The Coronavirus lockdown has negatively impacted many different industries, not least the sex industry. Porn studios can’t film and OnlyFans stars are relying on solo content. We talk to porn star Leander and OnlyFans content maker Matt (@10inchlondon) about how the lockdown has affected them and their hopes for the future of the porn scene and self generated content.

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An interview with Pornstar, Leander (@xxxleander)

GMFA: How are you coping with lockdown? 

Leander: I’m all good. I live with my boyfriend, so I’m not entirely on my own. I’m very comfortable in my own company. It’s nice to have time to read, write, think, exercise, stretch, cook, and play video games.

How has the lockdown impacted the porn industry? 

I think different parts of the industry have felt it in different ways. For me, it wasn’t sudden, As soon as I saw what was happening in Wuhan, I knew it was likely going to affect us as well, so I started putting in extra work to get lots of content stored up for my fan sites. I did have a few scenes planned with studios, but they were obviously cancelled.

How are you maintaining your career without studio work?

Fortunately, most of my porn is distributed through my fan sites, and I have a lot of content waiting to be released. Twitter is still very active as well, so I’m in contact with followers and other performers.

Have you noticed an increase in popularity of your fan sites during this time?

There has been an upturn in subscribers for me, so mostly I just want to make sure everyone is getting value for their subscription. I’ve been doing this for over two years now, so there is a lot of content already there for people to work through, and I’m keeping up regular updates.

What sort of things are people requesting during the lockdown?

As always, there are lots of requests, and some of them are at odds (keep your socks on / show your feet … bottom more / top more … etc). It’s hard to please everyone, so I just try and maintain good quality, consistency, and a variety of content.

Have any fellow performers been in touch? How are they coping and what are they doing?

I’ve been talking a lot with other performers. I’m glad to see that everyone is taking the lockdown seriously and staying safe. We’ve been trying to be a bit more creative with content ideas. Some people are coping better than others. A lot of performers rely more on live shows and studio work, so the future is perhaps a bit more uncertain for them right now. The porn community is full of very kind and thoughtful people and I get the sense we’re all looking out for each other.  

Are you worried about the long-term future of the industry?

I think the fan site side of the industry will be fine, and possibly even grow and develop more. Studios will have to rely entirely on unreleased content now, so I guess it depends how much they have stored. Unfortunately, I think the smaller studios will be hit the hardest. It’s also not yet clear what help (if any) we can expect from our governments wherever we live, but at least in the UK, it seems that unless you’ve been working at this for a while, and paying taxes consistently, there may be no help at all.

What long term impact do you think Coronavirus will have on porn?

I think there has been a shift recently, largely driven by the emergence of fan sites, where performers have become a lot more independent. We largely do our own casting, filming, editing, marketing and administration now. I think the impact of COVID-19 will reinforce this change as we are now entirely self-dependent. To successfully maintain a porn career through lockdown and beyond we will have to adapt technically and creatively… and find a way to cut our own hair!

How much are you missing sex?

Well, I live with my boyfriend, so I’m not missing it. But obviously I miss playing and working with new people a lot.

Do you have any words for people who are struggling not to hook-up during the lockdown?

Learning how to be on your own is important. Some people find it harder than others, that’s normal, but it’s something we should all know how to do. Being your own good company takes away some of the stress of having to find a partner, or get married, or spend every evening off in parties or clubs. Your sex life will change, but that should be a fun thing. Order some toys you’ve been wanting to try, find a good fan site to follow. The best ones have a lot of content, regular updates, and the performers are happy to reply to messages and offer more personal communication than they can on public platforms. Get to know your favourite performers. Some of them are busier than others, but they will all appreciate your support, and some could really use it right now. You are not alone. Remember those perfect people you’ve met on dating apps that all seem to live a thousand miles away? Get to know them. Talk to them. Have a virtual dinner with them. Ask them to show off their underwear collection. Jerk off with them. Don’t switch off the webcam after you cum - you’ve got nowhere to be. Stay and chat with them a bit. Meet people. You will likely never have this opportunity again. When it’s all over, people will ask you how you spent your lockdown. Start living the answer now.

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You can find Leander on twitter @xxxleander

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An interview with OnlyFans star ‘Matt (@10inchlondon)’

The Coronavirus lockdown has negatively impacted most industries, not least the sex industry. Porn studios can’t film and OnlyFans stars are relying on solo content.

We talk to OnlyFans star Matt, who goes by @teninchlondon (and @10inchlondon on Twitter), about how the lockdown has affected him and his sex content.

GMFA: Let’s get to know you a bit more first. When did you start to do OnlyFans?

Matt: I started doing OnlyFans about a year ago, but I didn’t really put my focus into until the end of last year, so probably around November time. People have always been intrigued by my size and always stared in locker rooms and showers. So, I decided to set up my Twitter and OnlyFans page to see where it took me. It has kind of spiraled from there really, and now my Twitter is nearly at 90k followers!

What sort of videos do you normally post?

I generally post videos with other guys, sometimes porn stars, sometimes guys I know in London - but always guys that know how to take my size (laughs). Sometimes I’ll upload a solo video too, or one where I’m cruising. A lot of the guys I collaborate with I know already, but guys also often slide into my DMs wanting to collaborate, and if it’s a match then I can’t say no.

Has your OnlyFans life ever impacted your day to day life in any way?

Well firstly, most of my sex is now filmed (laughs). Apart from that, I’ve had to accept that friends and ex-boyfriends are likely to see the videos, so I’ve had to become comfortable with that.

How has the lockdown impacted your OnlyFans content?

I’ve been raiding the archives of past footage to post. Subscribers have gone up with everyone spending so much time at home, so I’ve needed to find ways to make them happy!

How are you creating new content?

Me and my hand have become all too familiar. I have done solo videos already and will continue to do more.

Are you concerned about how the lockdown will impact you in the long-term?

Yes, but also aware that everyone is affected by the virus and the lockdown in different ways, so I don’t want to complain at all. I recognise that there are people who are much more badly affected by the situation.

Have you spoken to any of your OnlyFans collaborators? How are they coping?

Pretty much the same to be honest. Some are particularly struggling if they don’t have old footage, and others that I know have gone into previous jobs that they had before OnlyFans to compensate.

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You can find Matt on twitter @10inchlondon