the definition of pornography

Usually ‘pornography’ is defined as ‘the depiction of sexual matters to get someone aroused.’ Or something to that affect. But recently I heard someone define it as the depiction of reality in terms that were false, exaggerated, or idealized. So pornography depicts sex is such a way that it is unreal either because of the reaction of the participants or because of their various attributes. Ordinary people do not have sex like this.

Unreal. Idealized. Doesn’t that apply to a lot of things? For example. Couldn’t one say then that Romance Novels were pornographic? Or cooking shows on television? Or religion itself (in the eyes of non-believers)?

I’m not sure where I’m going with this. Except to say that one shouldn’t be too smug about anything one doesn’t approve. For myself, I just separate the stupid from the interesting. And go with that.