Since its inception, online subscription services have breathed new life into the adult industry and broken down the walls that gatekeepers have spent years building. For decades, porn production studios controlled what and who we see on the silver screens.
But technology and the growing economy allowed innovators like the founders of Onlyfans, Justforfans, and fansly, among others, to enable independent models to forge their own rules. Social media allowed Independent Models to build audiences and supply content directly without a retailer.
When COVID hit in 2020, the economy slowed, and the world halted. It caused a boom in the subscription service market, as many sought new ways of making an income while many lost their jobs. Celebrities, Athletes, Reality Stars, Rappers, and R&B Singers all signed up. It was the golden age—a beautiful time to be alive.
Being the most conservative ethnic group in the world, Black men are sometimes skeptical and fearful about the consequences of starting a porn career. The former reality star and musician Mechiesocrazy took nearly six months after launching his onlyfans page to release his first sex tape due to those concerns. However, it seemed as though, at least for a short period, that fourth wall was finally beginning to break.
Soon after, professional and amateur ballers like Grady Glaze, Larry Sanders, Loyce Means, Andre Marhold, and Joey Kirb made their way into the Adult industry a year later.
There’s no doubt that Black male athletes, reality stars, and Hip-Hop/R&B artists are some of the most sought-after, coveted Men in the world.
Moreover, the NCAA has 18,921 Football players and 5,295 basketball players on a roaster in the men’s league, where 80% of its players are black. But where are they? What happened to those players after graduating, dropping out, and being waived or suspended? Not all players have happy endings with the perfect job waiting for them after they play college sports. Most settle for everyday lives after stepping out of the spotlight.
But what if there was an opportunity for the brave few to step back into the spotlight? Capitalize on their clout or notoriety. We would see a resurgence that we have never seen before. Imagine the day when the world sees Lance Ware, Jalen Wilson, or Tyrese Proctor butt naked, getting dirty live on camera. Maybe this don’t have to be a fantasy but reality.
How can something like this be possible? It all depends on Onlyfans and its investors. First, they must take advantage of their platform’s high-profile assets, models like Joe Kirby, a Division I, Former Guard from the University of Richmond. He once scored 29 points in a game, the third most in school history. He’s currently retiring from Onlyfans or allegedly being forced out after being on the platform for just one year. It’s tragic and unacceptable. Less than .007% of all College basketball are actively creating adult content. That’s 1 out of every 1,323 ballers, which makes Kirb a rare unicorn.
And now that Andre Marhold and Larry Sanders have quit in 2022, Grady Glaze is the only former basketball player of the professional or college level still on the platform and active.
The Solution
Design a program to seek out high-profile black men already using their platform. We see a similar process on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. There you must be considered a public figure, actor, musician, or brand to be verified. Why can’t onlyfans create a similar vetting program to identify them? I’m not talking about age verification, but something more.
The next step is to retain their continued business by offering them contract deals. For example, offer Joey Kirb an agreement to film and upload at least five 10-minute videos every 30 days for a guaranteed $5,000. And then so on for the next six months. That might be enough to keep him indefinitely. There must be incentives. Onlyfans could also offer him promotional services and ad placement to help build their stake in the investment.
Another resource that has largely gone ignored is Comedian Delano Edwards. The Comedian amassed 1 million followers on Vine before Twitter acquired it for $30 million in 2012. That accomplishment was enough to get the upcoming star verified. Furthermore, he has close to 500k subscribers on youtube. He also worked as a music producer, landing placement on Tyler Perry projects. It so happens to have an onlyfans page and occasionally posts nude snaps on his Twitter page. He would be a perfect candidate for becoming a contracted model.
Similarly to Joey Kirb, He could be offered incentives for uploading full sex scenes and solos. Edwards would be a massive hit. On Twitter, he already generates 8k to 15k likes per nude. Imagine the possibilities if he had a guaranteed contract, a clear content strategy, and the full support of onlyfans.
Lastly, I see a future where subscription services will go beyond offering Celebrities like Card B and Danny Garcia endorsement deals. But help the next generation of pornstars reach their potential. After all, this is how Onlyfans built its success in the first place. It can’t ignore sex workers forever—the future of their business depends on it.
We can’t afford to lose significant assets like Joey Kirb, Andre Marhold, and many others.
As TLC says, “Don’t go chasing waterfalls. Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to.” Stop wasting marketing dollars on Professional sporting events, for boxers to wear your merch for 5 seconds on camera. Use that money and invest in highly valued assets like Joey Kirb, who wants to film porn and truly belong in the onlyfans community.
