Only Fans: Women rebelling

Women rebelling against the porn industry with Only Fans.

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Society, as we see it today, has become hypersexualized which has allowed the porn industry to become a normalized topic of conversation. While everyone knows about it, they aren’t necessarily aware of the brutal treatment porn actors have had to endure during their careers. Many people justify the industry because they believe women are consenting to it, but online porn has extreme underlying issues of sexual violence, addiction and exploitation. Just because these women feature in videos, doesn’t mean they like it or willingly consent to it.  

The porn industry’s underlying issues can begin with drug addictions as these women look for an escape, prostitution and their agents leave little to no options for them to say ‘no’ to any job, which can easily lead to sex trafficking.  

Unfortunately, as porn becomes more accessible the more technology evolves, this affects not only men but women too. Men become more desensitized to it, wanting more violent and degrading images that agents will simply comply with and force their actors to do in order to get increased viewership and profit. Young women are affected in terms of body image, sexuality and developing relationships. As the tube sites become the most highly visited sites, it reduces women to sex objects and robs them of their own sexual desires.  

A comment on Reddit from a man on a thread about the porn industry, “Porn hurts nobody. It’s harmless entertainment.” While on the contrary, it is very harmful to the developing minds of the youth.  

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The awful treatment of the porn industry’s actors ultimately led to the creation and development of Only Fans.  

For those unfamiliar with the site, Only Fans is a secure site where individuals can subscribe to influencers for a monthly fee and receive exclusive content. Only Fans content can range from chefs sharing their recipes to sex workers sharing media. While Only Fans is still a site that provides porn, influencers can have a deeper connection with their subscribers and share a more personalized experience that is more likely to be consensual.  

Although Only Fans was created by a man in London, United Kingdom, the idea came from a nude model who was tired of being taken for granted. The current CEO is Amrapali Gan, a 37-year-old Indian woman. In terms, Only Fans creators and Gran are taking online free porn by the reins.  

The website allows the creators to charge their own pricing, produce the work they feel comfortable with and build a client relationship with their viewers. Only Fans creators allow more intimate experiences for their viewers, allowing subscribers to directly message them or leave a tip to receive pictures and videos on demand, according to their personal tastes. This allows, specifically men, to fantasize about their newfound ‘online’ relationships. These content creators will build lasting relationships and have conversations with their subscribers, knowing their names and life stories. This creates a sense of belonging within the subscriber.  

While this is similar to the traditional online porn industry, it reduces the amount of undergoing issues they have. Since its development in 2016, Only Fans creators have had the ability to become their own directors, meaning there aren’t any agents behind the scenes double-crossing their jobs or putting them in dangerous positions. These women aren’t turning to drugs for an escape as they are able to end their online careers with a click of a button, shutting down everything they’ve put up in an instant.  

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Sophie, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, shares that a creator can post minimal activity online for a bigger sum of money than the porn industry itself. Her media posting is approximately one to two videos a week which generates about 10,000 a month with respect to online conversations that her subscribers will pay for, phone calls she makes when a major life event occurs to one of them or even a check-in once in a while.  

Can you share your experience with getting started on the platform?  

Only Fans was never supposed to be something that became a part of my life, truly. It was a way to make some extra cash during the pandemic when I lost my job. I never thought it would make me famous. I started by posting some Instagram-regulated photos on a profile I had made separately than my personal one. The way I was collecting likes and comments in a short amount of time was wild to me. Based on one comment from a username that had no photos or followers suggesting I make an Only Fans account, I did.  

How has being on the platform impacted your lifestyle?  

Oh, man. I can say it’s done some good and some bad. It put me into a situation where I had to quit my corporate job because of a background check – I know I could have fought it and won in the end, but honestly, I wasn’t happy in that job anyways. It gave me the push to just leave and start my own thing. I fully immersed myself in my content. I was giving my full attention to my fans and subscribers.  

I was engaged to be married a year ago. My fiancé ended up participating in some of my content. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out to some issues, not regarding the platform itself, but one’s I’m not comfortable sharing. So, in the end, I lost my job and my partner.  

The good that it’s done for me is that it has definitely put me in a comfortable spot in my life. Sure, it’s weird when people recognize you in public in your hometown from a website you post your boobs on, but I’m happy with myself. I’m happy with the ability to control what goes online and what doesn’t. I’m happy with the fact that I now have the ability to travel anywhere I want, stay in hotels I never thought I’d be able to even look at and participate in adventures I’ve always wanted to. Not only that, but I’ve met other women in the industry that are literal saints, women kinder than those I worked with in an office.  

Do you have any regrets?  

I can safely and confidently say, I don’t have any regrets. I love what I do. I’m lucky to have a parent who has supported me throughout my career, even though I know it’s probably not what they imagined for their child, but I’m able to keep things separate when it comes to seeing loved ones and my job. I go under a pseudonym on the platform to control the amount of attention I receive. As I said, I have done so many things I never thought I would and that in itself allows me not to have any regrets. Life is so short, and honestly, who cares if my boobs are online if I get to see different parts of the world and make friendships along the way.  

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Do you have anything to say to women who might be considering joining the platform? 

If you have the capability to do it, do it. If you’re afraid of the backlash from your family or friends, remember it’s literally your life. One thing I will say though, be prepared for it to follow you. You can end your Only Fans career so easily, you just have to click ‘delete account’, but it will follow you when you’re considering more corporate jobs that require extensive background checks. If that isn’t an issue for you, then do it, and you’ll be able to live your life the way you want to!  

Sophie confirms that Only Fans is a way to empower women and their sexuality, which is entirely different from the tube websites. Women no longer have to follow male validation to make a couple of coins, but rather have the ability to create their own content and build their own relationships.  

The creation of Only Fans was meant for women to take their sexuality into their own hands and stop the porn industry from taking advantage of it. Although there are ongoing issues in the industry that are still ways away from being solved, Only Fans is one step in that direction. People still view Only Fans as another online porn website, and although it somewhat is, it’s a platform that is so much more than that.