From Medusa, the Greek priestess punished for breaking her vow of celibacy, to Adam’s first wife Lilith, the Western tradition has taught us to fear erotic power and the unruly, dangerous women who embody it. In response, feminists have tried to break free from what they see as patriarchal control of sexuality. Sex work has been central to this, and is now undergoing a new revolution. With sites like OnlyFans allowing creators to keep 80% of their earnings and with some making upwards of $1 million a week, many claim women’s erotic power is being liberated. But for others, this new world contains new threats. Critics say OnlyFans is ""exploitation masked as liberation"", and point to studies into OnlyFans which suggest the platform is rife with underage content, deepfakes, impersonation, and blackmail.
Is the mobilisation of erotic power a vehicle or a threat to feminism? Do sites like OnlyFans and sex work empower women or undermine them? Or is the digitalisation of sex itself the problem, leading us to shun real-life intimacy and connection?
