Curious about how folks define "softcore"

[Pudknocker]

A few of the "softcore" presentations in the past got me thinking about this. My impression of softcore is that it's just posing in various states of undress, but I've seen "softcore" productions that included masturbation, penetrative toys, even toy-free lesbian sex - essentially "no men but everything else is fair play." Rules for the collab at least seem to include touching but no penetration.

What are peoples' thoughts? What constitutes softcore vs hardcore? Is there an in-between? If not, where do you draw the line?

[smutreader]

Traditionally softcore porn would mean breasts and labia, but no touching of the labia or penetration. CH softcore seems to mean no penises.

[Rinascere]

Traditionally softcore porn would mean breasts and labia, but no touching of the labia or penetration. CH softcore seems to mean no penises.

I disagree. Traditionally, softcore porn movies were often depicted as couple sex (penetration included) but all genitals were hidden from camera.

In CH, however, the limit goes a bit broader and some people include more things than 'traditional' softcore is about. It really depends on the idea of the creator, actually. I mean, I've seen posts saying it was a softcore production because there was no anal sex. Certainly, there is not a real definition, but I think most people have the idea that a softcore video means no focus on genitals. Something quite hard to achieve with modern porn if there are male actors or toys on screen.

[LondonGent]

The thing with Cock Hero videos is that they usually want to get progressively harder as the video goes on. This is particularly true if they include a release/reward round at the end. A 'true softcore' video that limited itself to only posing would make it very difficult to have that sort of progression over more than a couple of rounds.

The other big factor is the lack of a better term to describe the 'no cocks' level of porn. Even the word 'midcore' already has a meaning, which is usually more erotically shot full sex videos, rather than girls only.

[RedLighter]

For me hardcore means sex in general, but I see why lesbian sex is allowed in softcore videos (e.g. taking into consideration that many people prefer not to see a man in CHs). On the other hand, toys used for penetration also kinda stretch the definition of softcore and may be troublesome (is licking a dildo softcore? magic wands? anal plug? lemme show you the details of my holes?).

[Augustulus]

This is an interesting question.
I define softcore as everything that is more "slow" and sensual. So, stripping and light masturbation are typical.
But it can also contain some fucking as long as it meets the criteria above.
Hardcore on the other end is in my opinion everything that is aiming at the own pleasure of at least one participating person, while not bothering about the others.
Since both of these definitions rely heavily on subjective perceptions, I guess there is a bigger in-between area

[janmb]

Traditionally, softcore simply meant no direct view of genitals being manipulated - and most of the time no direct view to naked genitals at all. That however did not mean the videos didn't depict the full spectre of sex - it simply meant you didn't get to see the juicy parts.

[zingg2]

I think asking for a precise definition of "softcore" is sort of asking the wrong question, to be honest. The real question is "what do people want to see in a CH?" and that question has a whole range of answers. The people who say they prefer softcore CHs (myself included) are largely, I suspect, saying that as a catch-all term that suggests what sort of videos they'd prefer - but they're going to have different opinions within that range. Asking "what does softcore mean?" is more of a branding question. Based on how it's been used for other CH productions, I'd say anything without a penis could qualify, and anything without sexual touching definitely applies. But that doesn't say much about what the market is actually looking for.

Personally, I'd usually be happiest with a CH that maxes out at female nudity and minimal touching. The touching restriction is mostly there because there are very few sources with believable acting, and I'd rather a CH that ends at just teasing versus struggling to suspend disbelief at a woman doing something that clearly doesn't look all that enjoyable (masturbation posed for maximum visibility, etc). OTOH if the CH is pulling from sources where the enjoyment at least looks plausible (Hegre is generally good at this), I'm happy to see sexual activity there. Still don't want to see dicks, though.

There will be plenty of other softcore lovers who disagree, on the one side because they don't share my troubles with suspension of disbelief, or on the other side because they don't even like nudity. The question "what are you into?" has such a complex scope of answers that it's really hard to distill it down into labels. My advice is always just "make what you want to make".

