Living in a society where misinformation runs rampant, it is no surprise that so many people still believe and perpetuate myths about amateur porn stars. And the current media portrayal is not helping it either. People often see us as either OnlyFans millionaires living the dream life or helpless trafficking victims, and often-times nothing in between. Sex workers are used for clicks, while our real issues stay ignored—no wonder stigma and myths persist.
If you’re reading this article, you’re probably sick of the one-sided portrayal of amateur porn stars in the media and the misinformation, too. You want to know the truth. And you want to know it from people who have various lived experiences in the adult industry. It’s time to see the truth, and I want you to come with me. Let’s start!
1. All amateur porn stars are cis women who fit the traditional beauty standards.
If you have watched at least a couple of amateur porn videos in your life, you have likely noticed that indie porn features performers of different genders, sexual orientations and looks. Some are more curvy, others more hairy, some have massive dicks while others have pretty average ones. The beautiful thing about amatuer porn is that it is inclusive and diverse. Not only you don’t need a degree to become an amateur porn star, you also don’t need to be conventionally attractive. There are so many porn fans out there that each one can find his ideal amateur porn star to watch.
2. All amateur porn stars are able-bodied and neurotypical.
False. A huge reason many people make amateur porn is that other jobs don’t accommodate their needs as disabled individuals. When making amateur porn, they can set their own hours and their own boundaries.
3. They’re lacking proper education which limits their chances of finding a different job.
This is not always true. A lot of amateur porn stars have degrees in fields like writing (hello, me!), film, psychology, social work etc. Some people even make amateur porn to supplement their income while working a day job as well.
4. Making amateur porn is just a hobby, not a real occupation.
Making porn involves emotional labor, content planning, production, customer management, taxes, and marketing. Dismissing it as “not real work” overlooks the effort and resilience required to succeed. However, that doesn’t stop many countries from not recognizing it as real work and not giving us labour rights that we deserve. Paid sick leave? Pension? Forget about those.
5. Making amateur porn is easy and doesn’t require much skill.
Oh, if only you knew! Making your own porn is not as easy as quickly filming something and hitting upload. In reality, making amateur porn means operating like a small business. But oftentimes there is just one or two people who are filming, editing, promoting, writing captions, responding to fans and distributing their own content. And that isn’t even the full list of responsibilities that we have to take up! The amount of work means that quite often we have to work more than 8 hours a day like you would work at your regular job. Besides, no one guarantess us money from the start either. Often we have to put in many unpaid hours of work before the money starts coming in.
6. The career of an amateur porn star is very short.
This generalization is often connected to the assumption that women after 30 are no longer desirable in porn. The reality, at least nowadays, could not be further from the truth. Many amateur porn stars start in their 30s and build lasting careers—many stay for years, not just months.
7. They are always horny and want to fuck all the time.
Let’s be real – we are people just like you. We are not sex dolls. Which means that sometimes we are in the mood and sometimes we aren’t. Besides, outside of our work we still have regular human obligations that we have to fulfill which is why we can’t be available 24/7 to be on cam, chat with you constantly or get to making custom content as soon as the request hits our inboxes.
8. Amateur porn stars can’t have real romantic relationships.
While being an amateur porn star definitely makes dating harder than it is for people outside the industry, we can still have a significant other in our lives. Sometimes they participate in the content that we make, sometimes they just help with behind-the-scenes work such as editing and promoting, or sometimes they don’t get involved at all.
9. They don’t care about their fans, they’re only after the money.
I’d like to say that it depends on the creator. A big chunk of amateur porn creators actually enjoy engaging with their fans and building a community. Of course, boundaries still have to be in place, and most of us prefer to keep things only online for our own safety. However, that doesn’t mean we shut down our human side completely when communicating with you.
10. If they don’t show their face, they’re ashamed of doing amateur porn.
In reality, performers often do it because of privacy concerns. Sex work is heavily stigmatized, and many fear the backlash that comes with working in the adult industry. Some hide their sex work due to family or jobs where public image matters and they’re not ready to be out.
Now you know that you shouldn’t believe everything that media, conservative politicians and even your own family and friends tell you about sex work. More often than not they have never spoken to a real sex worker and asked them about their lived experiences. But who can blame you? Sex workers are silenced online while clickbait about us spreads widely—making it hard for our real voices to be heard.
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