Lolita is a slang term for a seductive, sexually attractive, or sexually precocious young girl.

In the marketing of pornography, "lolita" is used to refer to any attractive woman who has only recently reached, or is still younger than, the age of consent, or sometimes to refer to women who only appear to be younger than the age of consent. Pornographic movies Pornography (Porn) (from Greek πόρνη (porne) prostitute and γραφή (grafe) writing), more informally referred to as porn or porno, is the explicit representation of the human body or sexual activity with the goal of sexual arousal. ... Age of consent laws Worldwide While the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal statutes,[1] when used with reference to criminal law the age of consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be capable of legally giving informed consent to any...

Origin

The term originated in the 1955 novel Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov where it was the nickname given to the young girl, Dolores, with whom the narrator, Humbert Humbert, has sexual relations. In the book itself, "Lolita" is specifically Humbert's nickname for Dolores, and "nymphet" is the general term for the type of young girl to whom Humbert is attracted, Dolores being one of them. In the novel, Humbert defines nymphets as being between the ages of nine and fourteen. However, commerce has preferred to use the girl's name, and to make "lolitas" attractive (in film adaptations and pornography) to a much wider audience than the small number of "nympholepts" which Humbert Humbert believes to exist. In the novel it is noted that the "nymphet" in a group of schoolgirls would not necessarily be the "loveliest" one in the group. The term could also be a bastardized version of the word lalita, which is another word for devi, the Sanskrit word for goddess. The Lalita Devi in Hinduism is noted for elegance and beauty, and is worshipped in the Lalita sahasranama, the thousand names of Devi. 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lolita (1955) is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov. ... Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov (Russian: Влади́мир Влади́мирович Набо́ков, pronounced ) (April 22 [O.S. April 10] 1899, Saint Petersburg – July 2, 1977, Montreux) was a Russian-American author. ...

Influence on popular culture

The term “lolita” has come to represent an archetypal image of an under-aged sexualized nymphet. This image is used often in advertising and many other aspects of popular culture, from movies to magazines - if not as sexualized children then as adult women made to appear childlike. In her article on the use of the "lolita" concept in advertising, Debra Merskin argued that the sexualization of children in the media has the potential to contribute to the increasing problem of child sexual abuse by indirectly condoning the use of children in inappropriate sexual contexts (2004). A nymphet is a sexualized adolescent girl in the early days of puberty. ... Popular culture, sometimes called pop culture, consists of widespread cultural elements in any given society. ... Child sexual abuse is an umbrella term describing criminal and civil offenses in which an adult engages in sexual activity with a minor or exploits a minor for the purpose of sexual gratification. ...

The phrase lolita complex or lolicon is popular in modern-day Japan to refer to a prurient interest in actual or (more commonly) manga or anime depictions of young girls. There is also a style of dress in Japan, often worn by Visual Kei musicians and their fans, called "Lolita" that is intended to evoke the look of a young girl. Lolita clothing styles range from Elegant Gothic Lolita ("EGL") or Gothic Lolita to Sweet Lolita or "Ama Lolita." Lolicon art often depicts childlike characteristics with likely double meanings. ... Manga )   (pl. ... The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) For the oleo-resin, see Animé (oleo-resin). ... Malice Mizer, an example of visual kei during the 1990s. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A Shirololi and punk in Harajuku, Tokyo. ...

Not all the uses of the term "lolita" are in a sexual context. In some countries like Chile, the terms "Lola" and "Lolo" are usually applied to just young girls and boys, without any erotic meaning. In Peru, "Lolita" is slang for a female prostitute of any age.

References

• Merskin, Debra. "Reviving Lolita? A Media Literacy Examination of Sexual Portrayals of Girls in Fashion Advertising." American Behavioral Scientist 48.1 (2004): 119-129.
• Constructions of Childhood in Art and Media: Sexualized Innocence, Alexandra Wood.
• Nabokov, Vladimir. Lolita. New York: Vintage International, 1955. ISBN 0-679-72316-1.