[LINK] erotica versus pornography

[Danny Yee]

Stewart Fist wrote:
> Erotica is the name given to the private use of the stuff
> 
> Porn is the name applied to public publication of private erotica, which
> other people find offensive.
 
That's not the standard use of the words.  Usually "erotica" is used
of material that has some or more claim to artistic or literary merit,
while "pornography" has less.  From the American Heritage dictionary:

	erotica: Literature or art intended to arouse sexual desire.

	pornography: Sexually explicit pictures, writing, or other
	material whose primary purpose is to cause sexual arousal.

I agree with Stewart that the public/private distinction is important,
and should certainly be distinguished in any law, but that doesn't
coincide with the erotica/pornography distinction.  (Which, as Craig
points out, is a rather arbitrary line on a continuum.)

Danny.
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