What We Get Wrong About Online Sex Work

Matter of Opinion

New York Times Opinion

Society & Culture, Ross Douthat, News, New York Times, Journalism

4.2 • 7.2K Ratings

🗓️ 29 September 2021

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This episode contains strong language. The online content-hosting platform OnlyFans declared in August that it would ban all “sexually explicit content” from its website. After immense backlash from users, the company reversed that decision just six days later. OnlyFans isn’t the only site to come under fire for providing a platform for adult content. Pornhub and Backpage have been threatened with restrictions over child exploitation and trafficking allegations. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation filed a lawsuit against Twitter, accusing it of allowing and profiting from human trafficking. But a big part of this conversation includes legal sex work and the rights of sex workers. The move to online work has made it possible for performers to have a direct line to their clients and to the general public. And with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, such sites have provided an avenue for content creators to continue earning money. In today’s episode, Jane Coaston speaks with two women who are intimately aware of the workings of the sex industry. Jamie Rosseland is an advocate for victims and survivors of trafficking. And Cherie DeVille is a 10-year porn veteran and a contributor to The Daily Beast. Mentioned in this episode: “What We Can Really Learn From the OnlyFans Debacle,” by Jessica Stoya on Slate “OnlyFans Is Not a Safe Platform for ‘Sex Work.’ It’s a Pimp,” by Catharine A. MacKinnon in New York Times Opinion “OnlyFans and the Future of Sex Work on the Internet,” an episode on NPR’s “1A” podcast

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Today on the argument, what we don't talk about when we talk about the online sex industry.
0:09.8	This past August, the social media platform OnlyFans, which has about 130 million users,
0:15.4	announced that they would ban all videos featuring sexually explicit content.
0:19.7	There was some major user backlash, which makes sense since many of the site's most popular
0:24.7	creators are sex workers and adult performers.
0:27.9	Pretty quickly, OnlyFans reversed their stance.
0:31.0	But for a lot of folks, that wasn't the end of the story.
0:36.7	I'm Jane Kostin.
0:38.1	I've been thinking and writing about the topic for a long time, about how we think about
0:42.0	sex work in this country and how we find the line between exploitation and empowerment
0:45.9	in the sex industry.
0:47.7	And I'm aware that many people don't think that's even possible.
0:51.8	Sex trafficking is a horrific crime.
0:54.2	We need to protect people who are trapped in a ring of exploitation.
0:57.6	This should be ensuring that it's not happening nor being promoted.
1:00.8	But I've talked to sex workers, and many say that the moved online sex work has created
1:05.3	real opportunities for them, and given them more control over their careers and bodies.
1:10.9	If we leave either part out of this equation, we're missing the full picture, and putting
1:15.2	real people at real risk.
1:18.6	Our guests today have seen both sides.
1:21.1	Jamie Rosalind is an advocate and public speaker for victims and survivors of sex trafficking.
1:26.4	Sheree Deville is a 10-year porn veteran extributor to the Daily Beast.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from New York Times Opinion, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of New York Times Opinion and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.