Episode 141: Why Cartoon and Animated Porn are so Popular
November 1, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
What was the most popular porn search term last year? According to Pornhub, it was hentai. This term refers to a form of animated or cartoon porn and it seems to be on the rise. So how did hentai come to be such a popular thing in the first place? And why do some people prefer animated porn to live action porn? Let’s talk about it!
Sexuality educator Ashley Weller returns for this show. Ashley is a professor at Chapman University who runs a podcast called What’s your Position? that tackles issues surrounding sexuality, relationships, life, and love from a comedic yet educational point of view. Some of the topics we explore include:
- The origins of hentai and its surprisingly long history.
- How legal restrictions on pornography production and consumption paved the way for the rise of animated porn.
- Who watches hentai, and how its appeal differs based on gender and sexual orientation.
- How personality and attachment style relate to interest in animated porn.
- How many people fantasize about cartoon or anime characters.
- The impact of hentai porn consumption vs. mainstream porn on audiences.
To learn more about Ashley, check out her podcast What’s your Position? and follow her on Instagram @whatsyourpositionpodcast
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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.
Dr. Justin Lehmiller
Founder & Owner of Sex and PsychologyDr. Justin Lehmiller is a social psychologist and Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute. He runs the Sex and Psychology blog and podcast and is author of the popular book Tell Me What You Want. Dr. Lehmiller is an award-winning educator, and a prolific researcher who has published more than 50 academic works.
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