Pornography, adult content, the effect it has on the brain, development, dopamine, all of that, it’s pretty serious. And again, porn addictions can ruin lives. So I think that we have a responsibility to try and educate and have that conversation as much as we possibly can.
I don’t think people put enough focus on the people that are buying OnlyFans and the content. Because that is also a big conversation here that no one’s really having. And when we talk about Lily Phillips and Bonnie Blue, we are not really talking ever about the men that are standing in the queue. And to me that’s a bigger problem.
And we know that we are living an epidemic of violence against women and we know that society feels even more divided than ever in its approach to strong, powerful females. And there has to be a connection to why those kinds of exhibitions and stunts are so attractive to some people. You wouldn’t see women queueing around the block just to sleep with one dude. You just wouldn’t.
As you explored these dynamics further in your documentary series, did you find that sites like this were enforcing harmful stereotypes that may encourage violence against women?
What I did learn through speaking to so many different creators is the kind of content that one is the most popular and money wise. A lot of the girls did explain to me that there is a theme. There is a huge demand for content that reflects or impersonates violence against women or tones of the darker nature. And a lot of the girls find that a challenge, receiving those requests, reading them, emotionally dealing with them, and deciding where their line is and what they will and won’t do.
And if you look at the stats of sites like Pornhub, the top-rated categories leave a lot to be concerned about, in my opinion. There’s a line in the sand between kink and imagination and where that spills into real life. But I don’t think we can ignore the fact that they do bleed into each other. Whether you like it or not, they do… I did a whole episode of BDSM and things can be carried out in a very safe, trusted. It’s an agreement. It’s a partnership. But there are examples where that doesn’t go to plan and those stories are quite harrowing.
Did you find that ultimately sex work was empowering for the women that you met?
With the documentaries I’ve made, the women and men that I’ve interviewed, they are individuals who have found their power through sites like OnlyFans, where they can be in control of their content, they can decide what they put out, when they put out. So I think there are a lot of positives to be said for that. And the people that I’ve met feel that they have power over their own autonomy and monetising that as they wish. And as long as they’re happy, I’m happy for them to live their lives the way they want to.