Erotica versus Porn

Is there a difference between erotica and porn? This is a question I've given a lot of thought to lately.

Some people have a knee-jerk reaction to both the words "erotica" and "pornography." Definitions are frequently thrown around, but I'd like to suggest that the definitions of either word really don't get to the heart of the difference between the two. I'd like to propose that the difference between the two is motive. 

That said, we do need to start with the definitions. 

Erotica: literary or artistic works having an erotic (tending to arouse sexual desire) theme or quality. 

Pornography: the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement. 

So at face value, it seems the two are synonymous, no? 

I say no. 

Please bear with me here, as I think we need to set another foundation. All works of art serve the purpose of stirring emotions within. I propose that what separates "good" art from "bad" art is rooted in the ability to move one's emotions. Good works of art cause us to think beyond our day-to-day existence and question the "why." Perhaps all of us have had a breakthrough -- with a movie, a poem, a song, or a book, those moments that make us say, "Wow." We've all the experience of having been moved to reflect on the human experience.

I remember watching the CMA with my husband a few years ago and there was a live rendition of Lady Antebellum's "I Need You Now." My husband, a musician, said, "What is beautiful about the song is that the way they sing it actually conveys what they are singing...the longing." There is a pleading in that song. There is a need in the actual tone that goes beyond the lyrics. I completely agreed. 

Perhaps some of us have even had what we call "life-changing experiences" with art. 

Most of us would agree that being moved to tears -- from happiness, empathy, sadness or fear -- often indicate that we've been moved.

"I laughed. I cried!" people say, about a movie, or a book. 

Most people would agree this response is a good one. I daresay, most people say this response is the trademark of good art. 

Where we disagree, though, is when we venture into erotic territory. We are human beings who were created to feel. We were created to feel love, passion, anger, fear, and joy, and that is only the beginning. 

We were also created to feel sexual desire. Let's be honest, people. It's what makes the world go 'round. 

However, there are some of us who have that experience with art -- the feeling of arousal -- and we dismiss it as wrong. Although we are comfortable feeling happy, or sad, or angry, there is this idea that feeling sexually aroused is somehow wrong. 

I propose it is natural. 

I propose it is an integral part of the human experience. 

So when a work of art leans on the edge of erotica, I say there is nothing necessarily wrong with it. Men and women were created to love one another, and the desire to love one another sexually is a beautiful thing. 

What, then, is the purpose of pornography? There is one and only one purpose: to enhance sexual desire. The difference, as I see it, between erotica and pornography, is the difference between eating a delicious meal and being tube fed. Both satisfy the same primal desire. One satisfies an appetite with a mulit-sensory experience that brings both joy and satisfaction, while one strips the experience down to a mere function. 

I propose that erotica enhances the human experience of sexual desire. One could argue that pornography degrades it. 

A beautiful portrait of a nude woman sitting demurely in her husband's embrace goes beyond the erotic display. It shows beauty. Love. Trust. Compare that to a Playboy pin-up, and we are left with beauty without the love and trust. We are stripped of a gourmet meal and left with a feeding tube.

I write erotic literature for a reason. Love is deep and complex. It is at the very heart of humanity. I choose not to hide from the beauty and intimacy of sexuality. I propose that we were created to love, and to love deeply. Sexuality is an integral part of that deep desire to love and be loved. 

I will continue to write erotica, because I will continue to urge my readers to love, and to love deeply.