Why Erotica For Women Is Good For Everybody

(NOTE: This is the text from a very old archived page. This article was originally written in 2001. I’ve decided to include it in the updated site because it’s still relevant AND also shows how far we’ve come over the last 20+ years.

In recent times, pornography for women has steadily grown and built up support on the internet. Three years ago a woman looking for photos of a naked straight man would have despaired, perhaps opting for an inappropriate gay site or giving up. Now the adult industry has finally realised that women like sex too, and is starting to cater to women’s sexual tastes.

Numerous premium adult sites have been designed for women (see list at side). An example of one is For The Girls a massive mega site which continues to be a popular sex site for women today. 

The tour of For The Girls features a plenty of romantic couples photos, and this is a perfect example of what many women are looking for in porn. While they still want hardcore sex photos, and have shown themselves to be just as keen on ogling nude men at any opportunity, they also want to see some kind of emotional contact between people while they make love. Whether that be eye contact, kissing or laughter, women strongly support couples photos and videos that have some kind of emotional context.

And this is why women’s porn is good for pornography in general. Because much of mainstream porn can be extremely clinical in its portrayal of the sex act. Entire sites dedicate themselves to close ups of genitals, and intercourse. Add to that the often chauvinistic and sexist way in which women are treated in mainstream porn – usually depicted as a set of three holes to fuck – and women’s porn becomes a force for good. As more and more women’s sites emerge, creators of adult sites will see that porn doesn’t have to follow the same old track. We might start to see more realistic, honest, or sensual depictions of sex

In the current climate of conservatism and censorship, porn for women is also an example of why we should maintain free speech. Anti-porn crusaders – and some extreme feminists such as Andrea Dworkin – insist that all porn must be banned because it is degrading to women. While SOME porn may fit this bill, it’s difficult to argue that women’s erotica does. In fact, it does quite the opposite, empowering women to explore their sexuality, and creating a more level playing field. Men take for granted that they can look at women; now women are allowed to look back.

The magical taboo of the hidden penis, and particularly the erect penis, has been removed with the emergence of women’s porn. Full frontal male nudity on film and television is rare, while female nudity is commonplace, but thankfully the internet has evened up the balance a little. The penis is no longer a mystery, to be feared. Rather, the dick is something to be admired and, perhaps, laughed at. 

Adult sites for women usually offer more than just videos and photos. They often contain sexual health information, sex advice, dating services, chat rooms and articles. These sites are offering information and community to women who need it. Recent statistics have revealed that almost 50% of women suffer from some form of sexual dysfunction. And 30 years after the feminist revolution, confusion still exists over the clitoris and female orgasm.

Anything that is going to help a woman explore her sexuality and thus enjoy a better sex life (perhaps therefore, a better marriage?) cannot be bad.

In the wake of the explosion of women’s sites, more adult toy shops are opening online as well, offering women a discreet way to purchase vibrators and other sexy toys. Again, this helps women to be sexually healthy.

Pornography has always been with us in some form or another. The buried remains of Pompeii have revealed many explicit paintings on walls and in secret rooms. Like it or not, humans like to look at sex. In years past, it was assumed that only men liked porn, and, like masturbation, it was something that women “just didn’t do”. Kinsey’s report in the 50’s seemed to confirm this, despite the fact that the women in the sample had never been exposed to porn, nor had been brought up to believe they could like it.

Fifty years later, these misconceptions are slowly being broken down. Women DO like porn, and they like it enough to pay for it. The difference is that they like some form of mental and emotional stimulation along with the sex. As more and more women come online, the adult industry for women will continue to grow and thrive. And hopefully society will start to see more orgasmic, and happier women in the future.

• Written by Ms. Naughty in 2001