Porn Fiction may be a misguiding headline, so I warn you. You are not going to find here alien inter species sex in the Enterprise holo-deck. Bim me up, Scotty!
Before Porn Fiction
Before imagining the future of porn, let’s take a look at its present. Although making projections from an extraordinary circumstance as the pandemic may be questionable, this blogger thinks we can still play with ideas. Of course, we do it not as experts or scientists, but just as porn consumers.
After all, it is widespread knowledge that the pandemic has actually not introduced a social transformation. Instead, the world wide crisis has accelerated trends already in progress. The raise of social isolation did not start with covid 19. The growth in economic inequality is much older than this health crisis. Similarly, cultural (social interactions, production and consumption of arts and ideas) and market digitalization (teleshopping, teleworking, etc.) were all tendencies in place before the pandemic.
More specifically, independent porn production, online cruising and the substitution of physical for virtual places were trends already developing in the sex market. Even more specifically, gay bars and clubs were already shutting down in the United States, and covid was just the coupe of grace.
Hopefully, 2021 will be the end of the pandemic crisis, although not the end of covid 19. Nowadays, such a hope is more than just wishful thinking. Considering this circumstances, let’s play a little bit with Porn Fiction.
Where is the gay adult entertainment industry going to be by the end of 2021 and beyond? After celebrating our 2020 Pinga’s Joys, it is time to take a look at the future. Scotty, bim me down.
The studios will strike back
This is hardly Porn Fiction. During 2020, gay porn studios were forced to freeze their production. Throughout last year, they have survived by refurbishing old releases and releasing new materials stored in their back logs.
Hopefully, if there are any creative talent left in the traditional porn outlets, they will come back renewed. The Neo Vanilla Porn tsunami will probably speed up the tendency towards more inclusive narratives and imaginary. Last year anti-racist protests will also translate in more diverse casting policies. We hope this progress will come from the business players’ enhanced awareness. However, we are certain these changes will be demanded by the consumers.
Not Porn Fiction: more diversity from the studios
Not only we can expect creative changes in the productions. Besides, we do not think it is porn fiction to expect changes in their business practices and culture. Without these adjustments, it is hard to imagine a creative revival. Performers’ preferences and input should be taken more into consideration if script writers and directors want to move away effectively from artificiality. My most powerful boner killer is two performers having robotic acrobatic sex.
Actually, there were already plenty of studios documenting real sexual chemistry amongst performers. For instance, Guys In Sweatpants, Bi Latin Men, Black Boyz Addictions, and many others. Notice that I am talking about real chemistry, not about realistic sex. Porn is rarely realistic. These particular studios will probably improve their photography and camera quality, because they cannot improve significantly their models performances. They are quite good.
Not Porn Fiction: more negotiation with performers
Finally, it is reasonable to expect changes in the contractual relationship with their contractors. On one hand, performers will have a louder voice to negotiate porn scripts. Hopefully, we have learned that the product is better when they are enjoying their interactions.
On the other hand, the ascension of independent porn and alternative models like The Cooperative, will push for less exploitative practices.
Ok, I give you that one. THAT was indeed wishful thinking. Talking about less exploitative practices may definitely be porn fiction.
The future of independent porn
Indeed, it is an impressive jump in the number of performers. Additionally, you can see here the growth on OnlyFans’ Twitter following. There are many reports available (like this one) on how OnlyFans became an alternative source of income during the pandemic.
We are bringing OnlyFans to the table because it is the main outlet for independent performers. However, there are several similar options. The numbers are about porn in general, but there is no reason to expect a different dynamic in the gay sub-sector.
We also devoted an article to address the explosion of independent productions. Once again, a trend already present before, is sky rocketed by the pandemic.
Certainly, the independent porn boom is not sustainable beyond the pandemic. There are basically two reasons why I think so. First, studios are already reassuming full production, and will reclaim a bigger part of the market. Second, once the pandemia fades, sex work will claim back part of the dollars going now to pornography.
We do not think independent porn will stay at nowadays booming levels. Nevertheless, it will stay in a stronger position than it was before the pandemic broke in. And it is not porn fiction to expect that it will continue being the most interesting laboratory for experimentation. They are experimenting not only on the content. Besides, they are also innovating on logistics, production, distribution, and financing.
What are some of the trends we can expect?
New Partnership Models
At he beginning of History, independent porn channels were individual enterprises. One single model would share mostly solos. Then, the model started to host anonymous masked/faceless partners. Finally, models started to collaborate. When the pandemic broke in, the latter was the mainstream successful practice.
Pandemic circumstances favored the success of a new model that we call “cooperative“. It is not mainstream, but it is the most interesting hub for partnership experimentation. How are going to evolve the sharing of collaborations’ profits and production costs? How are uneven popularity levels factored in the sharing? Decision making processes, kinds of leadership, networks sharing, and many more related fields are all evolving.
Right now, the most developed example is Rhyheim Shabazz, Eyefilmz, and their partners from several countries. However, there are smaller groups also going in that direction. It is not Porn Fiction to expect more cooperatives in places like Medellin or Buenos Aires.
New Business Models
Originally, all independent outlets would follow the same business model. For a monthly membership fee, a performer would share his pictures and clips with his fans.
