How Coronavirus become a new sex creator
In most industries, change is gradual and takes years to implement. Industry leaders and the corporate management higher-ups of major companies don’t like to change the way their business operates without complete and total assurance that any changes will be positive and profitable. Labor costs need to remain the same or fall as well. There is no industry that is open to rapid change; not even the tech industry.
The pandemic swept through the world faster than anything we’ve seen before, and with it came major changes that had to be implemented in mere weeks.
The adult film industry was one of the many industries that had to adapt to the new way of life the pandemic created with little preparation or forewarning. Shutdowns began in March 2020, and some of these places that had to shut down are still closed today, though it is now July 2021.
For the foreseeable future, social distancing rules, government mandates, and new regulations will continue to slow down the production of studio-made porn. But studios must adhere to these new rules, whether they like it or not.
Back in March and April of 2020, porn stars and studio crews had to stop all filming and production, even if they were almost finished. There was no way to know when filming could start up again, and all studios had to cancel events and postpone future projects.
No one was allowed to film until May of 2020, and they could only film if the entire cast and crew tested negative for the Coronavirus. But covid tests were in short supply and only for hospitals and for covid test sites.
With no way to get a test, the adult film industry stayed at a standstill.
Social distancing and self-imposed quarantine were happening all over the world. Since the population had to stay in their homes, they tried to fill up their day by doing long-forgotten activities they were not able to do during their normal work week before the lockdown.
They made their coffee in the morning, looked after and expanded their gardens, painted art pieces that had been floating around in their heads for some time, scaled up their freelance businesses, helped their children navigate the hell world that is online schooling, and kept tabs with their neighbors and friends through video calling and Zoom. And when the mood stuck, they surfed the net for porn and found a brand new world of amateur content.
The rise of amateur adult content
Locked away in their homes, apartments, RVs, and condos, people who once had thriving social lives, and those who did not have social lives but still had to leave their homes every day and go to work now had to cope with separation from their family, friends, coworkers, and their weekday work routine.
So it is no surprise that people started looking for very different types of porn than what they usually consume. We as humans have a great need for social gatherings and camaraderie. Even the most introverted person who stays away from people for weeks at a time needs to have some type of social interaction.
So people started looking for porn and other types of adult content that did not look like it was made in a studio or was a professional film crew. They wanted to see real people in intimate relationships. Because of this new demand, the websites Onlyfans and Justfans grew exponentially and found a much bigger audience than they ever had before.
It was time for the rise of Onlyfans, Justfans, and the amateur porn niche.
The Onlyfans alternative, Justfans, saw a 400% increase in content and new users since the start of the pandemic.
New content is being created faster than ever and much of the new content is not lining the pockets of the adult film industry. This content is being made by individuals who want to put on a good show and display their sexuality in a positive light while earning enough money to make a living.
Who is making all of this new amateur content?
So who are these everyday people who decided to use their webcams and cell phone cameras to make money by selling online stripteases and nude photos, filming adult couples videos, and creating rooms where they can entertain a select number of high-value subscribers?
All of this amateur content is created by just that, amateurs. The vast majority of people creating amateur content since the lockdown began in March 2020 are doing it all by themselves. They're not pornstars and they don't have contracts with adult film studios. Many have never created any type of adult content in their entire life, save for the occasional nude photo for their romantic partner.
So what are the most alluring factors about amateur adult content?
The first thing that anyone will notice when they start diving into the world of mature adult content is that there is much more variety in skin color, body sizes, body shapes, and sexual situations.
Gone are the 9 to 12 in cocks and perfectly tiny, pink vaginas that dominated the sex industry since the 70s. People no longer want to see a one-size-fits-all standard of beauty. Now, sexual organs of all colors, shapes, and sizes are embraced by viewers at home. Some sex columnists believe that the wide variety of body types in amateur porn is much healthier to watch than industry-standard body parts.
Another critical reason for the rise of amateur adult content is the level of intimacy in the average video compared to regular porn. Most people who make amateur porn are doing it with their partners or people they are familiar with. There is a certain kind of connection that just can't be replicated with industry-standard porn acting.
Harassment and disapproval
Content creators who are now able to make a living because of their new amateur porn performances now face criticism because of their new line of work. The majority of criticism either comes from their friends and family or their current jobs.
