Made for those who frequent social media, OnlyFans contains photo content and videos accessible to those who pay a monthly subscription fee. This social media functions like Instagram. Except the differences are that it pays; and that most users are consumers or creators of pornography, be they amateurs or professionals.
By Véronique Trudeau
Subscribers (fans) can chat with their favorite XXX actress, contrary to what traditional pornography offers. Has this new player in the sex industry changed things? We asked a few questions about this trend to sexologist Mahault Albarracin.
Is having an OnlyFans account in 2021 as normal as having a Facebook account?
If any sort of normalization is going on, then it’s happening slowly. The fact that we hear people saying “Such and such a person has an OnlyFans account” proves it’s not yet completely normal. No one would be writing an article on us if we had a Facebook account.
For those working in the sex industry, what are the advantages of this sort of platform?
I find that in general, the use of OnlyFans as a promotional platform for sex workers has its advantages. Like the caming sites, where people exchange tokens so they can see the person on video. For the content creator, that means a lot of empowerment, control over the content and on the type of clientele sought after, including where they want to go to make money.
On the other hand, certain rules could be bypassed. Is the person really the age they say they are? It’s tough to have control over that, but it’s exactly the same phenomenon as in pornography in general.
The big plus about OnlyFans is the relationship developed with the client. It’s easy to see who is consuming the content, and to know who you’re talking to. Once again, the idea of control is interesting. It’s possible to block abusive or harassing users, for example. OnlyFans becomes a way of retracing and saving evidence that could help the police in case of any problems.
What distinguishes OnlyFans content from traditional pornography?
On OnlyFans, there’s a rehumanization of the person being photographed, in the sense that we see the whole person, and not just certain parts of the face or the body as in traditional pornos. The performer exists and can even collaborate with us, even if the content isn’t necessarily live. In all cases, the content creator becomes central to the process.
And yet, this rehumanization can be a double-edged sword. In revealing yourself so fully on OnlyFans, it’s more difficult to distance yourself from the content.
I think there are a lot of benefits to promoting your sexual services on such a platform. It’s a way of taking back control over your body, of deciding when you want to work and make money. It’s a reappropriation of your power.
If we have a choice, should we favor traditional porn or OnlyFans content?
For someone who’s younger, I think that it would be pertinent to start their sexual exploration on OnlyFans, to have a real connection with the person on the other side of the screen, and understand that they’re not simply an object for their pleasure. It’s an interactive way of discovering your limits (and those of others) and to anchor your sexuality in a more real context than in traditional pornography.
The relationship side of things is important in OnlyFans.
The consumer can potentially interact with the star about the reasons that motivate them to create this sort of content, what they like, or their limits, for example. Obviously this sort of “sex ed” isn’t compulsory, but there’s at least the possibility of this sort of interaction, which is impossible when watching a traditional porno.
What could discourage the consumer from choosing OnlyFans over traditional pornography?
OnlyFans’ content is for pay, which could make the platform less accessible to those who usually want to watch for free. This race to the bottom is sad, because all film or video content should be for pay. Everyone deserves to be compensated according to their fair value. It could also create friction with customers who could become nasty. Some sex industry people could cede to pressure and lower their prices, for fear of losing their clientele.
First seen in Reflet de Société, Vol. 29, no. 5, juin (June) 2021, page 20 – 21
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