How the Adult Entertainment Industry Would Change After the Pandemic
When we first heard of the coronavirus, it was just some random thing that was happening in Asia. As time went by and the coronavirus pandemic started spreading across Europe, it was getting closer to home. Then, it came to the United States, and it quickly showed us how the world could be entirely different. The COVID-19 pandemic spread in the U.S. as well, and we (most of us) went through home quarantine.
Virtually all businesses have visibly felt some of the COVID-19 effects. The adult film industry was no different. In fact, in the last few months, the porn industry has been in this strange position. On the one hand, as people have been staying at home longer than usual, the demand for adult videos has gone up immensely. On the other hand, one major obstacle that COVID-19 brought forth was the dreaded social distancing. That goes completely against adult performances who rely on being as close to one another as possible. In this weird, perhaps unique situation, production companies and porn stars might need to look to shift their business direction. Let’s check how things might change.
How Did the Pandemic Change the Adult Entertainment Industry?
As we’ve mentioned above, social distancing and filming porn don’t go well together. That has affected production companies more because they were unable to put out new movies. It’s been difficult for them, particularly at the time when the demand for such films has gone through the roof! When the filmmaking eventually becomes an option again, movie makers will need to make sure they fulfill all the necessary health requirements. For instance, PASS (Performer Availability Scheduling Services) has been regularly doing checkups on actors for various kinds of STDs since the 1990s. Every two weeks, there’s a mandatory checkup. However, as PASS DoC Mike Stabile points out, COVID-19 is not an STD, so the regulations are entirely different.
There’s also an issue of how the coronavirus is transmitted. As you probably already know, it spreads through respiratory droplets. Alternatively, you can pick it up if you come into contact with a contaminated surface and then touch your face. Also, we still don’t know whether you can get it through someone else’s semen. With that in mind, the major problem would be the saliva people exchange during kissing. The regular movie industry faces the same issue.
It’s Easier for Actors
Actors don’t really need to worry about all of that. Why? Well, because most of them (especially well-known ones) have different sources of income already. In recent times, with how popular the internet and social media have become, porn actors have almost turned into content creators. As such, actors can use social media and various cam sites to make money even if they don’t have opportunities to shoot movies anymore.
The Use of Social Media and Various Video Calling Apps
The internet has entirely revamped the way we consume porn. In the 1980s, you had to go through the trouble to get your hands on a quality VHS tape, while most others had to make do with a magazine. Today, however, the experience is different. We can access them with just a few clicks of the button, and we don’t have to go somewhere to rent them out. Additionally, the variety we have on offer is so vast that many people have watched so much that they rewire their brains into liking new fetishes. Most importantly, though, it’s free of charge!
So how does a porn actor make money then? Well, that happens through social media and different apps. For instance, if you want to access a premium Snapchat account of your favorite pornstar, you have to pay a particular fee. The same goes for a subscription fee for a webcam show. Furthermore, you can ask for a customized video, suggest what they should do, and so on.
Why do people do that? It turns out that folks are willing to pay for a video they can watch for free. That is because they grow attached to their favorite performer and seek validation and acknowledgment. On the other hand, some people just want to make sure their appreciation is heard and aren’t afraid to spend money to make it so.
That isn’t something new that coronavirus gave us. Websites like OnlyFans existed before, but with the lack of filming opportunities, they’ve grown in popularity even more. According to one such website, CamSoda, top models often make around $20,000 a week. That’s way more than doing a private strip club show in Las Vegas or Los Angeles. Soon, they won’t even have the incentive to make a regular movie.
How You Can Use These Apps to Stay in the Adult Industry
As we’ve already said, social distancing and quarantine have been in effect for a few months now. Consequently, people have been locked in their homes for long periods. So what are you going to do when you’re bored and there’s a laptop in front of you? There’s nobody around you, and a bottle of lotion is sitting there just looking at you invitingly. As expected, the demand for porn has risen. For instance, when the national lockdown came into effect in Italy, Pornhub (everyone’s favorite hub) offered free premium accounts to the Italians. In a single day (March 12), Italy saw an increase in adult entertainment usage by 57%! That should give you the idea of how things have been recently all over the world.
But Pornhub is not the only one to have gotten more traffic. Cam sites have also seen a rise, and now you can use social media and various apps to connect with your favorite performer as well. For instance, you can pay to have a video call with your favorite star, in which both of you get something you want. You get a few minutes to spend with your dream girl/guy, and they get paid.
The New Normal
There’s this phrase they’ve been throwing around recently: “the new normal.” It suggests that some things will never go back to normal and that some of the changes are here to stay. We can’t really tell how long this social distance thing is going to be around for, but it definitely can have a massive effect on the porn industry (it already is). Maybe in the not-so-distant future, everybody will be doing their business via these apps we’ve talked about. Perhaps porn movies are things of the past. Let’s wait and see.