Some adult content creators are keeping their new adult jobs secret from their families. If family members or friends ever ask how they are making money to pay their bills, they will just tell them that they are doing some freelance work on the side or they got a job as an essential worker.
Others have told their family what they are doing and received backlash from telling the truth. Friends, however, are much more forgiving and understanding of their situations. Some may even want to help out with the non-sexual parts of their performances like art or costumes.
At the start of the pandemic, one woman had one of the most popular sex toys break, so she had to rely on her engineer friend to fix her sex toy. She tried to buy a new one but shipping would have taken two and a half months.
Some parents eventually learn to live with the idea that their child is making adult content. They may not be happy with it but at least the child is able to make money and support themselves.
But family members and friends are not the only people who are criticizing amateur porn creators. Many of them have woken up to read horrific abusive messages in their private chat or in the comments section of their pages. Some of the bullying comes from religious commenters, who tend to be anonymous and not have a profile pic. These messages include Bible verses that speak about damnation or hell.
Other disapproving messages are poorly spelled, in all caps, and are vague and foreboding. But all in all, these types of messages are hypocritical. What are these “righteous” people doing on an adult site anyway?
There's nothing much that these content creators can do to stop anonymous people from harassing them. Onlyfans has a report and block system, but that’s all. As long as the anonymous harassers use fake email generators to make fake accounts, they will always be a thorn in the creators’ side.
Some creators hire others to manage their social media accounts, so they have more time to think about new and creative performances. By handing over their social media accounts to another person, they don’t have to see any rude or damning messages.
Enslaved or Empowered?
Besides the harassment from family friends and honest people on the internet, adult industry experts say that making amateur adult content from the comfort of their home is healthier than joining an adult film studio.
Countless horrific stories have been told about filming porn and how the industry goes out of its way to continuously violate the boundaries of its porn actresses. Trafficking is also a major issue in the port industry as at least one out of four actresses in the industry was introduced to adult film by their abusive husbands or boyfriends.
These new content creators have no horror story to tell, as they all did it willingly.
Will they continue with their Onlyfans/subscription-based adult accounts when the lockdown is over?
Now that is an important question to ask. Statistically, it is safe to say that a number of adult content creators will stop producing content in the next year or so. But some content creators are making so much money that they see no real reason to go back to a regular nine-to-five job.
Some adult content makers may even decide to take the next step and sign up with an adult film studio, but this will only happen if the film studios are offering more money and benefits than their current situation can give them.
Will the rise in amateur porn affect the adult film industry permanently?
As of 2021, studio giants in the adult film industry still don't know if the rise in amateur porn is permanent or if it is just a trend that will fade away once we are all able to gather again.
Even if it is not permanent and viewers go back to watching traditional porn films, some changes look like they're going to be permanent.
Nearly every porn actor and actress has an onlyfans account and many are making as much or even more money compared to their adult film contracts and fees. So professionals may let their contract go without renewal.
Another factor to take into consideration is the demographics of amateur porn. After the pandemic is over and there are no more restrictions on gathering, viewers at home will be used to watching body shapes of all sizes, people of all colors, and more varied sexual situations. Their tastes will have changed and the adult industry needs to catch up with their new preferences or lose viewers permanently.
Some seem to think there will be a rise in amateurs entering the adult film industry with contracts already signed before their first industry performance. Studios will also go after the most popular adult creators and try to sign them before another studio does.
So what does this truly mean for the adult film industry?
Social distancing will be the norm at least until the end of 2021. It may even continue until the middle of 2022, at least in the 1st world. While we now have an abundance of free covid tests and even several forms of the Covid vaccine, adult film studios and Hollywood studios and film crews still have to practice caution when filming. Crew members must wear masks at all times and actors and actresses must wear masks when they are not filming. Production still has not returned to normal. But amateur porn creators are still making videos, shorts, performances, and films as fast as they can think of ideas and scripts.
The rise in amateur porn is sure to bring changes to the adult film industry, even if all of the new amateur creators don’t continue to make their own subscription porn. New tastes, demographic changes, personal connections with content creators, and more intimate relationships will force the adult film industry to abandon traditional films and venture into new territories.
