In theory and somewhat in practice, the social network site MySpace.com does not allow adult content. Yet check out the profiles of adult stars with pages on MySpace - such as Carrie Moon, LeAnne Fluxx and Vicky Vette - and you will be astounded by just how actively each one is promoting their XXX product.
"www.CarrieMoon.com-Canadian MILF porn star" declares the headline on Moon's MySpace page, getting right to the point. "I'm a 43-year-old Canadian MILF pornstar. I like men from 30-35 mostly ... in good shape, tall and handsome. When filming, however, I am often filmed with guys and girls in their early 20s. Yeah, I have a tough job ;)."
"I am a Model, Adult Entertainer and Actress," says LeAnne Fluxx's MySpace page. "I have my own website at www.leannefluxx.com, I have had it up for a year and it has all 100% all-natural girls in it ... I also run my own clip store at www.clips.com, where you can see the naughty side of LeAnne Fluxx and the Deadlightdolls. ... I also love fetish, love to get freaky, mmmmmmmm. LOL, well I could waste all day talking about me, but to find out more just check my page banners and my blogs every once in a while, and well you'll keep up with me."
"This is the one and only MySpace page of Vicky Vette and the Vette Nation Army ('VNA')," explains Vette's MySpace page. "If you want to be a part of the VNA, you have to obey the following orders: - watch as much Vicky Vette porn as you can - vote for me when ordered to do so - spend time checking out my official site, Vickyathome - come and say hello at a live camshow one day."
Why They Post on MySpace
Despite the saucy promotions noted above, the most any porn star can post on MySpace is swimsuit shots no more daring than those found in Sports Illustrated. Given this limitation, why would any porn star bother to set up and maintain a MySpace social network page?
The answer: "I like MySpace because it is non-adult," said Carrie Moon (whose personal adult site is www.carriemoon.com). "The adult personal sites are laden with creeps who think it is appropriate to send me shots of their cocks. It's a safe place and classy enough that I keep coming back, whereas with the other sites I don't bother. Facebook, for instance, has restrictions on my even mentioning my website or I will be removed; while MySpace lets me so long as I don't post explicit pics or videos."
MySpace "helps build a fan base and it's great for advertising," noted Leanne Fluxx (personal adult site: www.leannefluxx.com). "You can build a friendship with fans."
Indeed: A clear illustration of MySpace's friendliness to adult stars is Vicky Vette's success (personal adult site: www.vickyathome.com) in being voted Miss MySpace March 2008. It was a battle that had its rough moments due to pressure from anti-porn competitors. At one point, "I was suddenly deleted even though I was in first," Vette said. Only the strong protest of her fans got her reinstated; an achievement that proves just how much clout a porn star can generate in a non-porn medium.
Using a PG Space to Sell XXX Content
Rules notwithstanding, browse through the many adult stars on MySpace and you will notice that they are showing about as much skin as possible. There are lots of teeny-weeny bikinis where only the "naughtiest bits" are covered. In some instances, it is clear that the stars have taken some of their X-rated content, and simply edited it to keep the nipples out of the frame.
Not surprisingly, this is a strategic approach to selling porn in a non-porn space, since the point of the MySpace pages is to get surfers to go to the star's X-rated sites. "To be honest, I push the borders by putting up the most naughty pics I can, without going over the border," Leanne Fluxx said. "The only disadvantage is that there is no nudity allowed, but I still love posting here."
"I can't post explicit pics but other than that I'm free to say whatever I like," said Carrie Moon. She does this through her MySpace blog, a place where she can build her relationship with fans by revealing those personal thoughts and observations that she feels safe revealing. (MySpace blog entries can really reinforce the public image a star is promoting to her fans.)
For instance, Carrie Moon recently posted "10 random things" about herself on her MySpace blog. They include the fact that "I own about 200 pairs of shoes ... and yes I keep buying them every month if not every week," which can only please her foot fetish fans. Meanwhile for those who like strong women and golden showers, "I can paint a house, drywall, tile, change an electrical fixture, change a tire but I can't pee standing up. (Tee hee ... well I can, but I'd likely miss the toilet.)"
Following up on Moon's MySpace blog entry, LeAnne Fluxx added her own "random 10" with a decidedly more adult bent. They include the following: "I am a nymphomaniac"; "I masturbate every night"; and "I was a stripper." But she also puts in enough personal points to connect with her fans, such as "I am a proud mommy of 3," "I love horror movies," and "I am a cuddler."
Is the Effort Worth It?
It is difficult to quantify just how much value a MySpace presence can provide to a porn star. For instance, as far as Carrie Moon is concerned, "It's more for fun than profit," she said with a smile. "I think its only usefulness is for a place to let folks know what you're up to and where you'll be and get an inside view into your world if you decide to get personal with it. I don't find it useful for self-promotion. People find me there more often after seeing my movies/magazines and then search for me on MySpace rather than the other way around."
When it comes to income generated by her MySpace fans, LeAnne Fluxx isn't sure how much impact it has on her bottom line. "Perhaps a bit," she ventured. But she really doesn't know.
Vicky Vette is more bullish on the promotional power of MySpace. Thanks to all the content she posts on this social network, "I have met lots of great people who have become both MySpace friends and Vickyathome.com subscribers," Vette said.
Perhaps the most important point to consider about MySpace is that it is free. This means that a porn star can set up a page there without spending anything but the time to make it and update it. Then, to determine whether MySpace is worth the effort, they can always create a MySpace-related promotion that ties into their site, such as a special introductory offer for newbies who reference something on the star's MySpace page.
The bottom line is that MySpace is fashionable, popular and a mainstream venue for porn stars to meet new customers without investing cash. You can't get much better than that!
This article originally appeared in the September 2008 issue of AVN Online. To subscribe, visit AVNMediaNetwork.com/subscribe.
