What is art and what is porn ?

[jlglamour]

Porn is one of those things that is difficult to define. Now we regard it as pictures or film of people engaged in actual sexual activity usually with one or more other people. But not so long ago, well within living memory and for a lot of our favourite vintage erotica stars, straight forward pubic hair was considered 'porn' and as for held open labia, vibrators, BJs and penetration...well they were just a complete no no. So how did they stop being porn and start being acceptable erotica ?

Anyway who says porn or erotica is not art ? Most people would accept that striptease is erotic but the Victorians venerated the human nude despite apparently being straitlaced and if you go to the V&A Museum in London in a small corner you will find a beautiful statue of a nude girl removing her stockings in a provocative manner. This statue once stood in Queen Victoria's dining room ! So Vicky had a stripper to dinner !

In practice porn can only be described as what the bulk of the people regard as unpleasant and unacceptable. So paedophilia is always going to be wrong (or certainly should be) although some religions and cultures regard it as ok. But basically it comes down to what most people feel is OK and that is a moveable feast.

Personally I welcome the liberalisation of laws and understanding. I well remember poring over the grainy black and white nudes of Parade and Carnival and later Mayfair and Men Only hoping to catch a glimpse of hair. I never thought that one day i would be able to watch and speak to lovely nude girls masturbating for me on webcams, but it is a delight to be able to do so in privacy.

As for what is art, better people than me have tried to define it and I think anything can be art if someone says it is.

SO where does this leave us ? Personally I think the art or porn question is outdated, it's all art. But as far as I'm concerned so long as the adult human body and sexual activity is portrayed with consent of viewer and performer then almost anything goes. But you should be able to opt into it not have it displayed to anyone without restraint.