Arguments against smut are often formed on the basis that some of the sexual experiences depicted are inappropriate and potentially harmful to some readers. This is indeed a necessary criticism of the websites to which smut is uploaded, who I agree ought to be doing more to prevent vulnerable readers, such as those of a young age, from reading pieces that contain potentially dangerous themes. However, this does not mean that authors are not entitled to write these pieces. Smut is, in essence, fantasy, and providing necessary content warnings are given when required, those writing these pieces should be allowed to include whatever sexual scenarios they choose.
One of the most important benefits of smut, in my opinion, is that it provides an ethical alternative to audio-visual pornography. The production of this kind of erotic material often comes at the expense of the welfare of those being photographed or filmed. In 2021, over thirty women filed a lawsuit against PornHub, alleging the site profits from content which shows rape, child pornography, and sex trafficking. The site has since deleted around 75% of its videos, which they were unable to verify; their verification processes are still widely deemed to be insufficient in preventing exploitative content being uploaded.
Smut provides an ethical alternative to audio-visual pornography
While, as previously stated, popular sites on which smut is viewed need to do more to ensure the most provocative content is only being read by those of an appropriate age, it seems clear to me that reading about unhealthy sexual experiences at a young age is – while still potentially damaging – nowhere near as scarring as viewing pornographic videos of such scenes at the same age.
Crucially, though, for those old enough to handle engaging with both forms of erotic content, I believe that smut is by far the most ethical way to, ahem … get your kicks.