Onlyfans has become a big part of internet culture. Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, OnlyFans, a subscription-based social media platform best known for charging fees for nude content, boomed in popularity.
New-wave feminists convinced women (and a minority of men) that creating an OnlyFans account and selling explicit photos or videos of their bodies to millions of strangers to view; is somehow "empowering." But is it empowering or a dangerous and degrading en devour?
Here are a few reasons why I believe we should ditch the OnlyFans culture:
When the Content Creator Becomes the Commodity
com·mod·i·ty
/kəˈmädədē/
noun
a raw material or primary agricultural product that can be bought and sold, such as copper or coffee.
Can humans become a commodity? Absolutely! If you have an Onlyfans account to sell explicit images or videos of yourself, you have become the product you are selling to your consumers; thus creating a distorted view of your own wealth. You have assigned a value to your product, your body, in exchange for currency.
The Social problems
OnlyFans content creators allow the world to view them as mere sex objects, further amplifying the sexual objectification and exploitation of women. OnlyFans leads to a myriad of complications further hindering one’s mental health, body image, and self-worth.
OnlyFans would likely not exist if it weren’t for the financial prospect of it.
Prostitute or Content creator?
pros·ti·tute
/ˈprästəˌt(y)o͞ot/
noun
A person, in particular a woman, who engages in sexual activity for payment.
Sexual activity is any activity—whether in solitary, between two persons, or in a group—that induces sexual arousal.
OnlyFans is an online pimping platform that takes a 20% cut from amateur pornstars in a competitive online marketplace of e-girls. OnlyFans falls under the bracket of prostitution even if it takes place in the digital world. OnlyFans is virtual prostitution.
Financial Implications
With the recent news of Rapper "Bhad Bhabie" or Danielle Bregoli breaking the OnlyFans record by making a million dollars within 6 hours of creating an account and uploading explicit content, this has now set a precedent for women around the world to say, "It's possible to make this money by selling yourself."
Is this a problem? Of course, I've had personal conversations and stories of people defending OnlyFans content creators, saying, "well, I have a friend who started an OnlyFans account and can now afford a penthouse."
Suppose a woman (or a man) engulfed themselves around internet culture and viewed this as normal? In that case, when they become over the age of 35, the clock starts to tick on their looks, with no skill set attained that will keep them in a job with a sustainable income to provide for themselves, will this inevitably trap this individual in the OnlyFans culture?
Is having an OnlyFans account a sustainable form of income? Will it keep someone above the bracket to pay rent for the said penthouse? Will they have to start paying for cosmetic surgery to maintain their physical appearance to sustain future subscriptions to stay afloat?
OnlyFans is an incredibly saturated marketplace to begin with, not everyone that becomes an OnlyFans content creator becomes instantly succesful.
The truth of the matter, the highest earners, must sacrifice their time, energy, and privacy to find success in the online sex industry.
The Exploitation of Men
The top earners on OnlyFans are women whose subscribers are male. These men pay a monthly subscription to view pornographic images of their favorite OnlyFans content creator. The rise of incel culture and the problems some men face with the interaction of the opposite sex leave them feeling reluctant to interact, thus leaving them more comfortable paying for sex of any form for intimate interaction.
OnlyFans is the exploitation of desperate, lonely, and insecure men, and as a result, it only contributes to depression and various unseen mental health issues.
The Empowerment Argument
The famous "empowerment" argument that a woman is liberated by uploading sexually explicit videos and photos of herself to her OnlyFans account while her friends shout "yasss queen" and hundreds of desperate men flock to compensate her.
Feminism once stood for women's rights and equal opportunity. Now feminists have reduced themselves to mere sexual objects. This is somewhat confusing since a top feminist talking point is that women shouldn't be viewed as sexual objects. The message feminists send out today regarding their definition of "empowerment" is a confusing message for women and low-resolution logic from feminists.
OnlyFans deliberately targets young, broke and vulnerable women. The Only Fans "content creator" participates in the objectification and "pornification" of herself and women in general where men can treat women as their own personalised sex toys.
Consent to Sexual Exploitation
"But the guy paying for my OnlyFans subscription wants to, and he likes it, so what's the problem?" The sheer ignorance to not consider the full spectrum of the situation is outright damaging and destructive. It's willfully ignorant not to acknowledge that these men are filling a gap in their lives to pay for a form of sexual interaction.
OnlyFans also further encourages men to view women as sexual objects. How can a woman feel "empowered" knowing that a man is paying her to satisfy his sexual perversion?
"My body, my choice" & "Why are you judging her/him."
What if I told you that pornography, in general, has hidden psychological effects that can damage your brain, relationships, your social life, your sex life, your family life which then can damage you as an individual, your career, your view of the sex you're attracted to, your relationships with peers, your marriage and even your productivity?
We can easily apply this same mentality with nearly every illegal drug that can (unfortunately) be easily obtained. We are fully aware of the risks of smoking, alcohol, junk food consumption, and many more, but we don't apply the same critical thought to pornography or sex work when someone is fully consumed?
If someone is addicted to heroin, is it still "their body, their choice?"
What about a peer addicted to alcohol? "Their body, their choice?"
Someone who smokes 20 cigarettes a day? "Their body, their choice?"
How about cocaine? Or someone that eats junk food every day and becomes overweight to the point they become hospitalized? "Don't judge; it's their body, and it's their choice," right?
An extensive review of the literature related to porn-induced sexual problems- involving 7 US Navy doctors and Gary Wilson the review provides the latest data revealing a tremendous rise in youthful sexual problems. It also reviews the neurological studies related to porn addiction and sexual conditioning via Internet porn.
In summary:
I'm not declaring we should lock up porn stars and throw away the key. I'm not calling for the ban of sex workers making content on OnlyFans, and I'm not calling for pornography to be banned. But, like the social and mental detriment of drugs, this is a conversation people need to cast their emotions and egos aside to acknowledge the damage the sexual objectification of women via OnlyFans does to both men and women in general.
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About the Author:
Lewis Brackpool is a Right-Wing political commentator, YouTuber, Co-host on the podcast "A Pint of Interest," and freedom of speech activist from England in Great Britain.
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