[masperturbator]

"Softcore" porn exists only in contrast to "hardcore" porn, which is to say that softcore porn is significantly less explicit than hardcore porn. Whatever degree of perversion is hardcore to you, some degree(s) less perverse than that is your softcore.

A more objective answer: No visible penetration of orifices, by either phallus or any substitute.

https://english.stackexchange.com/quest ... f-softcore

[doremi]

Even the word 'midcore' already has a meaning, which is usually more erotically shot full sex videos, rather than girls only.

I like this definition. Then, I'm totally MIDCORE in my preferences.

[Pudknocker]

I think asking for a precise definition of "softcore" is sort of asking the wrong question, to be honest. The real question is "what do people want to see in a CH?" and that question has a whole range of answers. The people who say they prefer softcore CHs (myself included) are largely, I suspect, saying that as a catch-all term that suggests what sort of videos they'd prefer - but they're going to have different opinions within that range. Asking "what does softcore mean?" is more of a branding question. Based on how it's been used for other CH productions, I'd say anything without a penis could qualify, and anything without sexual touching definitely applies. But that doesn't say much about what the market is actually looking for.

That's just the thing though; the word carries expectations with it. If I were to build something with the word in the title, I would want to meet those expectations - and I know I've been a little weirded out (though not unpleasantly) by productions that claimed to be softcore but wouldn't meet my own internal definition of the word. Hence, trying to get a wider view of what people think in general, rather than what I would perceive it to be.

[book_guy]

I'm of the opinion that the word "hardcore" has become nearly useless. Nearly all porn now is either (1) girls posing, soft-focus, not showing explicitly their genitalia but otherwise being overall nude, like in Playboy, or (2) males on board, showing lots of whamming fucking of the females, including oral, anal, and aliens. Where you put those scenes which depict female-only but with full views of genitalia is a judgment call, halfway between the two.

I disagree. Traditionally, softcore porn movies were often depicted as couple sex (penetration included) but all genitals were hidden from camera.

I agree, that's the traditional definition. It's a hold-over from back when the obscenity laws in the USA required that all States allow "softcore" because it is humans being human but not engaged in anything explicitly sexual (nakedness is not sexual, it's just unclothed; fucking is sexual), whereas States were allowed to differ on how much "hardcore" could be depicted (or shipped within the State). Eventually USA's obscenity laws relaxed further, thus making unnecessary this (already artificial) definition. This seems to be the usual definition for cock-hero purposes, too. Again, where you put those scenes which depict female-only but with full views of genitalia is again a judgment call.

The real question is "what do people want to see in a CH?"

Ah so, velly wise rittre glasshoppel. (Is that racist? ) Personally, progression to point-of-view-blowjob scenes is my ideal. Finish me with a Swallow Salon compilation please. I don't enjoy watching anal because (a.) you don't get to see much of the girl and (b.) it's usually also very rough, which is silly and pointless to me. But because you won't please everyone, please do

make what you want to make

[Andrus]

Hmmm. I like the female form. My thought is that girls are pretty and soft. Therefore, they are "softcore". Penises are hard and unattractive therefore "hardcore". I'm usually not into anything that involves too much interior anatomy or overly... corpulent. That's a good word. Kink is usually good: JOI, bondage, femdom, power exchange etc. because this has an aspect of admiring pretty girls.
Final thought: a really beautiful woman is often even sexier with their clothes on.

[JakofClubs]

In the US, I believe "softcore" is a back-formation from hardcore, which meant porn that showed male genitalia and penetration.

In CH, I'd say that it usually means girls-only, no anal, nothing "gross".
I prefer softcore and lesbian, yet the works by Supermassive, NomberOneFan and many others are so well done, it's hard to complain.

Final thought: a really beautiful woman is often even sexier with their clothes on.

I've been thinking about that and I think there a lot of things at play. Besides leavings something to the imagination and a starting point for something more explicit, clothes tell you something about the perceived style and personality of a person that nudity omits. Clothes and fashion provide contextual information and a narrative for a fantasy. Clothes help storytelling.

[Hobbyistatplay]

I define softcore the same way as I define pornography. I know it when I see it.