The OnlyFans Era

Once upon a time, sex work was a last resort. Now, it’s a “career option.”

Once, women fought to escape it. Now, they’re told to “own it.”

Once, society called it exploitation. Now, it calls it empowerment.

From Bollywood to Instagram, OnlyFans to reality TV, sex work is being repackaged as just another side hustle. But behind the marketing is a harsh truth—one that no one wants to talk about.

Sex Work Then vs. Sex Work Now: What Changed?

For centuries, prostitution existed, but it was never glorified.

✔️ It was illegal in most places because of the risks—trafficking, abuse, and organized crime.

✔️ Women in it wanted to escape, not flaunt it.

✔️ Society viewed it as a tragedy, not a lifestyle. But today?

✔️ OnlyFans is a billion-dollar business.

✔️ Porn stars call themselves “influencers.”

✔️ Social media promotes “hot girl hustles” that glorify camming, sugar dating, and escorting.

The message is clear: Sex work isn’t just acceptable—it’s trendy.

OnlyFans & The Digital Pimp Culture

The biggest game changer? OnlyFans.

🚨 In 2016, OnlyFans launched as a “creator platform.”

🚨 By 2020, it became the world’s biggest digital brothel.

🚨 Now, it has over 3 million creators selling adult content.

And guess what? The top 1% earn all the money.

Meanwhile, the rest?

❌ Struggle to make a living.

❌ Deal with stalkers, leaked content, and mental health breakdowns.

❌ Can’t escape because their entire digital footprint is tied to sex work.

The reality? OnlyFans isn’t “empowering”—it’s just modern-day pimping, where the platform takes a 20% cut.

Social Media & The Glamourization of Sex Work

Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter are turning sex work into an aesthetic.

✔️ “Soft girls” on TikTok promote sugar baby culture as easy money.

✔️ Strippers and camgirls go viral for sharing “a day in my life” videos.

✔️ OnlyFans “success stories” show women buying luxury cars and houses.

The message?

“Why work a 9-5 when you can sell pictures of your feet and make millions?”

The truth?

❌ Most OnlyFans creators make LESS than minimum wage.

❌ Once your photos are out, they can never be erased.

❌ The mental toll of online sex work leads to high depression and suicide rates.

But no one talks about this. Because glamourizing sex work is more profitable than exposing it.

How Bollywood is Normalizing Sex Work

The Classic Bollywood Courtesan: A Tragic Goddess

Back in the day, Bollywood had a very specific formula for portraying sex workers:

✔️ Beautiful, poetic, and deeply tragic.

✔️ Trapped in the profession, longing for a normal life.

✔️ A man “rescuing” her = ultimate redemption.

Examples:

• Pakeezah (1972) – A courtesan dreams of love but is shunned by society.

• Umrao Jaan (1981) – Based on a real-life poet and courtesan, suffering was glorified.

• Devdas (2002) – Chandramukhi, the golden-hearted prostitute, who falls for a broken man.

In these films, sex work was never glorified—it was shown as a trap, a curse, something forced upon women. But at least back then, the industry acknowledged the ugliness of the system.

The New-Age Bollywood Sex Worker: Confident, Empowered, and Profitable?

Fast forward to today, and Bollywood has flipped the script. Instead of treating sex work as something tragic, many modern films now romanticize and glorify it.

Examples:

• Chandni Bar (2001) – A realistic look at bar dancers, but still showed the struggles of women in the industry.

• Chameli (2004) – Kareena Kapoor plays a “bold” prostitute with a heart of gold, portrayed in a more stylized way.

• Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022) – A powerful biopic, but one that sparked debate on how Bollywood presents sex work.

Gangubai Kathiawadi: A Turning Point or a Problem?

Let’s be clear—Gangubai Kathiawadi never showed women choosing to be prostitutes. It accurately depicted how women were trafficked and forced into sex work.

However, the way Bollywood marketed the film was a different story.

✔️ The promotions focused heavily on “power” and “boss energy” rather than the tragedy of her circumstances.

✔️ The film was treated as “inspirational”, leading to memes and trends that overlooked the trauma.

✔️ The real-life struggles of thousands of women became an aesthetic.

Even though the film showed the dark side, the message got twisted in pop culture. And that’s the real problem—Bollywood takes serious issues and repackages them as entertainment.

Heeramandi: The Netflix Spectacle vs. The Harsh Reality

Netflix’s Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s grand attempt to showcase the world of courtesans in pre-independence India. Inspired by the real Heera Mandi (a historic red-light district in Lahore), the show aims to depict the power, struggles, and elegance of tawaifs (courtesans). But just like Gangubai Kathiawadi, there’s a fine line between historical storytelling and romanticizing sex work.

✔️ The real Heeramandi was not a place of empowerment—it was a system where women were trained to entertain men, often without choice.

✔️ Courtesans were highly skilled in dance, music, and poetry, but were still trapped in a patriarchal structure.

✔️ While some had influence, many were discarded the moment they lost their youth.

There’s a danger when Bollywood turns trauma into aesthetics. Yes, Heeramandi is a visually stunning show, but will it spark conversations about the oppression of courtesans—or will it just be another glamorized tale of “bold” women in a golden cage?

The Legal System: Why Governments Are Losing Control

Most governments still don’t know how to handle digital sex work.

🚨 The UK and Australia are debating stricter laws to regulate online prostitution.

🚨 The US has passed laws like FOSTA-SESTA, which shut down sites that facilitate sex work.

🚨 India still has vague prostitution laws, and OnlyFans is banned in some states but accessible through VPNs.

Meanwhile, sex workers themselves are split. Some say legalization will protect them, while others say it will increase trafficking and exploitation.

One thing is clear: Governments are struggling to keep up with the new reality.

The Psychological Impact: What No One Talks About

Society loves the idea of “owning your sexuality.” But what about the long-term effects?

📌 Mental Health Issues: Studies show that sex workers—especially online—have higher rates of depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

📌 Lifelong Stigma: Employers, families, and future relationships will Google your past.

📌 Loss of Privacy: Leaked content is forever. You can’t undo it.

📌 Dangerous Obsession: Many OnlyFans creators get stalked, doxxed, and even physically attacked by obsessed fans.

Yet, social media never shows this side.

Final Thoughts: Is Society Selling a Lie?

The world has gone from criminalizing sex work to celebrating it—without stopping to ask:

✔️ Who benefits from this shift?

✔️ Who is being exploited under the name of “freedom”?

✔️ Is this really empowerment, or just a more palatable form of objectification?

What do you think? Drop your thoughts.