When someone on Ted Cruz’ Twitter account “liked” a porn video earlier this week, it ripped the covers of a dirty not-so-secret: Twitter and porn are perfect bedmates.
“Twitter loves porn,” is the blunt way that Daron Press, president of Camsoda, an adult entertainment specializing in cam shows, put it to HuffPost. “It’s not as popular as Instagram, but it’s branding and advertising. And it puts the power in performers’ hands.”
He said the great part about Twitter for porn companies is that it’s mainstream.
“No one thinks twice when they see you on Twitter at work,” he said.
Press said that having a huge Twitter following can give a performer more bargaining power with a porn company.
“Farrah Abrahams ― you know, from ‘Teen Mom’ ― is doing a cam show for us tonight. I won’t say how much we’re paying her, but it’s a lot and much of that is because of her massive social media following.”
Free internet porn ― including porn available on social platforms like Twitter ― has led to declined DVD sales since the beginning of the decade.
Cory Chase, who starred in the video “liked” on Twitter by Cruz’ account, was not happy that the Texas senator ― or whoever it was who liked the video ― watched it without paying.
“He pirated that video,” Chase told HuffPost on Tuesday. “He should have paid Reality Kings for a subscription.”
But some porn stars, like Tanya Tate, see Twitter as a benefit to their brands.
“I use all facets of social media, including Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, but Twitter is the only one that allows hardcore pics, gifs and trailers,” she told HuffPost. “It’s allowed me to build a following in countries that don’t allow their citizens to access regular porn sites. You won’t believe how many fans I have in India and Saudi Arabia.”
Porn piracy is still a problem, so Tate tries to be very protective about what she posts.
“I will post trailers, but leave something to the imagination,” she said. “And I watermark it in case it’s stolen. And I will send cease-and-desist letters in some cases.”
Other porn stars, like Kayden Kross, don’t see piracy as an issue on Twitter.
“For me it’s all advertising,” she told HuffPost by email. “People aren’t posting 40 minute scenes on Twitter. For the most part they’re posting small GIFs or clips that last only a few seconds, and when those clips get attention, they, for the most part, are capable of leading consumers back to my product.”
Kross also believes adult companies have to rely on Twitter and Instagram for branding and advertising.
“Twitter is not so much a gateway drug as one of my only reliable ties to the outside world from the more sequestered island of adult.”
That doesn’t mean the platform doesn’t present challenges.
“There is a sort-of gray area with Twitter’s acceptable use policy,” she lamented. “One day, adult content is OK, the next day someone is talking about cleaning Twitter up. Then the day after that, they’ve dropped the conversation completely.”
She added, “This leaves us vulnerable to losing valuable accounts if there is an overnight overhaul on the sort of content that is and is not allowed.”
Alex Hawkins, vice president of porn site XHamster, likens Twitter to being “like the barkers outside strip clubs in the olden days,” but says it’s been transformative for performers.
“It’s almost like the difference between silent movies and talkies”, he told HuffPost in an email. “Before Twitter, there was very little interaction between the stars and fans, save for an occasional interview or live event.”
Although Twitter can help porn sites and performers get a larger audience, Hawkins said there is a big challenge to the platform he may not be able to deal with.
“I mean, we’re not thrilled about having our product appear right next to Donald Trump, if that’s what you mean.”