Softcore.html



Poster for the 1974 softcore film Emmanuelle

Softcore pornography (often abbreviated to soft porn) is a form of filmic or photographic pornography that, while erotically stimulating, is less sexually explicit than hardcore pornography. Softcore pornography may depict nudity, including exposed breasts, buttocks, and non-graphic representations of male and female genitalia. It may also represent simulated acts of sexual intercourse or masturbation. However, it draws a line at graphic depictions of penetration and other sex acts.

History

After the formation of the MPAA rating system in the United States and prior to the 1980s, numerous softcore films, ranging from low to high production costs, were released to mainstream movie theatres especially drive-ins. Some, such as Emmanuelle¹ and Alice in Wonderland.², received positive reviews from noted critics such as Roger Ebert. Since the rise in popularity of home video in the 1980s, however, most softcore films have been restricted to home video releases or overnight timeslots on premium channels such as Cinemax and Showtime, and production values have dropped. Softcore films are carried by many mainstream video stores which often segregate them in an adults-only room.

Examples

Examples of American softcore photography include Playboy, METart and Perfect 10. In Japan, the softcore theatrical Pink film has been a major cinematic genre since the early 1960s.

See also

• Hardcore pornography
• Erotica
• Glamour photography
• Erotic capital
• List of Nikkatsu Roman Porno films
• List of pornographic sub-genres
• Non-nude photography
• Pink film
• Sexploitation
• Softporn Adventure

References