Erotic magazines are an important record of changes to sexual mores throughout history, tracking both the evolution of society's attitudes towards nudity and sexual activity in general, as well as specific acts such as homosexuality, sadomasochism, fetishism, bondage, domination/submission, transvestism, and polyamory.
Earlier this year, I discovered that there were thousands of images dating back more than a century depicting people engaging in these practices from around the world—from Japan to Germany to France to Russia to Australia to India—in publications like Playboy, Penthouse, Hustler, and Oui Magazine. The most recent issue was published more than thirty years ago, but it captures a fascinating snapshot of what was considered acceptable at the time in terms of tastefulness, explicitness, and even ethnicity. Some images show women and men dressed up as superheroes or animals; others feature people who identify as queer; some include celebrities; and many have been censored for legal reasons.
These magazines also document how societal norms changed over time.
In 1968, a book called "The Joy of Sex" by Alfred Kinsey featured drawings showing various positions for sex acts between couples (a precursor to modern pornography). In 1970, Playboy introduced its first full-color cover featuring a photo of a nude woman on horseback; later editions would show her with less clothing on display or fully naked. By 1984, Penthouse had become so popular that it began publishing erotic fiction written specifically for gay men under its "Gay Porn" imprint; today's issues are much more graphic than those from decades past. And in 2015, Cosmopolitan added an entire section dedicated to female masturbation called "Self Pleasure."
Sexual liberation movements were often driven forward by changes within these publications themselves—for example, when Playboy started including articles about BDSM in the early 1980s, leading to widespread acceptance of BDSM play among mainstream audiences. Other times they simply reflected broader cultural shifts like when Playboy began publishing pictures of interracial couples after civil rights legislation was passed in 1964. Regardless of whether they inspired change or merely reflected it, however, erotic magazines have served as vital records of social progress throughout history.
Erotica is not just about titillating readers; it's also about documenting how society views sexuality differently than it did before. And while some may argue that modern pornography objectifies women and promotes dangerous ideas about gender roles, others believe that it allows people to explore their own fantasies without judgement. Either way, erotica serves as an important part of our culture's collective memory, preserving images and stories that might otherwise be lost forever.