Q&A: Why Do People Like Softcore Pornography – And Why Is It So Popular With Women?

With so much hardcore pornography available at our fingertips, it can lead you to wonder why softcore porn is still being produced at all.

Decades ago, softcore porn was all many people had access to, since it was tame enough to still be allowed on TV – among other places. And in the early days of the internet, it took ages just to download a single photo.

Yet, it’s still being consumed just as much as ever. Why? What is the appeal of softcore pornography in the modern age?

It turns out, people – particularly women, watch it for entirely different reasons. In this article, we’ll go over these reasons, and why you might want to give it a try if you haven’t yet!

1. It’s A More Emotional Experience

When it comes down to it, the priorities of softcore porn are entirely different from the priorities of hardcore porn.

With hardcore pornography, it’s all about getting to the action as quickly as possible. What matters most is to see the man’s penis going in and out of a hole, and the scene is largely focused around the visual aspects of it. Men are typically more visual creatures than women are when it comes to sex, which often makes hardcore porn more appealing by default.

Softcore porn instead focuses on a lot of other elements that hardcore porn ignores – things like the buildup, the emotions of the actors, and the connection between them.

There is more time spent engaging in foreplay, romantic acts like kissing or making out, and simply making the scene feel more erotic on a deeper level.

This matters more to some people than others. But for women in particular, getting into an erotic state of mind will often do far more to turn them on than simply seeing a penis would – hence why receiving dick pics often doesn’t have the effect on us men hope they will.

To many of us, there is a huge mental side of sex that hardcore porn often ignores completely.

2. There Is More Of A Storyline

Part of setting the scene is creating a good storyline for the video.

In hardcore porn, it’s enough for a man to simply pull a woman’s panties down and start fucking her. Softcore porn creates a more immersive and believable experience by providing some context as to who these characters are, and why they’re having sex.

Of course, this is just a generalization, and keep in mind that what I say doesn’t apply for all films. But generally speaking, softcore porn tends to have better storylines than hardcore porn.

Remember, directors have to make up for the lack of hard penetration somewhere, if they want their productions to be successful.

This means placing more time, budget, and emphasis on things like writing scripts for the scene, creating the atmosphere of the set, and of course, the actual acting of the performers as well. Let’s be honest – the dialog in hardcore porn scenes can seem over-the-top at best, and downright cringy at worst.

If you’re into softcore porn, it’s usually about more than just the sex. Softcore porn tends to be really well-rounded, and ensures quality in all areas of the film.

3. It Appears More Pleasurable For Women

When it comes to hardcore pornography, it’s pretty obvious that it’s geared towards making it as exciting for men as possible. And from a business perspective, this makes sense.

Men are still the dominant porn consumers, and are more likely to spend more money on traditional forms of porn than women are. Considering that men are most studios’ primary demographic, it makes sense to make their videos appealing as possible to them.

This may mean rough sex, or sexual acts that aren’t pleasurable or desirable for most women. Think hard pounding, unrealistic positions, acts like gagging or facials, degradation, and so on.

These may all be exciting for men, but not as many women are turned on by these sorts of things. Again, this is not true for all women – I often love being treated like a whore, but if you look at general trends, what’s appealing to women in porn, and what’s appealing to men in porn does differ.

Softcore porn omits a lot of what makes hardcore porn, well… hardcore, and chooses to place emphasis on other things – often focusing much more on the woman’s pleasure, or at the very least, ensuring an equally erotic experience for both partners.

4. It Can Be Pleasurable To Watch, Even If You’re Not Masturbating

Unlike hardcore porn, it’s possible to watch softcore porn – and enjoy the erotic nature of it, without actually needing to masturbate, or trying to get off.

I’ve talked with many people on the phone who simply enjoy having it playing in the background for those quick glimpses of excitement when they happen to glance their eyes on the screen. It could be while they’re cleaning, working out, or partaking in another hobby. Seeing a beautiful naked body is pleasurable, even if you don’t have your dick in your hand.

While I don’t play softcore porn on my tv for the fun of it, I do enjoy watching ecchi anime – and it’s kind of the same idea.

With ecchi anime, the shows really play up the sexual elements. Most of them do have quite frequent nudity. But unlike hentai – which is focused almost entirely on sex scenes, ecchi anime is still a show first, with nudity and sexual undertones second. It’s pleasurable to watch on its own, but the sexual aspects of it bring out that little bit of sexual excitement that makes them fun.

Even if you aren’t trying to have an orgasm, softcore porn can still be fun to watch regardless.

5. It Satisfies The Urge For Intimacy – Not Just Sex

We don’t have sex just because we want our genitals to be physically pleasured, or even because we crave to have an orgasm.

A lot of us turn to sex because we crave actual connection and intimacy with another person. We want to feel close to someone, to feel loved. We want romance, we want a spiritual bond, we want that release of oxytocin that our brains provide when bonding with another person.

Obviously, softcore porn can not replace the need for real human intimacy, just like masturbating to hardcore porn isn’t going to replace your urge to actually have sex.

However, it does a better job at making you feel some of the same things that romantic, passionate sex can provide – especially since softcore porn leaves much more to the imagination!

Softcore Porn Has A Lot Of Overlaps With Audio!

A bit of a side note, I noticed while researching this that the audio porn I create has a lot of similar benefits that softcore porn provides!

If you think about it, it makes sense. There aren’t any visuals to go with audio porn. Everything has to be created entirely in your mind.

This means that more so than even with softcore porn, audio porn really needs to play up the immersion, the setting, the acting, and so on in order to create an erotic experience. And that’s really what audio porn is – an experience, more so than just something that you consume. It’s almost like getting to live out what it’d be like to actually go out and have sex with someone, rather than just watching someone else do it on a screen.

The scripts are written to really engage you, and performers really roleplay to connect with you – not another performer.

If you haven’t given audio porn a try, I highly recommend it. You can view my entire catalog at LewdLexi.com/catalog/ – there’s bound to be something there that you enjoy!

Closing Thoughts

Softcore porn isn’t for everyone – and I can completely understand why people avoid it entirely. This is especially true since we have so much hardcore porn available to us today.

However, just because it may not appeal to you, doesn’t mean there aren’t valid reasons for other people to enjoy it instead!

Softcore porn may be different than hardcore, but it’s special in its own unique way. So, when you’re feeling in the mood for something more intimate and emotional, don’t hesitate to give it a try!

Want to explore a bunch of different ways to explore and enjoy porn, and your sexuality? Sign up for my free email newsletter, and subscribe to my podcast for more!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day,

~ Lewd Lexi

P.S: If you have favorite softcore studios or films you’d like to share, let me know in the comments form below!