r/HonestHotTakes 6h ago

casual hot take Women are equally addicted to p*rn they just call it smut.

Smut serves the same psychosexual role it does in porn. The only difference is one is visual.

Also you'll notice that erotic novel consumption went up around the same time OF did in covid. And women are the main consumers.

I rest my case ✋🤚

25 Upvotes

71 comments sorted by

24

u/JoeMorgue 5h ago

I'm fairly porn-positive in a general sense, but book smut doesn't have the real world exploitation problems some porn and the porn industry does. It's not an Apples:Apples comparison.

And it doesn't speak well how much of men and boys fucking negative obsessions with OF reads as "We don't like porn when the women are in charge of it and have the agency."

-3

u/State_Of_Franklin 4h ago

I was so with you till the end. Women run huge swaths of the traditional porn industry. I really don’t see what issue you’re implying that men have with women being in control of porn.

8

u/Any_Accountant_4195 5h ago edited 5h ago

tbf reading and visual both have extremely different arousal levels. Reading smut never made me feel aroused. Could just be me though

29

u/Comprehensive-Ad1666 5h ago

I see your point
I think the difference lies in 2 things

  1. In a novel the smut is the bonus. The real reason women love the books is the romance and yearning and love throughout the novel.
  2. The lack of exploitation and sexualization. With a lot of p*orn/OF content we see a rise in men seeing women as objects meant for their pleasure. The smut books still have romance, connection, and smut which I think is a combo for a decent relationship lol.

7

u/SadMango3913 3h ago

I agree with this and I do read smut for the dramatic romance. There’s been times where I wanted my partner after reading and it is recommend to those who struggle with low sex drives. But I really can’t say how many people whip out a book to masturbate.

1

u/Comprehensive-Ad1666 3h ago

Yeah, I hear you! We don't have a lot of men irl that want romance and connection, but rather just our bodies and that can be a huge turn off. Reading about the romance, love, and connections is what helps. I also cannot imagine whipping out a book as a way to get off lmao.
This thread shows just how little guys understand women and their sex drives. I can sympathize with the idea op is bringing up, and I get it. But I think it's a very small percentage of women who look at smut that way and it's being projected onto all romance/smut readers.

1

u/SadMango3913 1h ago

Right! I honestly don’t get what OP is trying to insinuate. I mean, I don’t think anyone needs mental health intervention for being addicted to books and it’s destroying their life. LOL

As a woman who used to watch a lot of porn, I’d say it would be better to just say women can be addicted to porn just as men can, no need to bring smut into this. If we bring smut, might as well bring romance movies with sex scenes too.

Plus there’s plenty of research that suggests porn addiction in men can lead to many issues including violence against women. It’s a long story but I was discussing pedophiles with my therapist and how do they become like this, she actually told me it can stem from porn addiction. That they can just crave more “taboo” titles and can end up there.

I also don’t think many people realize how severe porn addiction can get. I don’t belive most users are addicts. But that’s just an opinion, I could be wrong.

1

u/Comprehensive-Ad1666 1h ago

Yes! I agree so much!
I truly think it also stems from general socialization. Men are socialized to "be men" by *not being women* and seeing women and "girly" things as less than them. This creates an unconscious bias of women where we are just objects for pleasure. Then as you watch more and more porn, it worsens the effects of that poor socialization (a society issue, not a man issue)

I think in the reverse, women are so deprived of romance and connection that we seek it out in fiction. Which yes, comes with smut. But I don't think it's nearly as *harmful* as straight up porn because there's a relationship to be developed, you are seeing characters as whole people with backgrounds, lives, and emotions. Through reading and smut, you get to experience connection and smut in a healthier manner.

5

u/Medium-Return-3949 4h ago

I dunno, in Anne Rice's The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, as an example, the princess gets raped in like the second page, then paraded naked through town where the prince allows others to touch her, and it goes on, but at that point I stopped reading. The prince is also a real cretin, while the king just let's him take his raped and naked daughter away.

The writing itself is also atrocious.

A lot of these smut books are just trash rape, degrading and humiliating fantasies instead of romance.

1

u/Gexm13 2h ago

The smut is definitely not a bonus lmao, it is one of the main if not the main attractions in these stories.

