When there’s a mention of OnlyFans, most people will react like when they hear sex dolls. They associate the website heavily with sex work. Considering the website’s history and origin, who could fault them? However, the truth is, OnlyFans is more than what most people make it out to be. Here, let us take a deep dive into OnlyFans. Let us discuss everything about it, from its creation to its future plans.
Inception
Before OnlyFans came to be, its founder ran a soft-core porn website called GlamGirls. There he befriended the performer Ms. Hardwood. Ms. Hardwood lightheartedly said that she and Stokely discussed an idea. That led to Stokely founding Customs4U. It could be treated as OnlyFans’ beta version.
Customs4U is a website where men can be their own porn directors. They can order videos from their favorite models specifically made according to their tastes and demands. It was offered to pornstars as an alternative to prostitution since earnings from performing on scenes are lackluster.
Customs4U sputtered along. Meanwhile, Instagram – a platform seemingly unrelated to Customs4U’s business – skyrocketed in popularity. The problem with Instagram is that it cannot cater to sex workers, as it does not allow full nudity or sexual content.
In 2016, Stokely had his eureka moment. He formed the idea of a content creation platform like Instagram but is accepting of sex workers. The website will put its creators’ content behind a paywall, requiring their fans to pay for access. Aside from the exclusive content – often lewd photos and video clips – payers can interact and message with the models.
With the help of his brother and a $10,000 loan from Tim’s father, they launched OnlyFans. Ms. Hardwood became one of the first ten models on the platform who sought subscribers. She reportedly made $257 during the first month, which isn’t much. However, as OnlyFans launched more features, it gradually increased its popularity. In August, she brought home $29,420.47 and $52,760.49 in November. The proof came directly from Ms. Hardwood’s phone. If you compare it to her initial income from the platform, you can see how successful OnlyFans is.
Later on, MyFreeCams owner Leonid Radvinsky acquired 75% ownership of Fenix International Limited – OnlyFans’ parent company – and became its director. Since then, it has become more and more focused on lewd content. And thus, the way people see OnlyFans today.
Debunking The Myth
Despite its long history involving sex workers, OnlyFans says that the platform is not exclusive to them. Its website states that its main goal is to help content creators and artists monetize their content. And at the same time, let them develop authentic relationships with their fanbase.
Anyone can be on OnlyFans or be a creator on OnlyFans. If you believe your content is worth paying for – sexually suggestive or not – you are welcome on the platform. Take professional boxer Floyd Mayweather, as an example. He is on the website not to post nudes of himself. Instead, he is on OnlyFans to make money from releasing never-before-seen content. Furthermore, he uses the platform to get to know his top fans.
American rapper Cardi B. is on OnlyFans too. And no, she’s not there to be more revealing than she already is. Rather, she’s on OnlyFans to share bits about her life. She could have done this on other platforms like YouTube. The fact that she chose OnlyFans says something about how much can be made from the website. More than that, it shows that non-sexual content is also “viable” on the website.
Now, how much a creator will make depends on the content they are producing. Other variables such as their reach are factored in as well. But, to paint a picture, earnings could range from a few hundred dollars to thousands a month.
More than a hundred creators on the platform had brought home $1 million since they started monetizing their content. OnlyFans released that information itself. Furthermore, it reports that it has paid over $3 billion to creators since it started in 2016.
OnlyFans Moving Away From Its Roots
Recently, OnlyFans went back to the headlines after it made a very shocking announcement. OnlyFans announced that it would be banning sexually explicit content from the website. After being a useful tool for sex workers for so long, OnlyFans is booting them out.
No more sex videos and clips of models grinding on sex dolls or using sex toys will be accepted starting from October 1. Nudity will receive some sort of special treatment. OnlyFans says they will accept this nudity in photos and videos as long as it stays consistent with its policies. The platform has yet to elaborate on what that means.
OnlyFans made this decision to attract more investors. Banking partners and payment processors requested for this, said a person to The Associated Press.
People online are expressive of what they think of this move, and surprisingly, they do not approve. Even those who are not on OnlyFans or subscribed to anyone on the platform are against it.
As one Twitter user pointed out, sex workers are the ones that put OnlyFans to where it is today. “Sex work is work.” Ethan (@CrankGameplays) tweeted. “It was work that put OnlyFans on the map and made it so successful,” he adds. He says this move “sucks” for the platform. Moreover, it will have a bigger impact on the sex workers who put so much on their content onOnlyFans.
“Bad Feminist” author Roxane Gay also commented on how “ridiculous” it is to see payment processors “dictate morality.” Se also cited that Tumblr died after it banned pornography.
Based on these reactions, we can get a clearer view of what informed people see when they look at OnlyFans. They think of it as a platform where sexual content and “wholesome” content could co-exist. There’s a healthy mix of videos about fitness, cooking, tidbits of people’s daily lives, and sex. It is not pretentious, as it accepts that sex is a part of our lives. Removing that is like stripping OnlyFans of its greatest quality – its identity. And that is not the kind of stripping people want to see.
Leave a Reply