Why we call things 'porn'

The word captures a new way of relating to food, real estate and even moral outrage

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"Porn" isn't just a word for sex stuff any more. There's a new use of that word, a broader use. We're talking about food porn, real estate porn and closet-organisation porn.

Sometimes, "porn" is used as an accusation, like when you call out an artist who takes photographs of impoverished foreigners for making "poverty porn".

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 02, 2019, with the headline Why we call things 'porn'. Subscribe