1

u/Comprehensive-Ad1666 2h ago

Sure, I’m glad to know that’s what you look for in books 💕

0

u/Gexm13 2h ago

Thanks for proving my point for me.

-1

u/Generally_Confused1 4h ago

As a man in the dating game and versed in kink, I'm afraid you are entirely incorrect lol. I watch porn to see if they fix the sink type logic

0

u/Comprehensive-Ad1666 3h ago

How can you tell me I'm incorrect about what I feel lol? Just because that's how you function doesn't mean that's how everyone does! Many many women who like smut romance agree with me on this. It's the combo of smut and romance that they like, they like "book boys" because they are romantic AND sexy.

20

u/Commercial-Carob-374 5h ago

Another difference is that porn exploits irl people, books don't.

-8

u/Generally_Confused1 5h ago

You've never known a creator have you? Most are independent, idk why you think this is some Romanian human traffic thing.

12

u/Commercial-Carob-374 5h ago

Most porn is bad, just because a small amount of women enjoy it doesn't mean it isn't wrong.

-9

u/Generally_Confused1 5h ago

Damn so consent and bodily autonomy doesn't matter? Also, n what's bad? You just don't like it.

Again, maybe get to know the people who do it instead of speaking about them like stupid children and projecting lol

7

u/PortugalPilgrim88 4h ago

Why are you pretending that a portion of consenting women justifies all the known coercion and trafficking? You don’t really believe that because a few enjoy it that they all do do you?

-1

u/Generally_Confused1 4h ago

Never said that but nice straw man. Did trafficking mean other women can't consent and have bodily autonomy now? Weird how controlling y'all are

3

u/PortugalPilgrim88 4h ago

No I was just replying to your straw man. You’ve been implying that no porn is wrong just because some women enjoy making it. That’s all I wanted to respond to. Don’t care really. Just saw you making a nonsensical argument.

-2

u/Generally_Confused1 4h ago

Nope, I never said that. I said I've known plenty of creators and the "trafficked girl" is only a portion but y'all don't seem to live in reality.

Again, are other women too stupid to do things with their own bodies and need you to control them?

5

u/PortugalPilgrim88 4h ago

Your comments definitely imply that you believe everything else is a non- issue because the creators that you personally know are consenting. Idk who yall is. I’m not passionate about this. Your comments just seemed really ignorant based on some people you know.

-1

u/Generally_Confused1 4h ago

No they dont but the arguments you're creating to project are crazy.

Go tell those stupid little girls you know better for them than themselves

5

u/Commercial-Carob-374 5h ago

Okay so you clearly don't know what you're talking about, I think exploiting and abusing women is wrong. Do you even understand consent?

1

u/Generally_Confused1 5h ago

The fact that you think that's what porn is and have never known someone that does it is crazy projection. Lol just say you're offended and go away

5

u/Commercial-Carob-374 5h ago

I'm against women being abused for mens pleasure.

16

u/Nobody4993 3h ago

Books are fictional and don’t exploit/ sexualise real people.

Whilst there are plenty of women who enjoy smut writing, I don’t think it’s comparable, either in terms of volume nor harm. Decent take though

-1

u/riceandbeansonly 2h ago

Speaking in terms of legal porn, women/men choose to sign up. Plus the money is shared between actors though pay varies. Smut only pays the author and offers no employment opportunities.

8

u/marshmellowfoisgras 5h ago

Also both OF and "smut" or clit lit empower people rather than exploiting them, which is way less toxic and more fun.

-5

u/Generally_Confused1 5h ago

Yes by creating a 2 dimensional man who only serves as your fetish vendor and does everything perfectly for you. So very non toxic

5

u/lost-pawz 5h ago

So.. what women in porn have been forever?

6

u/No_Rice9792 5h ago

Bro's mad he can't get any, even through books 😂😂😂😂😂😂

-1

u/Generally_Confused1 4h ago

Actually pretty versed in kink and have noticed a rose of "booktok" girls objectifying me but nice projection you have there

3

u/No_Rice9792 4h ago

Sorry for your loss, guy who isn't getting any 😂😂😂

0

u/Generally_Confused1 4h ago

You're weirdly obsessed with my sex life. Did you want videos or something from the last few women Ive been with? Creepy

6

u/prettywords_ 2h ago

Do you think we read smut to get off?

