SAN FRANCISCO — New Fleshbot.com chief Lux Alptraum was the subject of a Salon profile on the emerging breed of female porn CEOs.
The gossip and news website said Alptraum, a young, Ivy-educated, queer woman is an example of how the power structure is shifting away from the typical middle aged, male dominated executives toward Internet savvy women with a more progressive outlook on sexuality.
Salon pointed out that women are now in high-ranking positions in adult web and video companies including Pink Visual, Digital Playground, Wicked Pictures and more.
It was also pointed out that the Internet has democratized online porn by easing production barriers, and reacting to demands for more alt and niche interests — all of which has contributed to Fleshbot’s success.
“I’m someone who’s kind of a Web native and who comes from a sex positive background of not necessarily embracing the dominant narrative of what’s sexy. I’m kind of like the embodiment of what the Internet has done to porn,” Alptraum told Salon.
The long-time editor of the site got the reigns of the company just this month after some last-minute sales wrangling, and has already begun making changes including switching to a WordPress platform for easier ad placement.
Salon’s profile pointed out Alptraum’s editorial career that included involvement with the amateur and “nerd girl” online porn scene while at Columbia University, doing some cam modeling, and starting her own sites including The Strange Girl and later, Boinkology.
Alptraum told Salon that Gawker decided to jettison Fleshbot because as a porn site it required “special attention” and it couldn’t justify the time needed to deal with the headaches that came with operating an adult site — especially from advertisers who felt they were being associated with porn.
As part of a growing number of female porn bosses, Alptraum is now in good company that includes Pink Visual CEO Allison Vivas.
Pink Visual’s Quentin Boyer, emphasized the change in the “porn executive demographic” and said it began in the late ’90s, when Internet companies started its push into the porn industry.
“In my view, Lux is part of the wave of new talent that has arrived in the adult entertainment industry as a direct result of the industry’s ‘webification,’ if you will,” Boyer said.
Alptraum maintained that Fleshbot has a “feminist and respectful ethos,” and never treats performers in a degrading way. That coupled with its presentation of both straight and gay content, side-by-side gives it a distinct marketing advantage.
“They [Fleshbot] have tapped into a unique niche within the adult media and publishing world. They’ve been able to dip their toes a little bit into both worlds,” Dan Miller, XBIZ executive managing editor told Salon.