Ron

Ron is a client of Made Strong and is originally from Northeast Indiana. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend, Julia. Ron graciously agreed to share his insights and life experience for the benefit of other members of the sex work community as well as for people who have never met someone in his profession.

Could you tell us about your profession and how you started in your current line of work?

I have been working for the past year and a half in pornography as a male performer and Julia as a female performer. When we moved to Los Angeles, we answered an online ad for nude modeling as a couple. We felt that everything went well, the terms were clear, and we were well-paid. We continued to model, started working in pornography as a couple, and then started booking gigs individually. Now we are both employed as contractors with the major pornography production companies in Los Angeles.

What are some of the things you like about your job?

The pay is great and it allows Julia and I to afford to live in Los Angeles… which we love. But more importantly, I like the people I work with. There are people from all over the country and from all different backgrounds. We form our own community and spend time together outside of work. My coworkers are great, they are some really nice people.

What are some things you would tell someone who is thinking about becoming a pornography performer?

A lot of my friends who aren’t a part of the industry tell me I have the best job. They think I get paid to have sex. But, that’s only partially true and it’s not an easy job. It’s not about having sex that feels good, it’s about shooting content that people want to see. We are always thinking about the camera and what will look good on screen–not about what feels good to us. Sometimes I may have to be outside naked when the weather is cold or I might be working on a concrete floor. Not the most comfortable. We also push our bodies when we shoot more extreme content.

It can be hard on a performer’s physical and mental health. For me, it’s been a struggle to accept the risk of frequent STIs. It is an industry-standard that performers are required to test every two weeks. But, it’s impossible to completely prevent STIs when you are working with 10-15 new people in between testing. It’s common for performers to get Chlamydia or Gonorrhea at some point. It’s something to think about before you start this business and decide if it is something you are okay with.

I recommend doing your research if you are considering a career in pornography. The pay is much higher than I could make elsewhere, and if you invest wisely, you can do very well. But, it is a job, and again, the sex is not for our enjoyment. Make sure to get a good talent agent and ask a lot of questions about what you will be doing on any shoot.

What are some things that could be improved about your job?

I think that it would be great if we had better access to mental health resources and more of a focus on the mental health of performers. Mental health is something that can be overlooked, and as I said, the job is not easy and people are coming from all different backgrounds.

Some shoots are intense and it would be great to have someone to process everything with. For many performers, it can also be difficult to balance an on-screen character while maintaining your own sense of individuality. We play the same characters for a while and some performers carry their characters into Only Fans accounts. It takes work to keep your identity and your character separate when you are acting for hours a day. It can also be mentally difficult when people outside the industry confuse who you are with the character you play.

There is a lot of buzz about unethically sourced pornography and trafficking. In your professional opinion, how can someone tell if pornography was ethically sourced?

For the independent content, it’s really hard to know. I actually don’t think there is any way to be sure with the homemade content. The larger production companies have safety standards in place and contracts so everyone knows what will be happening on a shoot. All the male performers I know are very respectful. I’m sure there are some bad apples, but for the most part, we really watch the body language of our co-workers. Especially with female performers, I make sure to ask if they need to stop or take a break if it looks like they are struggling. Consent is very important to me.

I know of co-workers who have had people reach out privately on their personal OnlyFans accounts to shoot content. My advice before working with anyone is to do your research and make sure it’s legitimate. Sometimes those offers can get really skeezy and if something is too good to be true, it probably is. You REALLY need to find out who someone is before you decide to work with them; especially if they are asking you to travel for a shoot.

For someone who has never met a pornography performer, what would you like them to know about you and your work experience?

I am a real person and I’m a normal guy. Not a sex-crazed maniac. Just like with acting, the character I play onscreen is not really who I am. I think it’s always good to remind people of that.

I don’t feel as much of the stigma that some sex workers experience— I live in LA, mostly hang out with people from the industry, and I am a male performer. I see female performers experiencing more of a stigma than I do.

Sometimes within the industry, we are hesitant to talk about the aspects that we would like to change. While I like my job, I think that there is always room for improvement. It’s good to have places to express balanced opinions.