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Softcore pornography or softcore porn, is commercial
still photography or film that has a
pornographic
Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults, or
erotic component but is less sexually graphic and intrusive than
hardcore pornography, defined by a lack of visual sexual penetration. Softcore pornography includes
stripteases,
lingerie
Lingerie (, , ) is a category of primarily women's clothing including undergarments (mainly brassieres), sleepwear, and lightweight robes. The choice of the word is often motivated by an intention to imply that the garments are alluring, fash ...
modeling, simulated sex and emphasis on the sensual appreciation of the female or male form. It typically contains
nude or semi-nude actors involved in
love scenes and is intended to be
sexually arousing and aesthetically beautiful. The distinction between softcore pornography and
erotic photography
Erotic photography is a style of art photography of an erotic, sexually suggestive or sexually provocative nature.
Erotic photography is often distinguished from nude photography, which contains nude subjects not necessarily in an erotic situatio ...
is largely a matter of taste.
Components
Softcore pornography may include
sexual activity
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 (e.g., masturbation) ...
between two people or
masturbation. It does not contain explicit depictions of
sexual penetration
Sexual penetration is the insertion of a body part or other object into a body orifice, such as the mouth, vagina or anus, as part of human sexual activity or animal sexual behavior.
The term is most commonly used in statute law in the contex ...
,
cunnilingus
Cunnilingus is an oral sex act performed by a person on the vulva or vagina of another person. The clitoris is the most sexually sensitive part of the human female genitalia, and its stimulation may result in a woman becoming sexually aroused ...
,
fellatio
Fellatio (also known as fellation, and in slang as blowjob, BJ, giving head, or sucking off) is an oral sex act involving a person stimulating the penis of another person by using the mouth, throat, or both. Oral stimulation of the scrotu ...
, or
ejaculation
Ejaculation is the discharge of semen (the ''ejaculate''; normally containing sperm) from the male reproductory tract as a result of an orgasm. It is the final stage and natural objective of male sexual stimulation, and an essential compone ...
. Depictions of
erections of the
penis
A penis (plural ''penises'' or ''penes'' () is the primary sexual organ that male animals use to inseminate females (or hermaphrodites) during copulation. Such organs occur in many animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, but males d ...
may not be allowed (see
Mull of Kintyre Test
Film censorship in the United Kingdom began with early cinema exhibition becoming subject to the Disorderly Houses Act 1751. The Cinematograph Act 1909 was primarily concerned with introducing annual licensing of premises where films were shown, p ...
), although attitudes towards this are ever-changing. Commercial pornography can be differentiated from
erotica
Erotica is literature or art that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erotic art may use ...
, which has
high-art aspirations.
Portions of images that are considered too graphic and may be hidden in a variation of ways, such as the use of covered hair or clothing, particularly positioned hands or other body parts carefully positioned foreground elements in the scene (often plants, pillows, furniture, or drapery) and carefully chosen camera angles.
Pornographic filmmakers sometimes make both hardcore and softcore types of a film, with the softcore version using less explicit angles of sex scenes
or using the other techniques to "tone down" any objectionable feature. The softcore version may, for example, be edited for the in-house hotel
pay-per-view market.
Total nudity is commonplace in several magazines, as well as in photography
and on the Internet.
Regulation and censorship
Softcore films are commonly less regulated and restricted than hardcore pornography, and cater to a different market. In most countries softcore films are eligible for movie ratings, usually on a restricted rating, though many such films are also released unrated. As with hardcore films, availability of softcore films varies depending on local laws. Also, the exhibition of such films may be restricted to those above a certain age, typically 18. At least one country,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, has different age limits for hardcore and softcore pornography, softcore material usually receiving a FSK-16 rating (no one under 16 allowed to buy) and hardcore material receiving a FSK-18 (no one under 18 allowed to buy). In some countries, broadcasting of softcore films is widespread on cable television networks, with some such as
Cinemax
Cinemax is an American pay television, cable, and satellite television network owned by the Home Box Office, Inc. subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. Developed as a companion "maxi-pay" service complementing the offerings shown on parent ...
producing their own in-house softcore films and television series.
In some countries, images of women's genitals are
digitally manipulated so that they are not too "detailed".
An Australian pornographic actress says that images of her own genitals sold to pornographic magazines in different countries are
digitally manipulated to change the size and shape of the labia according to censorship standards in different countries.
History
Originally, softcore pornography was presented mainly in the form of "
men's magazine
This is a list of magazines primarily marketed to men. The list has been split into subcategories according to the target audience of the magazines. This list includes mostly mainstream magazines as well as Adult magazine, adult ones. Not include ...
s", when it was barely acceptable to show a glimpse of a woman's
nipple
The nipple is a raised region of tissue on the surface of the breast from which, in females, milk leaves the breast through the lactiferous ducts to feed an infant. The milk can flow through the nipple passively or it can be ejected by smooth m ...
in the 1950s. By the 1970s, mainstream magazines such as ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...
'', ''
Penthouse'', and especially ''
Hustler
Hustler or hustlers may also refer to:
Professions
* Hustler, an American slang word, e.g., for a:
** Con man, a practitioner of confidence tricks
** Drug dealer, seller of illegal drugs
** Male prostitute
** Pimp
** Business man, more gener ...
'', showcased nudity.
After the formation of the
MPAA rating system
The Motion Picture Association film rating system is used in the United States and its territories to rate a motion picture's suitability for certain audiences based on its content. The system and the ratings applied to individual motion pictures ...
in the United States and prior to the 1980s, numerous softcore films, with a wide range of production costs, were released to mainstream movie theatres, especially
drive-ins
A drive-in is a facility (such as a restaurant or movie theater) where one can drive in with an automobile for service. At a drive-in restaurant, for example, customers park their vehicles and are usually served by staff who walk or rollerskat ...
. ''
Emmanuelle
Emmanuelle is the lead character in a series of French erotic films based on the main character in the novel '' Emmanuelle'' (1959), created by Emmanuelle Arsan.
Character history
Emmanuelle appeared as the pen name of Marayat Rollet-Andri ...
'' and ''
Alice in Wonderland''
received positive reviews from noted critics such as
Roger Ebert.
From the 2000s, relaxed standards for cable television has allowed for the production of a number of television series with sexually explicit or violent content to air that would have been restricted to the softcore movie market in the past.
See also
*
Ecchi
is a slang term in the Japanese language for playfully sexual actions. As an adjective, it is used with the meaning of "sexy", "dirty" or "naughty"; as a verb, means "to have sex", and as a noun, it is used to describe someone of lascivious ...
*
Erotic photography
Erotic photography is a style of art photography of an erotic, sexually suggestive or sexually provocative nature.
Erotic photography is often distinguished from nude photography, which contains nude subjects not necessarily in an erotic situatio ...
*
Fan service
*
Sexploitation film
References
{{Nudity
Nudity in film