"pimpin' ain't dead it just moved to the web, the [expletive] ain't gotta hit the track...ain't got to give no trick no head...ain't gotta give no trick no[expletive], just cameras and screens, easiest money you can make it's the American Dream."
...in the groups hit The Game Belongs to Me. Pimp C's masterful way of pointing out that prostitution isn't leaving the underground workforce anytime soon was extremely insightful; and he acurately predicted how it was rapidly moving away from being a completely physical industry and more towards a virtual one. The reasons are obvious. Health and safety risks are almost completely eliminated and a reduction of counterfiet bills via plastic currency name a couple. But when Pimp C said "just cameras and screens", more than likely he was only speaking about the pay-per-view services that would be offered. But it's difficult to know if the Pimp was referring to sex culture in general.
In DJ Vlad interview, Chanell Heart, a young veteran in the porn industry, made the statement that "Instagram is part of the reason the [porn] industry is dying." Her rationale was that women of no sex industry experience (dancing, porn, or prostitution) get plastic surgery and take pictures and make a killing. Well, not quite a killing. Allegedly and with good reason, many of these women who have 100,000 IG followers...and booking information...only pull in around $15,000 a year from that one club they hosted. Others are doing quite well, however, and this is the problem for porn workers like Ms. Heart. Apparently, there isn't enough money or attention to go around; foretelling about the command a simple picture has.
Which brings me back to Pimp C's comment concerning the new wave of virtual prostitution. Many people believe the selfie culture is just that, a new age culture (which that description in itself is a problem, but too deep for you right now). And while that may be true, it's interesting that a porn star (and I would bet many others in her profession) find the culture a cancer to her business. How is it that someone who has sex on camera for compensation is financially threatened by someone taking a picture in her [insert provocative wear here] for free? There's not many industries that are threatened by a similar industry that consistently produces less authenticity and quality. The growth of Wendy's isn't going to send Ruth Chris to the poor house. The K-Mart Timex watch doesn't make the Rolex less desirable. So what's the difference here?
Pimp C saw that the sex industry was expanding, but he didn't see that the culture was also expanding. This growth positioned members of the culture to become part of the sex industry without alleged awareness or intention. I'm sure very few women take that racy picture hoping it lands them an interview with Vivid Entertainment; until they get enough likes. Then the next time you see them they're hosting clubs, twerking in videos, and doing whatever else pays. This isn't to suggest this is the natural path, but it does consider what pornography and prostitution has evolved into since the surge of social media photography. Sadly, some women died having pay-for sex in a back alley car. Now, a 17 year-old takes a picture of her breast in a bathroom and gets flown out to Las Vegas and goes home $20,000 richer. Everyday a new pimp is made in a suburban bedroom. It used to be that the mere areas where porn and prostitution took place would be enough to divert the spiritually sound. These days, the saints just log on to Instagram to discreetly satisfy the lust. You used to have to find it, now you have to hide your children from it. Who knows, the person reading this could be the next high priced hooker...and celebrity....without meeting a single john.
Peace
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