I Want To Believe:The Rising Popularity of Amateur Porn

Benji Lovari takes a look at the widespread popularity of amateur porn videos.

The gay adult industry has always been a bit of a chameleon, with its styles and priorities continually evolving in response to market shifts, new technologies, trends, and changing consumer tastes. This malleability has actually been one of the industry’s greatest strengths. During the last decade, the pace of change has accelerated due to rapid societal advances in technology and communications. Two of the biggest challenges that the industry has faced during this time have been the shift to online media delivery (which has proven to have its own unique risks and benefits) and the rising popularity of freely shared amateur porn content.

There’s still a healthy market for DVD’s and Blu-ray discs, but it’s much smaller than it used to be. In addition, we’ve entered an almost “post-consumer” age in which even digital videos and online subscriptions have become more difficult to sell. A lot of this has to do with the popularity of file-sharing (both legal and illegal) and also adult tube sites and Tumblr pages. Today’s young consumers are very tech savvy and many of them have grown up knowing that they can usually get almost any kind of digital media for free if they simply know where to look for it online. Some porn companies have done a very good job of keeping their exclusive material off of popular file sharing networks. But instead of causing consumers to decide to pay for those videos, it has often caused them to simply settle for whatever is available for free on Tumblr, tube sites, or file sharing networks. At the same time, the popularity of amateur porn content has continued to increase thanks to continual improvements to mobile phone technology and the rise of a social media culture in which we crave online followers and positive feedback as a new kind of ego validation. As more people have begun sharing amateur porn videos online (often unintentionally, as a result of trading nude pics or videos on dating and chat apps) attitudes are gradually becoming less judgmental. This sets up a feedback loop, as it results in more people deciding to become amateur porn creators. Many of the people who are sharing amateur content are fairly young, living in the moment, and perhaps not pondering the potential social consequences that they might face in the future. But if attitudes continue to evolve, perhaps one day there won’t be any negative consequences. And really, why should there be? Sexuality is an important part of our lives and most of us derive pleasure from watching attractive people having amorous encounters – so why should we be ashamed or secretive about it?

Professionally produced gay porn content and semi-amateur content is still popular, but it’s not the same market that it was a decade ago. It’s no longer enough to simply have decent looking models and good camera work. Today’s consumers are still willing to pay for porn, but only if it has unique qualities that make it feel like an expression of their own personal style. For example, studios like Cocky Boys have a very distinct attitude, philosophy, and aesthetic. In addition, the studio blurs the lines between porn and mainstream content by participating in various events and giving interviews to mainstream media outlets. The studio’s stars are each unique, and the gorgeous photography by RJ Sebastian elevates the models to the status of minor cultural icons (each with their own fan base composed of both men and women.) Serious fans don’t seem to mind paying for Cocky Boys DVD’s or site memberships because it’s not just a tool for quick sexual release. It serves that purpose, of course – but it’s also a popular brand with a message, and fans affirm their loyalty by purchasing things and proudly talking about the models they admire. They aren’t satisfied with simply downloading some pirated videos, because that would make them feel like outsiders. They want to be recognized as supportive fans who will show up at the Cocky Boys convention to meet the stars and have their DVD’s and art books autographed. This is one of the ways in which companies are staying relevant in today’s market.

For many of today’s young consumers, nothing tops amateur porn. They’ve grown up watching it on Tumblr pages and at sites like XTube for free, and there’s something undeniably hot and intimate about watching the sexual experiences of real people. No one seems to mind the bad camera angles, lighting, or resolution because it’s real in a way that most porn just isn’t. Rather than perfect porn stars, amateur clips feature real passion between strangers and/or real life couples. Today you wouldn’t expect to make a fortune selling a porn DVD that only contained solo jerk-off scenes. But in the amateur sphere, solo scenes are just as popular as action scenes. Again, it’s because they’re real and because they feature situations that porn can’t compete with in an authentic way (often because it would be illegal.) For example, there are clips of college students jerking off in school libraries or blowing each other on the subway. It’s not legal for individuals to do these things in public, but it happens all the time and no one notices. Individuals can be stealthy, and they can use a smartphone to film, edit, and share their exploits in high-definition within minutes. If a video is hot, it can spread all over the web and onto thousands of porn-related Tumblr pages virtually overnight.

Many studios are responding to today’s more competitive market by focusing on the beauty and quality of their models, often securing them as exclusives. Others film scenarios that amateur porn can’t offer, which often involves going way over the top into extremely raunchy, hardcore bareback activities with a large number of well built models – situations that many men might fantasize about, but that they might hesitate to engage in themselves. You can find plenty of raunchy bareback sex in the amateur world, too, but not featuring excellent cinematography and gorgeous, larger than life models. Some people prefer that kind of fantasy, and if a studio can get a consumer to fall for at least one of their exclusive performers, they may end up with a regular customer for a few years.

Another factor that may have helped to spur on the popularity of amateur porn is reality TV (lower budget series that star real people and rely on outrageous behaviors and situations to keep things engaging.) After reality TV became a fixture of pop culture, perhaps the idea of reality porn began to feel a bit less sleazy. In addition, reality porn turned out to be a great arena for exhibitionists who crave attention and a taste of notoriety.

If you seek free, authentic, amateur porn, the best place to find it right now is probably Tumblr. You can find lots of suggested pages in previous Cybersocket articles such as Why Is Amateur Porn So Popular?, Got To Be Real, Keepin It Real, Vehicular Manslobber, Gay Tumblr Porn, and Strictly Amateur.

To capitalize on the popularity of amateur content, there’s a new type of semi-amateur material that is made by professionals. These studios and sites often use a mix of amateurs and porn stars, putting them together in spontaneous, real world situations.  Quite a few of these semi-amateur sites specialize in public sex scenarios. Some of the more popular examples include Out In Public, Project City Bus, Gay Violations, Gloryhole Job, Czech Gay Toilets, Gay Public Fun, Shower Bait, Boys On The Prowl, and Bathhouse Bait. There are also massage seduction sites such as Club Amateur USA and Rub Him, plus stunt sites like Gay Pawn and Sausage Party. There are other types as well, and you can learn more in the Cybersocket articles mentioned in the previous paragraph.