual Sex Tech". The VR Porn Blog. Virtual Reality Press, LLC. 15 May 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016.