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I watched this video recently about OnlyFans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djMojvschs0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djMojvschs0 It's more than just the c

by rland 6y ago

I watched this video recently about OnlyFans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djMojvschs0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djMojvschs0 It's more than just the content itself. "Becoming a fan" is a simulacra of a relationship, commodified. This already existed with escorts, of course, but never at this scale. My personality type is probably closer to being a "consumer" than being a "producer" of content on OF. I don't use the site. But if I did, my status as a consumer would totally preclude being in a romantic relationship. Gonna go out on a limb and guess that most consumers and producers are in a similar situation -- if they're on OnlyFans, they're not in a real relationship. It's only natural that taking genuine human connection, turning it financial, and then using the internet to turn it into a commodity and producing profit would extend to sex. I'm actually surprised it took so long.

vharuck 6y ago
Things you're assuming: 1. Consumers use OnlyFans as a poor substitute to an in-person relationship. 2. It's always better to be in a romantic relationship than not. How is camgirling and pornography so different from other performance? What about comedians? They do the same thing as friends: tell jokes, laugh, entertain. A lot of them explicitly try to connect with the audience by asking questions and having short chats. But most people realize comedians aren't a substitute for friends. The only real difference is your other assumption: 3. Sexuality outside romantic relationships is immoral. You can argue that point. Personally, I'd be uncomfortable watching or interacting with a live person this way (I really didn't enjoy my only visit to a strip club). But I'm not going to generalize my psyche across others.
- totony 6y ago
  I think it's fair to assume most people see sexuality as an extension of a relationship (and have for a long time). I dont think it's a stretch to think this commoditization of more intimate sex work (vs porn) is likely to replace actual relationships for a lot consumers
- rland 6y ago
  Well, I'm not sure exactly what everyone uses OF for. I'm making the assumption that there is "something more" than just the pictures and videos, because I can search big boob on Google right now and get 2 billion hits. The "something more" is the interaction -- recognition that you exist from the person you're tipping when you tip. Being a "follower" of an onlyfans girl to me seems much more about intimacy than about pornography. I do think that in general close relationships, especially core intimate relationships like those with parents and spouses, are the most important things in human life. I guess that's my opinion but I find it hard to believe that anyone would disagree. My argument really isn't about sexuality at all, because I don't think OF is about sexuality, really. Sex is a part of it but not the core of the platform. And it's not morality. I don't think it's morally wrong to do this, I do think it's depressing. That we feel so disconnected from one another that we are willing to forgo the "real thing" for a simulation. I'm sure that for all of history there is some baseline level of the population that, for one reason or another, finds it so difficult to connect that they're not willing to enter a "real" relationship at all. What I worry about is if this portion of the population is growing, because there's a profit motive, or a psychological short circuit, or some disconnect caused by modern life. It's hard to articulate exactly what, here. I just feel that there's something broken about OF or the world we've created that enables it to be so successful.

by rland 6y ago

vharuck 6y ago

Things you're assuming: 1. Consumers use OnlyFans as a poor substitute to an in-person relationship. 2. It's always better to be in a romantic relationship than not. How is camgirling and pornography so different from other performance? What about comedians? They do the same thing as friends: tell jokes, laugh, entertain. A lot of them explicitly try to connect with the audience by asking questions and having short chats. But most people realize comedians aren't a substitute for friends. The only real difference is your other assumption: 3. Sexuality outside romantic relationships is immoral. You can argue that point. Personally, I'd be uncomfortable watching or interacting with a live person this way (I really didn't enjoy my only visit to a strip club). But I'm not going to generalize my psyche across others.

totony 6y ago
I think it's fair to assume most people see sexuality as an extension of a relationship (and have for a long time). I dont think it's a stretch to think this commoditization of more intimate sex work (vs porn) is likely to replace actual relationships for a lot consumers
rland 6y ago
Well, I'm not sure exactly what everyone uses OF for. I'm making the assumption that there is "something more" than just the pictures and videos, because I can search big boob on Google right now and get 2 billion hits. The "something more" is the interaction -- recognition that you exist from the person you're tipping when you tip. Being a "follower" of an onlyfans girl to me seems much more about intimacy than about pornography. I do think that in general close relationships, especially core intimate relationships like those with parents and spouses, are the most important things in human life. I guess that's my opinion but I find it hard to believe that anyone would disagree. My argument really isn't about sexuality at all, because I don't think OF is about sexuality, really. Sex is a part of it but not the core of the platform. And it's not morality. I don't think it's morally wrong to do this, I do think it's depressing. That we feel so disconnected from one another that we are willing to forgo the "real thing" for a simulation. I'm sure that for all of history there is some baseline level of the population that, for one reason or another, finds it so difficult to connect that they're not willing to enter a "real" relationship at all. What I worry about is if this portion of the population is growing, because there's a profit motive, or a psychological short circuit, or some disconnect caused by modern life. It's hard to articulate exactly what, here. I just feel that there's something broken about OF or the world we've created that enables it to be so successful.