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Think history will repeat itself?

nicespice

Okay, so I was going to post a reply to yet another anti-onlyfans thread, but I noticed my post getting a little too long winded and off topic so I figured I should create a new discussion.

I previously rolled my eyes at the all the numerous harsh posts about the subject and the insults towards content buyers. I am starting to wonder now if there is something to the worry that goes behind the anger at online content. I previously rolled my eyes at the complaining but now I’m not so sure.

Will content buying replace “in the flesh” entertainment?
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I recently bought a book about the practice of “charity dating/treating” that was prolific back around 1900-1940 in the US but haven’t read it yet. Most of things I’ve gotten so far has been from Wikipedia articles. For reference, treating was essentially the same thing as sugaring and being taken on dates to entertainment like movie theaters or bowling or whatnot. Legit prostitutes would complain about it when they shared the same space as them.

Charity dating also fell out of favor around the same time as the taxi-dance halls at the time. (Which as far as I can tell, served a lot of purposes as the modern day strip club, even if some things were different)

There are certain things that seemed to happen in common.

*Strip clubs/sugaring & taxi dance/charity treating rose up alongside growing inequality issues. The peak of inequality back then was just before 1929 hit.
*The height of both that stuff was during a faster paced and more cynical time period (1920s and 1990s)
*Something happens to keep both industries still very alive, but turns more into a race-to-the-bottom and less easy money (crash 1929, recession 2008).

I’m not super confident to say anything too sure *yet* on these patterns, but it’s an interesting subject and trying to learn more.

I’ve seen the talk and even a media headline before about the possibility of millennials killing strip clubs. I wouldn’t be surprised, which sucks because I like the below 40 customers I’ve met before. Things that we do know now:

*Modern day millennials hold a much lower share of wealth than boomers and even gen x at a similar age. (Not as much discretionary income for lots of strip club nickel-and-dime bs)
*Night clubs and heavy drinking has declined since 2008.
*Millennials are also not quite so fixated about sexual intercourse than previous time periods, and there have been plenty of headlines about the decline of sex.

I’ll say one more thing that is more personal observation than actual data, but unlike current middle aged people who “fight” more if they feel dissatisfied with something (Karen meme anybody?), millennials are more likely to accept something as is and more likely to bail if they don’t like something. They are less likely to chew somebody out demanding respect, and more likely to rather migrate to where they feel more respected. I say that as both a dancer and somebody who has worked in other forms of customer service. There is a huge difference in how somebody will likely act based on age. If dancer does something silly like flaking or asking for emergency $, I think a lot of older customers will deal with it as long as they can steer her to cheap extras or whatever to their advantage. A millennial I think is more likely to get annoyed and bail completely. Yes those are generalizations and I acknowledge it’s not 100% of everyone. And subscribing/unsubscribing to online content makes things WAY easier to sever ties when “done” —one possible additional reason younger customers may prefer the digital over personal.

Historically, the last time a whole age group was a relative bunch of squares at a younger age was the GI generation, especially compared to those older than them. (Lost and missionary generations) They also were a group that had inherited a world with widespread access to in-the-flesh sexual entertainment but as a cohort decided they preferred pinup models and later Playboy magazine. Improved economic conditions could have made a lot women less motivated to carry on in those industries as well.

So I have pointed out similarities between then and now. Here are differences that may keep the industries going unlike back then.

*Sugaring might decline, but may not quite disappear as dramatically as it did in the 50s or 60s, when people stopped being aware what “treating” even was. Bandwidth is cheap, and the internet can keep that niche going for those who want that.
*unlike the post WW2 high that turned America into an established superpower, that type of future won’t necessarily come.
(Personal opinion speaking, which I’m sure many will disagree with, I do suspect society is on its way to still working out its kinks, and the 2030s will be a much more peaceful time to live in than now. But will 2030s America reach quite the same optimism levels as the 1950s…? But I’m sure opinions differ and some expect instead for america to continue being a shitshow. Which I used to believe but don’t anymore)
*Strip clubs entrenched itself too deeply into popular culture to go away as easily as taxi dance halls, rock music dedicated some songs and rap music took it to a whole new level
*strip clubs are more adaptable than taxi dancing. In taxi halls, women had to work on a schedule. Halls had to maintain a jazz band. Patrons had to buy tickets as soon as they walked in the door and chose women based on a lineup instead of being approached before the sale. In other words, the way strip coins are set up there is more room to be flexible and adapt with the times
*Dating charity girls seemed to rise more prolifically with prostitution becoming outlawed in 1905. Current movements to decriminalize and possibly legalize that stuff again could have an affect in how both sex workers and customers approach things.
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Hope this post isn’t too long. Wanted to hear what you guys would predict.