In Defense of Smut

Written by Amanda Kang

This summer, I have been binge-reading Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorn and Roses series. You might know Maas from her growing TikTok fanbase or #1 New York Times bestsellers. Walk into any Barnes and Noble in North America and you will probably find an entire display table dedicated to the “Sarah J. Maas Literary Universe.” A Court of Thorn and Roses, Maas’ bestselling series, follows the journey of Feyre Archeron into the world of faeries. Throughout the series, Feyre battles many foes, forms alliances with powerful courts, and builds a new life for herself in this strange, fantastical world. 

As a first-time reader, I was skeptical. However, less than a hundred pages into the first book of the series, I was hooked. I read over 500 pages in two days. I sought out English-language bookstores in a foreign country to get my hands on the sequel, and then I finished it on the plane ride home. I searched for the series in a county-wide library system: Every single physical, digital, and audio copy was checked out.

So, about a month ago, I found myself at my local Barnes and Noble ready to purchase the next three books in the series. I was excited if not a bit nervous about my bank account. However, when the cashier, a young woman about my age, quipped, “She got me too,” I didn’t smile back or feel a sense of community, I felt ashamed. Because more than great world-building and compelling relationships, Maas is selling sex. The books are unapologetically smutty and more irresistible because of it.

Broadly, smut is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “magazines, books, pictures, movies or jokes that offend some people because they relate to sex.” Today, it is primarily used to refer to works of fiction, mostly fanfiction. The subreddit r/Fanfiction defines it as “a term for fanworks, such as fanfic or podfic that contain an overwhelming majority of explicit sex scenes or are, in themselves — [...] an explicitly sexual scene, whether as part of a longer fic or as a standalone story.” It has also been referred to as porn for women or a form of modern erotica. 

The impact of modern smut is also deeply connected to the history of romance novels. Pioneered by authors like Jane Austen, “romance novels separate themselves from other genres by being primarily written by women, for women, and about women,” according to the New York Public Library’s  A Brief History of the Romance Novel. “For female readers tied down by social norms and conventions, these romance novels became a form of escape and inspiration.” I would argue the same is true for romance or smut readership today.

Mainstream porn targets an audience of primarily straight, cisgender men. Its themes typically revolve around male pleasure and are often unappealing to women or queer viewership. Further, the article, “Pornography Use, Perceived Peer Norms, and Attitudes Toward Women: A Study of College Men,” written by Prachi H. Bhuptani, explains that “pornography normalizes sexual aggression against women and contributes to men’s perpetration of rape.” Moreover, “when men view pornography, they learn novel sexual scripts, are primed to access already acquired sexual scripts, and are more likely to use these sexual scripts to guide their own judgments and behaviors during sexual activity.” Sexual scripts defined by the National Institutes of Health as “the approved norms regarding sexuality that individuals embrace, internalize, and endorse.” To those who fall beyond porn’s target audience, engaging in mainstream porn can be both unappealing and feel unsafe or unethical. 

This inherent lack of appealing material for women and queer communities creates a necessity for the ongoing creation of diverse sexual or sensual stories. Blogger Starsheep explains that “smut serves a purpose beyond mere arousal. It challenges norms and provides a platform for exploring sexuality in a way that society and education often fail to address.” Additionally, “sharing experiences gives [marginalized groups] a sense of camaraderie and solidarity, challenging societal taboos and dismantling puritanical norms,” just as the romance genre has been doing for centuries.

The power is evident in the way society attempts to dismiss it. The publishing industry will push books that include erotica into ‘lesser’ genres such as ‘New Adult’ rather than ‘Adult Fiction.’ YA novels written for young women are seen as frivolous. Women reading romance books are used as a punchline in popular media, or as an example of sexual deviance. You can view this as a point of shame or as an example that engaging in smut might be more subversive than you first thought. 

Take the bestselling 50 Shades of Grey. While the series sparked intense criticism and debate, it undeniably opened doors for readers to explore desire and sexual agency. The series truly led to a newfound interest and investment in power dynamics and sexual exploration in media. Yes, the series has many flaws such as romanticizing unhealthy relationships and perpetuating some stereotypes. However, the cultural phenomenon is undeniable and its flaws are in part what makes the series so appealing to readers. One could argue that 50 Shades of Grey has helped move the general public toward embracing and understanding multifaceted sexual identities while shattering the glass ceiling for many romance authors seeking recognition in popular media.

Now, I am not saying that all smut that you will find on Wattpad or AO3 is a feminist masterpiece. I am also not saying that all romance novels are free from patriarchal norms or themes. There is some pretty crazy stuff out there. However, it still provides a safe space for a diverse readership.

Reflecting on my time at Barnes and Noble, I realized that despite the joy I found in reading A Court of Thorn and Roses, my internalized shame and fear were holding me back. But I am not going to let that stop me from enjoying my book — smut and all. Knowing a little more about the history of romance and sexuality, actually makes me feel a bit proud. I hope it inspires you to embrace your reading with the same confidence.