Ngl I've Definitely Read Some Smut On Ao3 Too - Tumblr Posts

You're definitely not alone. I pick up a good romance novel every now and again. I also like how you pointed out that it's a case by case basis as I will never condone 50 shades and the like.

I also like how you made a point that there is actually a story and relationship development. Think about how many movies have a few sex scenes without it being the focus of the whole romance film (e.g. No Strings Attached, The Notebook, etc.). I think the huge difference between romance novels and porn, is that women are not being objectified as often in romance novels because women are the ones writing them.

I am resolutely against visual porn involving real human beings, but I think that (written) erotica by women can be an incredibly powerful tool in allowing women to explore their sexuality safely without exposing themselves to a constant stream of images of beaten and battered women. The content involved in such books (i.e. unsafe kinks) should be judged on a case-by-case manner whether or not it is harmful, because there are some genuinely good stories in this genre. It’s also important to always read everything critically, and I’m not saying that erotica should be exempt from this or general criticism.

also worth noting that out of all pornography types, written erotica (by women for women) is the most scorned and ridiculed by mainstream society- the porn that widely actually involves a story and relationship development is the one that gets made fun of for being embarrassing to engage in. Shocker.

I’m not sure if this is an unpopular opinion, but I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts! 🤍🤍