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This is a complaint I have in most "___-Porn" instances... Why porn? It feels like the wrong context most of the time. Porn is graphic, over stimulating and of

This is a complaint I have in most "___-Porn" instances... Why porn? It feels like the wrong context most of the time. Porn is graphic, over stimulating and often without class or artistic direction. Typography is an art. Great typography is subtle, often soothing and harmonious. It's not porn. I get some earth-porn stuff because we in cities live so removed from nature that it's like BAM, Massive Earth In Your Face. I don't know, it just feel gross to call good typography porn. Good typography is like an athlete in motion or a perfectly fitted outfit on a beautiful model. Don't take the complaint personally, I get that it's "a thing".

dahart 10y ago
I dunno, that's language... sometimes vague, sometimes misleading, always keeping you on your toes. ;) I don't take the porn analogy as trying to be a precision term in every possible way, it's not referring to the sometimes lack of class or over stimulation, and it's literally not sexual, so yeah, no perfect analogy here. Porn and it's associated activities is primarily and always self-absorbed, and going after raw physical attraction, those are the things the analogy "Typography porn" is trying to get across. The typography here is crafted so finely that to someone who studies typography, it looks almost masturbatory. Unnecessarily and over the top amounts of craft. An amount of craft and subtlety that as a nerd, you keep to yourself and only talk about or work on with other people who appreciate your weird fetishes. It's porn because it's sexy, it has allure, it's hard to look away, it's attractive and it makes you want more. I think on the whole typography porn is a pretty decent term here. And really, attaching porn to non-sexual things is meant in the spirit of fun, intended to be a teensy bit shocking, aimed for effect, designed for exaggeration, and above all a little silly. Just enjoy it! :)
sangnoir 10y ago
> This is a complaint I have in most "___-Porn" instances... Why porn? I think the term reflects exuberant hedonism and/or complete lack of inhibition exhibited by, or in appreciating the said ___-porn activity. In my mind, it's similar to saying "unapologetic ____", but in a positive sense of the word.

dahart 10y ago

I dunno, that's language... sometimes vague, sometimes misleading, always keeping you on your toes. ;) I don't take the porn analogy as trying to be a precision term in every possible way, it's not referring to the sometimes lack of class or over stimulation, and it's literally not sexual, so yeah, no perfect analogy here. Porn and it's associated activities is primarily and always self-absorbed, and going after raw physical attraction, those are the things the analogy "Typography porn" is trying to get across. The typography here is crafted so finely that to someone who studies typography, it looks almost masturbatory. Unnecessarily and over the top amounts of craft. An amount of craft and subtlety that as a nerd, you keep to yourself and only talk about or work on with other people who appreciate your weird fetishes. It's porn because it's sexy, it has allure, it's hard to look away, it's attractive and it makes you want more. I think on the whole typography porn is a pretty decent term here. And really, attaching porn to non-sexual things is meant in the spirit of fun, intended to be a teensy bit shocking, aimed for effect, designed for exaggeration, and above all a little silly. Just enjoy it! :)

sangnoir 10y ago

> This is a complaint I have in most "___-Porn" instances... Why porn? I think the term reflects exuberant hedonism and/or complete lack of inhibition exhibited by, or in appreciating the said ___-porn activity. In my mind, it's similar to saying "unapologetic ____", but in a positive sense of the word.