Currently, a new model is becoming mainstream. Perhaps Caged Jock, a pioneer in the independent production field, was the first one to try it. Instead of trading all the production for the monthly fee, the best material is offered for a few extra dollars.
Caged Jock used to post the offers in his stream. Nowadays, the mainstream practice is a private message with the offer. Of course, as a consumer I do not like this trend. Nevertheless, it seems to work for the creators.
The Instagramization of Porn
If you are more than just a porn consumer, I bet you love Twitter. If you are a porn freak, a fan, a creator, surely we all love Twitter. For anyone who is in anyway related to the adult entertainment business, there is no better platform. We are thankful for the respect to our freedom of expression. It is not porn fiction to predict that we will continue favoring Twitter beyond 2021.
Surely, it is ironic. The one social network designed around writing and reading, has become the most friendly host for pornographic imagery.
Nevertheless, look at the graphic. Those numbers are indeed eloquent. For the top independent performers, Twitter is starting to be a limit. If they want to reach a wider audience (and market), the need for an expansion is obvious.
Currently, the next platforms to take over are Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube. They all have much stricter policies than our favorite one. As an example, the Instagram account I just shared is my third one, and they are still systematically erasing many of my posts.
As we do not make our living from this blog, we can disregard the universe out of Twitter. But if you do make your living from porn, and you have exhausted your reach in Twitter, you have no option. Top stars like Rhyheim Shabazz, Krave Melanin, and Caged Jock, have still potential for exponential growth in their audiences in Instagram and Facebook.
The challenge for everyone is, evidently, tailoring your promotional material according to different policies. However… hold on and keep reading. Perhaps there is no really a challenge.
The Trivialization of Porn
It is not porn fiction to predict that porn will become more accepted and acceptable. It is already happening. We are in a slow movement towards a more sex affirmative culture. Additionally, porn has become easily accessible since the advent of Internet, and ubiquitous since the introduction of smart phones.
When we add the pandemic to the equation, we have porn saturation. Fortunately, saturation comes with trivialization. In a sex affirmative culture, the stigma related to porn will become history.
As a consequence, porn artists will be able to share more than edited video in anti-porn outlets. For instance, it will be easier to integrate their private lives, or non porn material for their fans. It will be easier to have fans following them in those “light” channels, because there will be no stigma associated.
Alam Wernik is a pioneer in this territory. Actually, he followed the opposite path. Alam started his modeling career in Instagram and then jumped to pornography.
Another model to watch is Brazil. Local porn stars share their lives in Instagram, and make a considerable portion of their income selling products not always porn related.
More Porn Fans
Ultimately, porn will grow into a legitimate member of the broader entertainment industry. It is not Porn Fiction to expect a demand for the same kind of goods and information that fans demand in other fields.
Music and movies and TV stars’ fans want, of course, to consume their artistic production. But they also want more. Isn’t that the difference between fans and consumers?
Fans want to know where their favorite stars live. How they live, what they do, and a thousand more of trivialities alike. Fans want to look like their favorite stars. They want to buy the clothes they wear and the products they consume. Fans want to be, and feel and behave like their favorite idols.
Porn stigmatization may still make difficult this kind of identification. However, the stigma is fading. I do not think it is porn fiction to predict that independent porn outlets soon will have to include more than hardcore material to feed their following. Stars like Rhyheim Shabazz, Caged Jock, and Pupcore are already standing out here.
That is why we said before that perhaps feeding soft materials to Instagram will be no challenge. Fans want to know more than just how their idols fuck. Stars just have to keep their phones cameras on, and try to have the most glamorous life they can.
New Technologies
It is reasonable to expect other pandemics in the future. Anyway, with or without pandemics, social isolation is a strong and long lasting trend. In that context, new materials and technologies will improve the appealing of products that have been marginal so far.
The doll in the illustrations is just an example. There are several companies that offer similar products. If we add to the equation the progress in robotics and AI, it is easy to imagine very appealing new toys.
Besides hyper realistic toys, you always have Virtual Reality. There is a good number of VR porn movies you can play in your VR system. Nevertheless, this technology is still far away from being satisfactory to me. Holographic projections are also in labs, but in first development stages. Despite how rudimentary these new technologies are, we can expect the increased interest will speed up their development.
If you cannot get closer to Star Trek’s holo-decks, I take the doll. It is a no brainer to me. I am not ready to allow a robot to put anything inside me, no matter how smart its AI is. Yet, I am more than willing to put something inside a human-like toy. If you wanted to make me a gift, now you know what it could be.
Porn Fiction is easy
Porn Fiction is easy if the current trends do not change. There is one circumstance, though, that may radically change the panorama. If there is a change in the regulatory system, many things could go in a different direction. Unfortunately, there is significant uncertainty.
I am writing this post in Washington DC, on January 17th, 2020. Biden’s presidency should be starting in three days. The city is cluttered with security check points, and I feel taken back to the 70’s in South America.
Corporate America has just canceled Trump, and regulation of speech in social media is on debate. Despite all the progress towards destigmatizing porn, we could easily be collateral damage. Let’s cross the fingers here.
Porn fiction is easy. Political Fiction? That is a completely different league.
Nostalgic of 2020? Hardly. Just in case, do not forget to check our 2020 PINGA’S JOYS.
Hasta la próxima pinga, amig@s!
