LOS ANGELES — xHamster today released its list of the biggest and most significant porn stories of 2018.
Alex Hawkins, xHamster’s vice president, called the past year “one of the most monumental in porn’s history” and notched a list of 11 stories that might be the “most significant since the dawn of the internet.”
Beyond porn bans and the devastating “FOSTA Freeze,” Stormy Daniels made xHamster’s list. Daniels, of course, will be heard as host of the 2019 XBIZ Awards, which will take place in a number of weeks.
Hawkins said that “legislation, scandals, politicians, censorship left us reeling, applauding, laughing and cringing week after week.”
Here’s an abbreviated xHamster list, with Hawkins’ commentaries, of the most significant porn stories of 2018:
Stormy Daniels: "The most searched for porn star of 2018 is no mystery. Stormy Daniels was the president’s nemesis, the media’s darling and the porn industry’s champion. Stormy started off the year with a bang, added in a lawsuit, and appearance on “60 Minutes,” a dancing tour, an arrest in Cleveland, a book deal, a toadstool and a defamation suit … say what you will, Stormy Daniels is our Woman of the Year 2018!"
The FOSTA Freeze: "When FOSTA legislation — an anti-trafficking bill that holds websites libel for content users post — was passed in the U.S., many predicted that it would have a dangerous ripple effect on porn. And it did! Soon after, fundraising site Patreon shut out porn stars who were producing, and Craigslist and Reddit shut down whole channels. Even Facebook jumped in, prohibiting people from talking thirsty, lest someone think it was prostitution."
Porn for Women Explodes: "Few things captured the public imagination in 2018 as the idea that women were abandoning sugar, spice and “The Good Wife” to watch … porn! Yes, from the New York Post to Maxim, mainstream media was on the hunt. What did they find? Women search for pretty much the same things that men do — although “daddy” and “pussy eating” rank a bit higher. But we’ve known this all along. Which is why we launched a Porn for Women channel in 2018, and created a Porn for Women Fund to help fill it! The result? Visits from women rose an astounding 41 percent in 2018!"
India Bans Porn: "India banned porn. Or did it? The Indian government released a list of 827 banned sites in the country, only major porn sites reported no traffic dips. A similar ban in Nepal produced similar (non)-results. Still, it was enough to get the New York Times on the case — with an assist from us, of course."
Starbucks Bans Porn: "Bowing to pressure from conservative group Enough is Enough, burnt coffee chain Starbucks announced it would ban all porn from its WiFi. A venti frap of congratulatory news stories followed, with virtually none of them pointing out that it’s a nonissue manufactured by antiporners, as no one has actually been accused of watching porn in Starbucks. (That said, based on xHamster uploads, plenty of people seem to be making it there there.)"
Tumblr Porn Ban: "Perhaps nothing changed pornography in 2018 as much as the loss of Tumblr. For fans, it was a platform with limitless, well-curated, adult content. For amateur porn stars, it was a source of income. For others, a source of community. The loss of Tumblr will reshape the modern porn industry, perhaps pushing people to tube sites or subscription content and leave communities of trans, gay and fetish folks scrambling for new homes."
