Introducing "Everyone's Doing It"

We talked to three young people who tried getting into online sex work with OnlyFans. Is this the next porn revolution or just another pimp site? Produced by Fullerton College journalism students Mariana Escoto, Julianne Le, Gerardo Chagolla and Aaliyah Skipper. Funded by California Humanities.

What is Everyone’s Doing It! How OnlyFans is Remaking Porn?

Everyone’s Doing It! How OnlyFans is Remaking Porn

MARIANA: It seems like, in Gen Z, everyone knows someone who does OnlyFans.

MARIANA: OnlyFans is an online platform where creators post sexual content and people can subscribe for a monthly fee.

MARIANA: We wanted to find out more about it.

MARIANA: It took us months to find creators who were willing to talk about making porn from scratch. We even got ghosted a few times. Eventually, we found four creators who opened up.

MARIANA: There’s Ami who has made over $40,000 by cosplaying on OnlyFans.

AMI: The worst part of it is when you have subscribers that just see you as like just an object and a piece of meat.

MARIANA: Then there’s LJ, who started an OnlyFans account with her girlfriend where they posted couple’s content.

LJ: I think, like, oh, like cars. Like they always love because it’s kinda like public in a way, like, you know public sex is hot. I love, like, public sex.

MARIANA: And then there’s Gilbert who tried OnlyFans for shits and giggles, as he puts it. He didn’t make a lot of money.

GILBERT: A whole $68.

MARIANA: We also talked to pro and anti-porn experts to learn about the history of the industry.

LYNN: It’s not just sexual labor. It’s all of the production and the marketing and the brand-building and the fan engagement.

MARIANA: We wanted to know: Why is OnlyFans so popular when it’s easy to find porn online for free?

MARIANA: Plus, why are everyday people making DIY porn – and why do they quit?

MARIANA: I’m Mariana Escoto and this is Everyone’s Doing It: How OnlyFans is Remaking Porn.

MARIANA: Listen wherever you get your podcasts.