I suppose it was inevitable that we would write about the coronavirus and its effects on the porn industry. After all, it is hard to ignore the positive impact the pandemic has had on sites, which saw a massive spike in traffic as of March 18 when the whole world went into lockdown and people all of a sudden had a lot of free time on their hands.
It hasn’t been all positive, though. The lockdown has put 1000s of performers and crew members out of work and hustling to find ways to make ends meet. Many studios had to halt production and find new ways to update their sites. And without the exposure that studio work brings, models have had to get their work online through other avenues.
Luckily, the adult industry has remained resilient during these unprecedented times and has managed to stay afloat and keep their fans entertained. And thanks to the pandemic, we now have a new niche: “covid” or “corona” porn, newly ingrained in our social consciousness.
The Industry Responds to the Pandemic
The pandemic brought porn productions to a halt, so studios had to remain agile and continue to provide members with something to look forward to. Some impacted sites released a COVID response message to their subscribers, including Kink.com. This explained how they intended to handle the current situation and the content they would be updating with.
Many sites relied on their backlog of content and stretched out their release dates. Others, like Wicked Pictures, updated with older remastered scenes between the new ones, and some websites relied on adding more bonus content, including interviews, outtakes and behind the scenes footage.
The Rise of Stay At Home Porn Sites
With everyone being encouraged to stay home, some studios have used this to their advantage and created themed sites. One example is Team Skeet’s Stay Home MILF, which was self-shot by the performers during their quarantine. These scripted POV scenes feature horny moms like Misha Maver.
Another great example is DoeGirls from the LetsDoeIt network. If you’ve been wondering what Eastern European models have been up to during their time in lockdown, this collection will lift the veil and reveal all their naughty antics like masturbating and having sex with their roommates. It’s an uplifting concept that helps beat the stay-at-home blues.
VR Bangers released a new scene called “Stay At Hime” featuring Latina porn star Hime Marie, which offers an immersive experience of you spending a day with Hime while she quarantines at home. Brazzers also has a similar concept with their Day With a Porn Star “self-isolation” series, where you’ll find out how these girls are kept busy in confinement.
Performers Adapt to Working From Home
Like many of us, adult performers also had to adapt to working from home. For some, like power couple Joanna Angel and Aaron “Small Hands” who run Burning Angel, it was easy to continue working. These two wasted no time shooting hardcore scenes together and encouraged their friends to do the same and keep those orgasms cumming.
Candian pornstar Emma Hix said in an interview with Global News that she has enjoyed working from home even though she does miss studio life. She’s been shooting remotely in Las Vegas and continues to make good money on OnlyFans. She believes that porn will take a more do-it-yourself approach in the future, which could outnumber studio productions.
Models Turn to Social Media Platforms
Without studio work, models needed to find new ways to boost their careers. Jessica Drake has had a tough time and spoke about the struggles of staying at home while remaining active in the adult community – like through Only Fans. She can keep working thanks to paid subscribers who also purchase her content.
It is the best way for fans to continue to show support for their favorite performers. Instead of watching her videos on PornHub, for example (not that it’s a bad thing), you can visit her social media pages so she can continue to work and provide you with the content you know and love.
The Future of Porn Post-COVID
None of us can know for sure how the porn industry will operate under this “new normal” post-pandemic. According to a recent article in Rolling Stone, it looks like gang bang porn will be challenging to film. One of the new guidelines limits the number of cast and crew in a room together, so group sex is definitely off the table.
Scenes portraying the exchange of bodily fluids, including blowjobs, peeing, squirting, cum-swallowing and even kissing, are also restricted and with good reason. Sexual positions could change to avoid being face to face. That’s not necessarily a bad thing because there are many other options, and it’ll keep things interesting.
One of the most significant changes we’ll see are performers having to wear masks. A perfect example is a scene featuring Little Squirrels and her partner wearing face masks while fucking. They find creative ways to turn each other on with their masks, including using them during foreplay.
No Matter What, Porn Finds a Way
Despite what happens in the world (well, except if an asteroid were to hit Earth), adult entertainment will always endure. Even amidst a global health crisis, the industry has found a way to entertain and poke fun at a serious issue, playing a big part in helping people stay sane. Especially now, when we’re craving social interaction and worried about our health.
We still do not know what the future holds, but so far, things are looking good now that studios are slowly resuming filming – while following all of the new government guidelines, of course. We can only hope that things will continue to improve in the coming months and soon, we will be back to our regularly scheduled porn programs.
Stay safe, friends!