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Erotica (from the Greek Eros - "desire") — refers to works of art, including literature, photography, film, sculpture and painting, that deal substantively with erotically stimulating or arousing descriptions. Erotica is a modern word used to describe the portrayal of the human anatomy and sexuality with high-art aspirations, differentiating such work from commercial pornography.

Genres and themes

There are various sub-genres of erotica. As with fiction as a whole, there are erotic stories with a science fiction, fantasy, horror or romance focus. Additionally, erotica can also focus on specific sexual behavior or fetishes such as BDSM, wearing uniforms, cross-dressing, polygamy and sexual promiscuity. Fan fiction featuring characters engaging in male homosexual acts has become known as slash fiction.

The erotica/pornography debate

The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please view the article's
The distinction between erotica and pornography (as well as the lesser known genre of sexual entertainment, ribaldry) is difficult to identify as it is, to a degree, highly personal. Essentially, the difference lies in the individual's approach to sexuality and the sex act. Inexperience and a simplistic social model of sexuality tends to produce a prurient and undeveloped approach to sexual pleasure, which revels in the deliberate flouting and perversion of accepted moral principles. A more open view of sexuality tends to set the moral view aside and accepts that sexual gratification is the right of each human being and each has the right to pursue that in their own way without judgmental burdens being placed on them by external sources.

Erotic art tends to spring from this latter, more amoral viewpoint. Proponents for erotic art argue that such work is intended to be artistically interesting and deliberate rather than simply sexually stimulating, and is therefore not pornographic. Opponents see this as a pretentious stand as they believe that erotic art is indeed intended for sexual arousal.

The issue of whether a distinction can be made between erotica and pornography raises multiple complicated questions. These questions include whether aesthetic and erotic feelings are mutually exclusive, how the level of commercialism and tastefulness in an artwork can be objectively measured, and at what point they make the work pornographic.

In general, "erotica" refers to portrayals of sexually arousing material that hold or aspire to artistic, scientific or human merit, whereas "pornography" often connotes the commercial, prurient, morally valueless depiction of sexual acts, with little or no artistic value.

See also

References

Greek}}} 
Writing system: Greek alphabet 
Official status
Official language of:  Greece
 Cyprus
 European Union
recognised as minority language in parts of:
 European Union
 Italy
 Turkey
Regulated by:
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Eros (ἔρως érōs) is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing. The Modern Greek word "erotas" means "(romantic) love". Plato refined his own definition.
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work of art (or artwork or work) is a creation, such as a song, book, film, print, sculpture or a painting, that has been made in order to be a thing of beauty in itself or a symbolic statement of meaning, rather than having a practical function.
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Erotic literature is a literary genre that either takes the form of erotica written to arouse the reader, or to give instruction in sexual technique. Much classic erotic literature is of novel length, although there are also erotic short stories.
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Eroticism is an aesthetic focus on sexual desire, especially the feelings of anticipation of sexual activity. It is not only the state of arousal and anticipation, but also the attempt through whatever means of representation to incite those feelings.
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Sexual stimulation is any stimulus that leads to sexual arousal or orgasm. The term often implies stimulation of the genitals but may also include stimulation of other areas of the body, stimulation of the senses (such as sight or hearing), and mental stimulation (such as that
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Sexual arousal is the process and state of an animal being ready for sexual activity and feeling an urge for sexual contact.

Human sexual arousal

Unlike most animals, human beings of both sexes are potentially capable of sexual arousal throughout the year, therefore, there
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representation embodies a range of meanings and interpretations. In the context of literary theory the term is commonly defined in three ways:
  • to look like or to resemble something
  • to stand in for something or someone

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Human anatomy is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the adult human body.[1] It is subdivided into gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy.[1]
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This article is about sexual practices (i.e., physical sex). Broader aspects of sexual behaviour such as social and psychological sexual issues are covered in related articles such as human sexuality, heterosexuality, and homosexuality.

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worldwide view of the subject.
Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page.


Science fiction (abbreviated SF or sci-fi
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Fantasy media
  • Fantastic art
  • Fantasy anime
  • Fantasy art
  • Fantasy authors
  • Fantasy comics
  • Fantasy fiction magazines
  • Fantasy films
  • Fantasy literature
  • Fantasy television
Genre studies

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Horror fiction is, broadly, fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle, or horrify the audience. Historically, the cause of the "horror" experience has often been the intrusion of an evil—or, occasionally, misunderstood—supernatural element into everyday human
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A romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. To be considered a part of the romance genre, a novel should place its primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally
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Fetish has several uses, including: in the sciences;
  • Fetishism, the attribution of religious or mystical qualities to inanimate objects as a primary stage in the developement of a culture or civilization.

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BDSM is any of a number of related patterns of human sexual behavior. The major subgroupings are described in the abbreviation "BDSM" itself:
  • B and D: Bondage and discipline
  • D and S: Domination and submission
  • S and M

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A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization whilst participating in that organization's activity.

People performing religious activities have often worn standard costumes since the dawn of recorded history.
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Polygamy has been a feature of human culture since earliest history. The term polygamy (many marriages in late Greek) is used in related ways in social anthropology, sociobiology, and sociology.
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Promiscuity is the practice of making casual, indiscriminate choices. Commonly, promiscuity is applied to the sexual behaviour of a man or woman who does not limit his or her sex life by the strictures of the regnant cultural norm, typically one sexual partner or lover, or
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Fan fiction (also commonly spelled as fanfiction and frequently abbreviated to fanfic or occasionally just FF or fic) is a broadly-defined term for fiction about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original
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Slash fiction is a genre of fan fiction. It focuses on the depiction of sexual or romantic relationships between two or more male characters, who are not necessarily engaged in relationships in the canon universe.
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Ribaldry is a third, and somewhat neglected, genre of sexual entertainment. Somewhat different from either pornography or erotica, it is often confused with them. It could also be referred to as bawdiness or bawdry.
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ART is a three-letter acronym that can mean:

Medicine

  • Antiretroviral therapy. It is used in the treatment of HIV infection.
  • assisted reproductive technology

Other

  • Adaptive resonance theory

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adult theater is a movie theater where pornographic films films are shown to an adult audience. For the patrons, rules are generally less strict regarding partial- or full-nudity and public masturbation or sex, and such behavior may be condoned explicitly or otherwise by the
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Erotic art covers any artistic work including paintings, sculptures, photographs, music and writings that is intended to evoke erotic arousal or that depicts scenes of love-making.
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Erotic literature is a literary genre that either takes the form of erotica written to arouse the reader, or to give instruction in sexual technique. Much classic erotic literature is of novel length, although there are also erotic short stories.
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Eroticism is an aesthetic focus on sexual desire, especially the feelings of anticipation of sexual activity. It is not only the state of arousal and anticipation, but also the attempt through whatever means of representation to incite those feelings.
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History of erotic photography refers to the history of the art and process of taking pictures of unclothed subjects. In the United States, all portraits from prior to January 1, 1923, have passed into the public domain.
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This is a list of notable authors of erotic literature.

Sex manuals

  • Vatsayana -- famous for the Kama Sutra
  • Yasodhara -- author of the Jayamangala
  • Kokkoka -- author of the Ratirahasya
  • Kalyanamalla -- author of the Ananga Ranga

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