Trailblazing As A BBW

I was recently featured in the XBIZ World Cover Story about trailblazing BBWs. I was so honored to be considered for this article, and wanted to release my interview Q&A so you could read them, but I was actually quoted a lot in the article too, I will link it at the bottom of this blog for you to read as well! When you first started, what did the landscape look like for BBW performers? Did it feel limiting, or did you see opportunity there?

When I started back in 2012, BBW was still very niche. This was pre Drake openly saying he likes his women BBW, before the popular instagram baddies with voluptuous bodies dominated the feed. I wasn’t seeing BBWs in mainstream media who weren’t absolutely ridiculed for their size, even if their body had nothing to do with their feature. People wanted fat people (especially women) to be quiet and ashamed for existing, which is also just rooted in misogyny and racism. So yes, it was very limiting. At the time, I was a smaller BBW, who at first wasn’t sure if that was the category I fit at a size 12-14. People would call me BBW, and other people would get upset with me for saying I was a BBW. I didn’t want to misrepresent myself, so I just leaned into my big breasts for marketing and branding and let people label me what they wanted. As far as opportunities, they were slim. I wasn’t seeing BBWs in mainstream porn scenes, or being represented by major webcam sites, clipsites, or adult magazines. I knew I had potential but back then being seen where I wanted to be - felt like an impossible feat. Even pictures from conventions were mostly if not all were thin women, it’s easy to think that’s not a place for you. What are the biggest changes you’ve seen over time in how BBW performers are viewed and positioned in the industry? Over the years I’ve seen trailblazing fat women in the industry (myself included) squeeze their way into the spotlight. From 2015 and on, I noticed a bigger shift. I saw more BBWs being casted in mainstream porn scenes, being put on front pages of magazines with full page spreads, even hosting their own large booths at conventions and their own award shows. For me it was using my skill set and creativity to build my audience into falling for ME, my personality, and my alluring content, and ultimately many of them had to admit to themselves that they do find fat women desirable. I put out a lot of content in a short amount of time, and people took notice. I was quickly gaining a following and occupying top spots on the front pages of multiple platforms. ”BBW” at that time became a trending category on major clip sites. That's when the sites I worked on started seeing my worth, offering me opportunities for campaigns, events, blogs, as well as selecting me to push forward for interviews with major publications like Forbes, and GQ. I didn’t just use those moments for myself, I often used (and still do use) these opportunities to help position a lot of fellow-models who are wildly talented but not being seen or because of limited inclusivity haven’t had their chance yet. I’ve never been greedy with my fanbase, and I love putting them on to others. Hosting events like Thickmas, and Thicker Treat, to cross promote before S4S groups were big. I think when society is telling you “no, you don’t belong here” and you see another creator who looks like you being celebrated and elevated you start to think, “this is possible for me”. BBW performers often navigate unique audience dynamics online. How do you handle negativity without letting it deter you, while still building a positive, loyal community? To be so honest with you, I just don’t care what other people think they know about me, because of how I look. I also have a lethal resting bitch face - but I’m not a bitch. (well, not for free anyway). You could look at my boyfriend and I and assume he’s healthier because he’s skinnier than me, even though I eat less and way healthier than he does without trying. Why would I internalize a projection? The western world is so fat-phobic and they don’t even realize it usually unless they’re in a fat body. You could take any “what I eat in a day” video from any straight size person and recreate it as a plus size person and the comment section would look completely different. People swear their fat-phobia comes from wanting people to be healthier, but they aren’t commenting on videos of people smoking or drinking, or being reckless in other ways. You can’t control a comment section but you can control how you receive it. It’s easy for me to continue to build my positive community because I’m naturally positive and optimistic. My audience loves me and is down right obsessed with me. Hate comments stem from people who are unhappy with themselves. I actually don’t receive a lot of hate online - a few comments every few years. I let it roll off my back rolls, because you’re mad at me, because I’m not your type, but you’re not my type either so?? Now what?? What a waste of time. Time that could be better spent masturbating and making a living doing it. From your perspective, what helped shift things from a more narrowly defined category into something with broader visibility and demand? Outside of the adult industry, there was a demand to widen beauty standards. Thankfully! Society wanted to see people they related to, and looked like. Thanks to social media, bigger bodies were finding community and building their audiences. It let people to see that we were multi-faceted with many interests, which was not represented in film and movies. It really trickled down into the adult industry. Open clip platforms were a major shift within the industry. It allowed us to learn the algorithms, build our content libraries, market ourselves, and find our audience. If companies weren’t hiring or considering us, we just created our own spaces to thrive, within marketplace platforms (and cam sites) to the point where companies realized that we were actually valuable and desired, and that the “risk” wasn’t as big as they might have thought, to include us. 

How have you approached building your brand and connecting with fans in a way that’s felt true to you and helped you stand out? For me, building my brand has been about exploring and sharing many different parts of who I am. My body is certainly part of what people are drawn to, and I don’t dismiss that, but I’ve never wanted to rely on that alone. I’m not just selling my body; I’m selling me as an experience. I’ve always felt like my body is one of the least interesting things about me — not because it isn’t part of my brand, but because it’s only one piece of the full experience. That’s also why I’m okay with keeping some of it more private for higher paying customers who truly value it. That means my humour, my wit, my personality, my interests, my creativity, and the way I make people feel included and seen are all central to my brand. I think what helps me stand out is that I try to create a connection that feels personal and genuine. I want people to feel like they’re not just following a look or a category, but connecting with a real person. I do this in a lot of different ways; with fun banter in live chats, sharing personal parts of my life and day, sharing my real stories, and vlogging my Tinder encounters. It’s definitely a balancing act, especially in an industry where physical appearance can be such a major focus. But I’ve found that the more I show up as myself  the more I attract people who appreciate the whole package. It isn’t JUST that my fat ass recoils in doggy, or that my big natural swing in a hypnotic way, it’s because I am sharing even more intimate parts of myself, ME! And am building real sensual relationships with THEM.  

What advice would you give to newer BBW performers trying to carve out their own space today? My biggest advice to newer BBWs is to not let the category become the ceiling. BBW can be an important part of how people find you and what they are initially attracted to, there is definitely power in embracing it, and using it, but figure out what makes you unique. It sounds so cliche but, you have to be able to define yourself, even if that means a lot of things. That’s OK! We are complex. It’s like a choose your own adventure, or treating yourself as a build-a-bear. Are you soft and nurturing? Nerdy? Glamorous? Artistic? Sarcastic and unfiltered? Theatrical? What inspires you and what aesthetic are you drawn to? Soft glam? Pinup/Retro/Vintage? Dark feminine? Girl next door? Minimalist vs Maximist? What are your skills? Are you a great story teller? Funny? Educational? Improvisational? Detail-Oriented? Conceptual? World Building? What is the vibe? The best friend? The Entertainer? Boss?  Trouble Maker? Safe-space? THAT is how you define your brand. It doesn’t just happen overnight, unless you really have a clear vision and direction, so don’t rush it if you’re not sure, but also don’t be afraid to dabble. No one else will have the complete combination that you have. You are so lucky to have the freedom in this field, to experiment and do what is fun and enjoyable to you. Read the XBIZ World Cover Story Here