Paying For Porn??? In This Economy???

Let us be honest here: nearly all of us have engaged with pornography in our lifetime. Isn’t that why you are here?

Most of us, including myself many years ago, have had the impression that porn only refers to videos found on the internet (or in the curtained section of a blockbuster – depending on the age of the person reading this) that shows individuals getting hot and heavy with each other.

Yes, that is porn too – but only accounts for one type of porn.

Pornography is an umbrella term; under its wing, it covers all forms of media that are sexual in nature. We are talking about books, comics, video games and so on.

Pornographic videos, media which is the easiest to acquire, are now commonly watched online. There are big players in the industry – websites that control a lot of internet traffic. They have viewers, contributors, and patrons from all over the world. I mean if you like it, just enjoy it right?

Without getting into the intricacies of how it works, I would like to say that porn is an industry that is heavily focused on the male consumer. Workers in this industry are often heavily exploited and stigmatised. The industry needs to work on bettering the conditions of work and the equality amongst the porn stars. As a sex-positive feminist, I do believe pornography is one manner through which women can showcase their sexual agency. My critique falls mostly on the porn industry rather than pornography as a medium.

But let us look at current trends. We are all (mostly) locked down and spending a larger portion of our time in front of screens (thank you iPhone for reminding me of this every week). During this time, there has been a surge in the amount of internet content consumed. I mean, what else do we have to do right?

By this logic, there would also be an uptick in the amount of pornographic material consumed, right?

Well, from my own research, I can confirm that this is correct. It is without a doubt that social media and the internet have made it more accessible for people to consume pornographic content. As with most markets, there is that awful paywall that separates those who can afford to indulge their desires and those who just must find more creative ways to access similar content.

However, there is one paywall I support. The one that gives access to the content found on Onlyfans.

What is OnlyFans, Maddy, you say?

Well, my little sheltered reader. It is a recent platform where people can use their ‘pages’ to post content that is only visible to…wait for it…their fans. Fans are paid patrons who pay a certain subscription fee to access their preferred pages. These subscriptions give people access to whatever the creator posts for however long they remain subscribed.

The concept is pretty much based on an Instagram for all your thirst traps. People can post any type of content, but it has taken flight as a platform for sex workers and other individuals to share pictures or videos that are more erotic in nature.

Honestly, I love it.

Why does this Indian girl who had a comparatively liberal upbringing writing about a thirst trap social media that has suddenly taken off in this pandemic? Because I am seeing people embracing their sexuality, freely sharing what they want to share AND making money from it.

Given the levels of inequality in the wage gap across the board, it is empowering to see people make the money that they want. Don’t get me wrong the hustle is still very real –  gaining and maintaining online followers is a tough task, coupled with the stigma that already surrounds the sex work industry it is a lot of work that goes into maintaining your own business.

Sex work is still work. That is my own take. It requires the same hustle and hard work that people put into their normal jobs, yet for those who in the industry there is a huge risk ranging from stigma to even the risk of getting killed. The destigmatisation and decriminalisation of sex work is a fiercely debated topic and one that needs to come to a head as many lives are at stake because of legislators’ personal preferences over what needs to be done.

I mean this hot take is coming from a girl whose role model was Jessminder “Jess” Bharma from Bend it Like Beckham and Lakhi Baskhi from Bride and Prejudice.

Even with the freedom that I was given and the liberal upbringing facilitated by my parents – porn and sexual imagery of any sorts remain a taboo subject in my family. A clear memory of my young parents’ first-ever interaction with their children engaging with pornographic content was when I was 11 years old trying to LimeWire music into my iPod shuffle (what a concept) and accidentally downloaded hardcore porn onto my parent’s Windows 98 computer. Technically NOT my fault, but their refusal to open dialogue about sex and instead, sending us to our rooms to do homework really reaffirmed the Indian stigma behind erotic material.

So, what does that have to do with my article about paying for porn?

Reiterating my previous statement, sex work is work. These individuals are not going to get furloughed or given the luxury of working from home, like the rest of us. They are losing their income. Pages like Onlyfans has given them the opportunity to continue making a living.

People need to realise how hard it is to create and maintain a strong enough online presence, on that can convince people to pay for access-  in the era of freely accessible internet porn – is hard bloomin’ work.

Onlyfans has one thing that has makes it different: consent. I am seeing people of all genders, backgrounds, interests using a platform and selling their content with their full consent. If you want to use it to make money, you are actively making the decision to do so. Sharing what you love in the world, be it your body or sex or erotica etc. should be done wholeheartedly and with your consent. If you can capitalise on it, even better. Because there are people out there who are earning money in their sleep, so why shouldn’t you?

So yes, the thought of paying for something that is already accessible for free is a ghastly concept. But think of this before you slate sex work or sex workers.

Even in these scary, unprecedented times recognise how easy it was for you to access their content – Be it free or paid. This is someone’s livelihood and probably main source of income; it requires courage to do it and hustle to maintain it. Like most other jobs. So instead of trivialising someone’s choice and decision to create an Onlyfans try and think of their hustle and the confidence and skill required to run a successful online business.