Recently online somebody made the statement that sex work wasn’t really work because you couldn’t get a degree in it in college. Once I got over the general stupidity of that statement, as there are a lot of jobs that don’t have associated degree programs, I thought back to a discussion long ago in my Organization and Management of Athletics class at the University (I majored in Sports Information, which was actually a double-major in Journalism and Physical Education.) The question was raised, what is the point of college athletes even declaring a major if they are only using college as a springboard to a pro career in the NFL or NBA? Well, what if they could declare that as their major? What classes should they take to prepare them for being a pro athlete and for life after the pros, or if they never make it? So, along the same lines, if one could major in sex work/porn, what would your class schedule look like?
Biology and Human Sexuality
Right of the bat, there would be classes in Biology and Human Sexuality. A sex worker has to know how their body works, and how their partner’s body works. There is a lot we know just from self exploration and our personal sexual experiences, but how many really understand the mechanics of an erection? What is actually happening in your body when you ovulate? How sphincter muscles work? And then there are things that, while not directly related to sex, are important to know, like how the heart functions and how it can be affected by electrical current (very useful if electrical play is your fetish), hydration and muscle recovery, stuff that, in the long run, will make you a better performer.
Psychology
And you would take an Introduction to Psychology class. Sex isn’t just about the physical body, so knowing how the mental side works is just as important. Fetishes, domination, submission, arousal, and humiliation are all aspects of sexual play that are rooted in the mind, so the more you understand about how the mind works, the better you will understand them.
Law
Next, an Introduction to Contract Law. From model releases to cam-platform agreements, adult performers are constantly signing things, and it is a big help if you understand what all of these documents mean. While one class is no substitute for qualified legal representation, if you know the basics you will better understand what your lawyer is telling you and what the red flags are.
Continuing with the law, there would be a class on the First Amendment to the US Constitution. Why was it written? What does it mean? And what doesn’t it mean? Every sex worker needs to know how to protect their right to speak freely, as the most controversial speech is often the first to be censored.
Next up, Intellectual Property Law: why it’s important to trademark your brand. How you can protect the content that you create from piracy. How you can legally use someone else’s copyrighted material in your work through parody and licensing. Again, you will probably want your lawyer to handle this for you, but it’s good to know the basics.
And finally, an Introduction to Criminal Law. The reality is, sex work isn’t legal in many areas, and you just might find yourself in handcuffs at some point, and not in the fun way. You need to understand the state and local statutes and know what your rights are should you be accused of violating them.
Public Relations and Marketing
Moving over to the Business School, Public Relations and Marketing are definitely on the list. As a sex worker, you are your brand, so it’s useful to know what a brand is and how to promote it. The key to all of this now is social media. How do you craft an effective message? How do you sell without sounding like a salesman? And, most importantly, crisis management. How do you rebound when you say the wrong thing, when words or images that you don’t want out get out, or when it all just goes to shit?
Accounting and Finance
There would be classes in Introductory Accounting and the tax code, so a performer understands profit and loss, how to determine if the content they are creating is making money, and the proper way to do their expenses so they can keep as much of their hard-earned money as possible—without going to jail for tax evasion. Now you will probably have an accountant actually do your taxes, but it’s a big help if you actually understand some of what they are talking about and how to prepare for them. Plus, if you sell your own content or merchandise, you will constantly be making moves based on the money coming in and the money going out, so you need to know how to properly track that.
And speaking of your hard-earned money, there would be a class in Finance. What are stocks? Bonds? Annuities? Commodities? And now things like Cryptocurency? How do markets work? Where is the best place to put your money in the short term and the long term? What are the investments you shouldn’t be making? And how do you prepare to exit the business in a comfortable financial position?
Filmmaking
Moving to the creative side of things, let’s start with some basic Filmmaking classes. Even if you never plan to produce your own content, understanding how content is created will make you a better performer. How to position yourself in the frame to compose a great shot. How audio is captured so that you can work with the sound person to make sure that they are able to record everything from your dialogue to your moans of passion clearly. And what is the lighting guy doing over there, and why is what he’s doing important to making you look your best on camera? If you do want to produce your own content, then you will want to know about camerawork and editing. Even if you decide to hire someone to do this for you, you still need to be able to direct them to get your vision in the screen.
Drama, Comedy, and Improvisation
In the theater department, you’ll take classes in Drama, Comedy, and Improvisation. It is the rare performer that can master all of these, but just understanding them will make you a performer and not just someone who fucks on camera.
Creative Writing
And finally, classes in Script Writing and Creative Writing. Sex work is all about telling a story. Be it porn, or camming, or escorting, or dancing: what we do is all about creating characters and drawing the customer into their world. You will want to know about structure, how to craft a scene, and how to convey it to your audience.
Now, do I think that any institution of higher learning would actually put together a program like this? Unfortunately, no, but for those looking to get into the industry, and the fans who only see what’s on the screen, now at least you’ve got a better idea of what it takes to make a career in sex work.
Jimmy Broadway is a pansexual lifestyle BDSM and fetish player who makes his living as an adult film producer, director, performer, and educator. With his wife, Dee Severe, he co-owns Severe Sex Films and Severe Society Films, and their work can be found right here on HotMovies.
Follow @FetishDirector and @HotMovies on Twitter