Fact or Fiction: The Sexual Education Revolution
How the era age of digitized smut changed the erotic narrative
Written by Nina Johnson, Arts Editorial Assistant
I fell in love with reading about love when I was eight. First, it was “Stargirl” by Jerry Spinelli. Soon followed practically every single YA dystopian novel ever written before the year 2014—that took up about the entirety of middle school. Naturally, I kept pushing my limits. Being entranced with the idea of love, coupled with a lackluster middle school sex education and an incredible 13-year-old’s attention span, I would read anything on my computer (if it was free). What was up with that? It felt like I was indulging in a guilty pleasure; there were more important things to think about rather than love and sex. Looking back, I would argue that there really aren't. Developing an informed view of relationships and sex was one of the best things I could have done for myself, and permeate into every aspect of life. A strong foundation is what I have many talented fiction writers to thank for.
Written works depicting sex have a word attached to them, a genre: smut. Maybe you were a Larry stan in 2012 in the height of Wattpad. Or, perhaps you read the novel “After” by Anna Todd after it was made front and center at Barnes and Noble. Perhaps you're a beloved fan of BookTok. If you fall somewhere in those categories, you might be familiar with the word. Smut’s popularity grew overnight: there was no more hassle. You could learn about sex, relationships, boundaries, consent and much more through the fictional stories of others. Fictional literature on its own is quintessential to the development of our imaginations, our morals and the way we see the world. So, when sex is thrown into the rousing and poignant world of fiction, especially in a culture that’s positively sex-averse, it’s important for us to take note of it and entertain a view that might not be given to us otherwise.
Although the gender binary is something smut fanatics tackle, the digital rise of smut all but excluded straight cis men. Why? Porn and sex education was mainly serving that demographic, centralizing the idea of pleasure solely around the male narrative. Female pleasure was all but unheard of. With the rise of erotic fiction, smut began to strip sex of its taboo nature and brought forth female pleasure, androgyny and queer relationships that before had little. Perhaps fan fiction and erotic literature aren't entirely revolutionary, but it does point fingers at cracks in a system. Love doesn't have to be about sex, and sex doesn't have to be about love, but they're undeniably intertwined. Molding an informed idea of what sex and love mean to you can be complex and confusing, but it’s incredibly crucial.
The Obscene Publications Act of 1959 fostered a revolution for legal erotic creativity. The act denoted “that a person shall not be convicted if the publication was “in the interests of science, literature, art or learning” (Dillon, n.d.). The floodgates were now open, and everyday consumers could learn about sex. This act and other ones similar aligned with the invention and popularization of the birth control pill, pushing the notion that sex could be fun and rewarding for women if practiced safely.
This new freedom certainly posed risks, however, and the ethics of the legal shift are still questioned and prodded. An example most pertinent to the literary world still today is Vladimir Nabokov’s novel, “Lolita.” While it was originally published in 1955, the 1959 act made the scandalous and newly legal novel an immediate bestseller. The ability to write openly about sex serves as an educational tool that improves the accessibility of sex education. The freedom also implies the opposite, in which exploitative and violent depictions of sex can also be published. Reading “Lolita” at the age of 19 challenged the previously strong advocacy for erotic literature that I was so passionate about.
Reading “Lolita” in a college classroom was as jarring for me as it was for my peers and professor; it’s an experience I never want to relive, and would never wish upon anyone else. As 21st century readers, it’s difficult to imagine a time when the novel was accepted widely and read by nearly all. That being said, it’s still legal, still in circulation and the “Lolita” trope stretches from Lana Del Ray songs to adversary works such as the 2020 novel “Being Lolita: A Memoir” by Alisson Wood. It’s not likely that violent and manipulative writings will begin to be monitored and controlled anytime soon, so engaging with this freedom requires research, awareness and preparation: it’s not something to dive into headfirst. Being cautious and making sure what you're reading is not harmful or exploitative is crucial, and there are numerous online rating tools to help send you in the right direction.
For many, fan fiction was the entrance into explicit fiction. Decades after the publishing of “Lolita,” a lack of authorial censorship garnered a new friend: the internet. The digital age began to teach sex to a new generation outside of abstinence-only classrooms through the form of smut, published largely on sites like Wattpad, Tumblr and Archive of Our Own, or AO3. “Fan fiction” grew immensely in popularity in the 2000s, which featured spin-offs of beloved celebrities or fictional characters that went in any direction the writer pleased. The writers were typically those unserved by their school’s measly sex education, if it was provided at all. Suddenly, fan fiction and digitized smut created a safe place for exploring sexuality that was for the first time being centered around women, LGBTQIA+ identifying and people of color.
