She does not fake sexy: she embodies it! – an interview with Ari Dee

I really wish I could cam today, but I feel awful. I know most cam girls would probably tell me to suck it up and make that $ but there is NOTHING worse than faking it, to me.

I do not fake sexy.

I either feel it, or I don’t. I’m a tease, not an actress.

-          AriDee on Twitter, March 12^th 2012

She finished our interview by quoting Whitman. During the first time I saw her on camera, she mentioned Modigliani, and scolded those who could not understand that Viva la vie bohème, tattooed across her chest, was a reference to Picasso: “Next time, I will get a tattoo in English. You guys are too lazy to find out.”  By then, I was already mesmerized by her: a 24 year old (this month) devilish beauty, who kept me in front of the computer for over eight hours in one week, anonymously observing her interaction with fans. I know how seductive she can be: she has completely glamoured me, and she is going to do the same to you. Believe me.

How long have you been in the industry? I’ve been doing adult modeling for almost 6 years, and have been a cam girl for over a year and a half.

How long do you intend to continue camming? Until it drives me utterly insane.

Why did you enter the cam business? I started normal, mainstream modeling when I was 12. The older I got, I started to realize that the adult modeling industry seemed to have a broader idea of what’s beautiful. Girls with little boobs like mine, were found sexy by TONS of people? This blew my mind, honestly! Seeing girls with small boobs, or some extra meat on their bones, or tattoos, or just – people who were different in general. So I knew, as soon as I turned 18, that I wanted to start “alt” modeling, pin-up modeling, and adult modeling in general. The longer I shot adult photos, the more my boundaries and comfort limit grew and expanded. I came across a video of one of my fellow adult models – Evelyn Cates – that she had made for a cam site. It was so mesmerizing and hot that all I could think was, “I want to do that!!”. So I started shooting videos and working at a cam site. It seemed so awesome to be able to make my own schedule, and get to be a hot tease for a living! Plus, it makes it where I can afford to take creative modeling jobs, without being concerned about how much I’m being paid all the time.

How did it happen? The creator of GodsGirls.com, Annaliese, told a bunch of us girls about camming at OnHerCam. I started there and LOVED how attentive, helpful & trustworthy the staff was. Eventually they offered me my own solo site that I’m working on, and I’ve also started camming at MyFreeCams.

What are your goals in the industry? To inspire photographers as a muse! And simply to be happy and love what I do, as long as I do it! Recognition is great, sure, but it’s not my motive.

What are the top three positive aspects of this profession? Living the bohemian life! Getting to do something freeing, creative, and sexy for a living on MY time, MY way. Money, obviously. I rarely take paid modeling work, but having the opportunity to pay my bills and take good care of myself and some, is a pretty great perk to camming. The fans. Whether you’re having the worst day, or the best day – there are always people willing to share it with you.

What are the top three negative aspects of this profession? People who devalue your self worth as a human being, based solely on adult work, instead of the content of character. That gets REALLY old. Fans of porn can be just as bad as porn bashers, because they can be equally capable of reducing you to your sexuality alone. People always expect too much. No matter how much you do in your career or what you do to please your fans, there will always be people who will complain. People always want more. This industry can be full of shady people. Both as far as business associates AND fans. In this industry, you have to be that much more careful about people’s motives and your own personal safety. I’m a very open person, but I have to have more boundaries about my personal life than I’d even like to, just because people are crazy.

If there were three things you could change about the adult industry what would they be? That people would respect personal boundaries. I’d love to not have to worry about keeping my location a secret. But the respecting personal boundaries thing can also apply to plenty of photographers or fans who constantly and consistently try to push performers to do things they aren’t comfortable with. Less social stigma. I don’t fear labels and sure, I’d love to say I don’t care about judgmental people either. But the reality is, life would be easier for adult workers if we weren’t compared to pedophiles or fucked up people in general. Instead of acting like sexual acts are immoral, we should as a society focus on acts of cruelty or bigotry, as what makes a person immoral. Less freebie beggars? Haha, I can’t blame people for wanting free porn. I can however, blame people who come up with the lamest attempts ever, to get it. I also loathe people who pay for content only to spread it over the internet for free. I hope you feel awesome with your internet street cred, haha!

Do you think about yourself as someone different from the performer? No. I think I’m the same person on and off camera, in front of the lens or not. Sometimes I wish I had more of an “alter ego” as some other girls do. The days when you get stressed or deal with one too many assholes, I feel like it would be easier to sort of flip a switch and forget about it, if I sort of had a character for myself. But at the same time, I think I’m successful precisely because I’m a real, genuine girl.

In which ways are you similar to the performer the public knows? I’d say the only difference between myself and my performer persona, is that I’m more of a pushover in real life. I’m too nice and too forgiving, but in the adult industry, I simply can NOT be like that, or I’d have advantage taken of me quite regularly.

How do you think you are perceived by the people who watch your scenes? I’m not so sure it matters. But I think they see me as a dorky nerd, who loves to laugh but can get serious when the occasion calls… serious in a sexy way.

How would you like to be perceived? As a genuine girl who puts it out on the line, but still has a little mystery to her. I want people to see something extra in me, something they can’t quite put their finger on. Something that permanently intrigues.

Did you “build” a new personality for your stage name, or did it happen naturally, without giving it much thought? I didn’t build a personality or persona, but it did take a long time to fully decide on a stage name that I felt embodied who I feel I am. It’s kind of a blast to get to name yourself! People who aren’t performers should be kind of jealous of that, everyone should be able to!

What are some of the limitations you feel come with you being an adult performer, be it in terms of your personal life and/or your social life? When adult modeling was just a passion, and not my profession, I had to deal with constant social stigmas relating to children. I taught at a developmental center for kids (glorified daycare where the kids actually learn) and even had to risk losing my job when corporate found out about my nude modeling. They never did fire me, because they knew I was a great teacher, but they told me point blank they would if parents found out and complained. I understood where they were coming from as a business standpoint of making money, but it always really HURTS when people imply that adult workers are somehow dangerous to be around, or like we’ll corrupt your youth! Honestly, I would strongly consider becoming an art teacher for young kids someday upon retirement, if I didn’t feel it would be wasted schooling because they’d just inevitably fire me for doing adult work in the past.

How do you see your work in a bigger scale of economic value in the US nowadays? I know the recession affected the porn industry as well, but when it comes to camming… think about it… we get customers from all over the world, giving money to US cam girls. So my money comes from all over the world, but only gets spent in the US. That can’t hurt!

Do you think there are any politics behind what you do, as in your work as political statement? If so, how does this work for you? We’re kind of a weird country, because I believe the economy is hugely supported by porn, and as a society we promote sexuality EVERYWHERE, yet at the same time, as a society, we socially condemn porn stars and adult workers. It’s like media hypes up everyone on sex, and then punishes anyone who actually fearlessly loves it. I suppose I hope that the more people that keep doing what they love openly, and the more people who openly support the industry in general, the more socially acceptable it will become. We deserve human rights just as much as anyone else. Also, I’ll gladly scare off ANY fan that disagrees with LGBTQ rights, haha.

When thinking about the future, how do you see yourself in five years? Hopefully my solo site is a smashing success by then! I’d love to have expanded my career, & be more outgoing in general.

Curious about which Whitman quote that was? Ask her on Twitter (@TheAriDee ) and stay tuned for her solo site at http://theAriDee.com.