I read smut constantly every day but I'm only getting off to it maybe 5% of the time.

I just like reading it.

-5

u/Dizzy-Drink6119 2h ago

I do not think, I know. In fact I am hearing from the wooden wall beside my bed as we speak. The subject is unusually loud.

8

u/mander4242 5h ago

Idk any woman that calls porn smut... smut is sexually explicit literature (50shades) ... porn is videography/photos visual media. Both are impactful, and both are porn. But statistically visual media is more addictive than written literature. But both men and women can and are "addicted" to porn.

11

u/sackfistin 5h ago

What case are you even arguing?

-4

u/80sCherryBomb 5h ago

women and men are equally addicted

6

u/sackfistin 5h ago

That’s not a hot take lol

6

u/Generally_Confused1 5h ago

On reddit it is. Have you not been here long?

2

u/NewKaneda16 4h ago

it is on reddit, I believe the social pressure on women is harder than on men who consume it though (sayings this as a man btw(

-2

u/sackfistin 5h ago

Seems like it’s just a hot take in your mind

2

u/Generally_Confused1 5h ago

All you have to do is read the comments bud

-6

u/sackfistin 5h ago

Half of which are your comments

2

u/Generally_Confused1 5h ago

Responding to people saying what you claim they don't say. Take the L and go away, you're weird

0

u/sackfistin 5h ago

“Wahhhhh leave me alone”. No.

3

u/Generally_Confused1 5h ago

You're weirdly triggered.

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7

u/80sCherryBomb 5h ago

visual is still crazier.

3

u/Mikotokitty 5h ago

Idk man. I've consumed copious amounts of gay porn, and the hottest thing is a Kindle smut I had found when years ago. Like with visual, depends on the framing and story telling.

8

u/purpleplacedot 4h ago

Yeah because book fiction can be compared with a industry that exploits real people lmaoooo

3

u/Fast_Ad7203 3h ago

Smut is NOT the same as porn

Call smut smut, and porn porn

3

u/by2019 1h ago

Except no one is exploited when reading smut

5

u/TachyonKong 5h ago

Two things:

First, I mean, most men and most women who engage with erotic media aren't addicted, anyway. It's comparable to fast food consumption. If it's something you do as a balanced part of life, there is no issue. If you only eat fast food, yeah you're going to get sick. This is before getting into how "porn addiction" is often just a bullshit excuse for why someone does something fucked up that people want to believe in to let the perp off the hook, but hey.... different subject.

But secondly, whenever people talk a big talk about how bad porn is, I always want them to self-reflect and ask what it is they're talking about. To some people, anything erotic is porn. This includes written or drawn erotica. This includes nude sculptures like David. Hell, there are highly influential organizations that firmly believe some non-sexual, non-nude activities - such as merely dating someone of the same gender, or presenting oneself as their self-identified gender, or vocally supporting these things in public life or in media - is inherently pornographic.

Not saying there's no problems with porn. Production side, the live action adult industry is pretty fucking shady. But like, yeah, OP is essentially correct: people in general, outside of sex-repulsed asexuals, are horny. They want to explore sexuality, including safely by "just watching" or "just reading". The question is if they're told it's wrong or not, and if they have the tools to not over-indulge or otherwise engage problematically if it turns out they like it more than most.

4

u/No_Rice9792 5h ago

Smut ≠ porn.

Where's the actual person being abused for male entertainment? Or the barely legal teenager?

1

u/Submarinequus 3h ago

I literally laugh at smut scenes in romance novels. I find them ridiculous and overwritten and they certainly don’t serve the same purpose as porn. Not even CLOSE

1

u/Aynaking 41m ago

All of these “takes” are so fucking boring!

1

u/Significant_Dare_204 5h ago

No shame in my game. I watch porn. Not an avid reader 😂

2

u/gastricprix 4h ago

Same. As a woman, I don't read smut.

0

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1

u/LiverspotRobot 3h ago

While smut doesn’t exploit real people like porn does, it still warps your brain and damages your relationships.