Erotic and explicit writing cultivated introduced many to discuss diverse sexualities and crucial topics like consent, which were topics in desperate need of discussion and normalization. “The disproportionate emphasis on erotic fanfic’s deviance conceals the fact that it’s merely a symptom of a bigger problem: mainstream representations of sexuality often cater only to straight men, and fan fic serves as a retreat for people outside that identity,” notes an article on fan fiction filling the sex education gaps (Panaligan, 2021). Erotic writing and romance novels are quick to be dismissed as a guilty pleasure or hysteria, likely because they're not the hobby of cisgender heterosexual male-identifying individuals. Understanding this as an art form is crucial to the elevation of marginalized voices.
Of course, with seemingly limitless digital freedom, complications arise here, too. With the rise of the internet, we’re lucky enough to have everything at our fingertips, which will inevitably put information into the wrong person’s hands. In the digital age, our desires quickly turn quite solitary, literally. Instead of engaging with sex in a public forum or not at all, you can now do so from the comfort of your bedroom. Having a safe space to explore your sexuality is essential to building a strong foundation. On the flip side, it can make dangerous desires seem anonymous, or without consequence.
Sex is something to be earned: it is not a right. But granting everyone access to the erotic woes of existence could easily prove dangerous. If sex becomes a commodity to be expected, rather than is an experience granted through mutual respect, that alone could misinform a younger generation of how sex actually works. In fictional erotica, learning about consent could be taught. However, with freedom being boundless, the opposite could be true, too. While reading about sex could be an empowering act for those voices who need it most, it could also fuel confusing messages on consent. The enormous implications of a generation growing up with porn sites in the palm of their hand far precede the implications of harmful smut. As time progresses, however, the ramifications will continue to bubble. Being actively aware of what you're exposing yourself to on the internet is crucial.
Writing is where desires are put to paper, and the wildest fantasies come to fruition. With the freedom granted, marginalized, younger or simply novice writers can share their ideas. Not everyone’s a writer, but upon indulging in others’ desires and enjoying their writings, we expand upon our own fantasies, too. Smut can function beyond pleasure and entertainment; it can also inform an individual of identities or experiences that would otherwise go unknown.
In order for safe, healthy and respectful sexual understandings to bud within an individual, it starts with desensitization. Reading as an act of desensitization gets you comfortable, and ready to talk with others about sex, and eventually, form the imperative relationship with sex every person must develop. If reading about sex isn't your thing, then it doesn't have to be. What’s gained from smut can be equally gained from other genres or softer readings; the lesson is in how you're challenging assumptions and learning more about yourself in the process. To grow up is to push your own boundaries, with grace and humility. Some of the best romance novels don’t have an ounce of eroticism, and Jane Austen knows a thing or two about that. I know I learned more about love and self-worth from “Pride and Prejudice” than from a Harry Styles x Louis Tomlinson fan fiction I read in eighth grade, but they were both formative—both pushed my understanding of how sex and my decisions about it would be mine to make the best of.
On Feb. 1, a new book was released and hooked critics, titled “Anonymous Sex.” The novel features 28 short, fictional, sexual encounters written by beloved and acclaimed authors. The catch is, you don’t know who wrote each one. Life’s questions about sex never cease, and neither does a love for good fiction. Indulge in yourself, it’s for the better.
Madison has a host of options to explore the romance genre’s most-loved classics, the newest smut of the past decade and a myriad of reads to further your sex education. Be it through a trip to the city’s remarkable public library system, or local feminist bookstores like A Room of One’s Own or Mystery to Me, exploration becomes limitless. Through reading, the personal, intimate decisions regarding sex are placed into the hands of the autonomous reader. When we learn what we like and what we’re comfortable with, we’re better able to engage with the world around us. That is how we create healthy and fulfilling relationships with the people we love.
Sources:
Panaligan, A. (2021, April 16). How fan fiction is filling in the sex ed gaps. PhilSTAR Life.
Dillon, S. (n.d.). Obscene Publications Act | British law | Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica.