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LOS ANGELES — Peachy Kings has introduced its new collection of Tom of Finland Swim Briefs.
The collection features three colorful design styles — Pride, Retro and SeaMen — each with Tom of Finland illustrations on the front and back.
“Take the plunge and have all eyes on you at the beach, swim meet, or wherever you go,” said a rep. “Get yours now, and have these hot studs wrapped around your ass and package all summer long.”
For more information, visit PeachyKings.
LOS ANGELES — Amouranth has released Amouranth’s Assistant, a new sex toy molded from her vulva, through her online store.
The Amouranth’s Assistant stroker was unveiled last week as a limited-edition release retailing for $90.
The influencer and streamer — who recently hosted the 2023 XBIZ Creator Awards in Miami — had teased the announcement of her branded toy to her followers.
Amouranth had discussed the possibility of creating the toy back in November 2021 during a podcast with fellow streamer Ludwig.
Her store offers almost no information about the device, only noting three features: “Twisting Base; Pressure Control; Molded from Amouranth.”
On Twitter, Amouranth was similarly succinct, writing “It’s finally time — molded from yours truly” above a picture of herself holding the Amouranth’s Assistant box.
Amouranth got her start in the world of cosplay, where her formidable skills got her noticed and led to Twitch recruiting her in 2016 to stream on its popular gaming and chatting platform. There, she rapidly rose to become one of its top personalities with 6.4 million followers, famed for her unique mix of ASMR, hot-tub streams and dancing.
For more information, visit Amouranth.Store.
PHILADELPHIA — Brenna McKenna was the most recent guest on the “Bumming With Bobcat” podcast, hosted by Bum Wine Bob.
On the episode, McKenna discusses drinking, dancing at strip clubs, her favorite types of scenes and more.
“Brenna is the perfect podcast guest: down-to-earth and a lot of fun to chat with,” Bob enthused. “She’s very open about her adventures in the adult industry and how she got there. I’m looking forward to having her back on the podcast again in the future to double fist some Four Loko and PBR.”
McKenna enthused about her episode.
“I had a lot of fun with Bum Wine Bob,” she said. “His show has a cool, casual vibe, which makes for an excellent way for fans to get to know more about me. I hope everyone checks it out.”
View the episode here.
Follow Brenna McKenna on Twitter.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Personal lubricant brand Helmet Grease has launched its new “Get DILF’d, Get Greased, Get Helmet Grease” campaign.
“This campaign is a celebration of man-on-man action and positions Helmet Grease as the ultimate lubricant for the man’s man,” said a rep. “Helmet Grease understands the importance of offering tailored lubrication solutions for men, and that’s why the brand proudly presents its diverse range of unique formulas; each formula has been carefully crafted to deliver maximum pleasure and cater to individual preferences.”
As part of the campaign, the company has launched a sweepstakes, allowing participants the chance to win prizes.
Larry Lentz II, co-owner and CMO of Helmet Grease, enthused about the campaign.
“We are thrilled to launch this captivating campaign and sweepstakes,” said Larry Lentz II, Co-Owner and CMO of Helmet Grease. “Helmet Grease is dedicated to delivering the utmost satisfaction to our customers, and the ‘Get DILF’d, Get Greased, Get Helmet Grease’ campaign is a celebration of their desires and passions.”
Visit HelmetGrease for product and sweepstakes information.
Follow the company on Twitter.
LAS VEGAS — Athena Fleurs will headline this weekend at Little Darlings in Las Vegas.
Fleurs will dance on the club’s main stage on Friday and Saturday, with two shows a night. Following her performances she’ll be available for meet-and-greets, selfies, merch sales and VIP lap dances.
“I’m excited to feature in Las Vegas,” said Fleurs. “This is my first time at Little Darlings, so that is exciting too. I love to dance and enjoy meeting fans, so I hope to see you there.”
For more information, visit LittleDarlings.
Follow Athena Fleurs on Twitter.
NEW YORK — Dirty Magazine has launched a promotional sale on photoshoots for adult performers.
“Having celebrated the publication’s second successful year of operations in May, New York’s horniest fashion magazine is officially announcing its first-ever office space in New York’s Little Italy with a flash sale on photoshoots for adult industry workers,” said a rep.
For more information, visit DirtyMagazine and follow the company on Twitter.
LOS ANGELES — Dan Damage has been named July’s Mr. Fleshbot and will be spotlighted on the site throughout the month.
The Atlanta native joined the industry in 2022, and has since appeared in over 100 scenes for studios including Brazzers, Deeper, Evil Angel, Naughty America, TeamSkeet and Tushy, among others.
“Dan Damage, Mr. Fleshbot for July 2023, is being recognized for his dedication to creating sex-positive content and his promotion of ethical pornography,” said Fleshbot’s Ariana Levi.
For more information, visit Fleshbot.
Follow Dan Damage on Twitter.
It’s a tale as old as Tinseltown. A Hollywood newbie from the American heartland attends a glitzy event. She’s surrounded by stunning women, head-turners all — but she’s got the “it” factor.” A talent scout singles her out and makes her an offer she can’t refuse. And why should she? After all, there’s no business like show business.
This literally happened to Melissa Stratton. In 2022, after barely a year of camming on Chaturbate, she was invited to attend the first-ever X3 Expo at the historic Hollywood Palladium.
“I had done a few live expos, but X3 was on another level,” Stratton tells XBIZ during an interview at legendary showbiz eatery the Smoke House in Burbank. She orders the Sinatra Special — Frank was a regular at this classic joint across from the Warner’s lot. Appropriately enough, she is dressed like Ava Gardner, bringing a bit of Old Hollywood cosplay for the occasion.
“All the top Chaturbate broadcasters were at their big central booth, everybody had their webcams out,” Stratton describes. “I was livestreaming to my fans, and suddenly one of the producers for MindGeek walked up to me and said, ‘You’re gorgeous — if you ever want to do a scene, let me know. We’d love to do it, in whatever way would make you comfortable.’ And then he walked away.”
For a few brief seconds, surrounded by the hubbub and din of dozens of cam models doing their thing, Stratton was taken aback with doubts and questions.
“I was like, ‘Wait. Porn? Would I want to do that?’” She laughs. “But after being stunned for about 30 seconds I just went, ‘Ooooooh, that would actually be a great opportunity. I’m already basically doing it solo.’ I literally ran back over to him. ‘Let me give you my number! I want to talk about this.’ And we did. We had a couple of conference calls picking talent, where and what I would want the scene to be like, etc. I ended up shooting three scenes for them, back to back. And the rest is history.”
Stratton still vividly recalls everything about that January weekend in Los Angeles.
“I remember locking eyes with Kira Noir and thinking, ‘Oh my God, I want to be just like her,’” she recalls. “Not only is she amazing, but I love her career path! I’ll just never forget looking around all these beautiful performers at the Palladium and being like, ‘I really want to be like this, this is where I want to be.’”
A Creative Finds Her Groove
It took Stratton until her early 30s to find her way into the adult industry and the career she now proudly calls her own.
“I love that a lot of the performers are photographers, artists,” she notes. “A lot of us are creatives who require a lot of attention, and this is how we fulfill that need. This deepest exposure of ourselves generates a lot of attention, and I found that resonated with me. Because I wouldn’t really consider myself highly sexual per se, but something about this industry is very fulfilling for me.”
Stratton describes her upbringing as “very conservative,” which she has counterbalanced by bucking tradition. Shooting porn, she explains, has been incredibly healing for her in terms of taking back the power over her sexuality.
“I never saw myself as sexual growing up,” Stratton shares. “I didn’t realize that women could orgasm until I was 18 because I never touched myself. I had never been taught that and any sex-ed class I was ever given was focused on a man’s perspective. And so I’m playing catch up at 33 years old, coming into the industry and learning. And I’m still behind!”
Like a disproportionate number of adult performers, Stratton has a Mormon background.
“I went to high school and college in Utah,” she says. “I’m an Air Force brat, so I moved all around, but I spent some really formative years in Salt Lake City. It’s one culture. It’s a one-note kind of upbringing. There is a lot of pressure, particularly for women. Everyone’s doing the same thing and everyone’s watching each other to make sure they’re doing the same thing. ‘Having the same standards’ is what they would say.”
Stratton is quick to add that she harbors no resentment over growing up Mormon, in a culture where girls are expected to internalize conservative, even old-fashioned values.
“I feel like it gave me a lot of skills,” she notes. “Self-reliance. Being self-sufficient. From something as specific as having a 72-hour supply of food and water at all times, to generally thinking ‘I’m planning, I’m thinking ahead, I’m taking care of myself.’ I didn’t realize until later that that spilled over into a lot of other aspects of my life.”
Still, even playfully dressed up to match the old-school glamour of the Smoke House, Stratton brushes off the idea that she seems quite “put together.”
“I get that a lot,” she laughs, a little embarrassed. “Which makes me laugh, because behind the scenes, I feel like I’m a hot mess. I had a photo shoot for hours today, and then I had a collab and I came straight from there. I got my dress at Target — I’m not that put together!”
In her teens, Stratton began to feel that strict Mormonism no longer served a purpose in her life and that she “had to be done with it.” Her parents were actually supportive.
“I was in high school and when I told them, they answered, ‘Yeah, we get it.’ It was almost like telling my parents I was gay. They were like, ‘Yeah, we know!’” She laughs.
Stratton’s youthful rebellion began with smoking cigarettes, having the occasional drink on the weekends — and coffee, caffeine being peculiarly verboten among the LDS faithful.
“When you’re taught something is so wrong your whole life, a lot of us just kind of snap and we’re like, ‘Fuck it, I gotta try it,” she says.
Meanwhile, Stratton also started to notice the effect her looks had on others.
“I did get a lot of attention as I got older,” she says. “I was in my early 20s when I started noticing that guys were looking at me and treating me differently. I think in a weird way that gave me a little bit of confidence to kind of be more sexual.”
Stratton explains that she has always been “a little bit of a closet freak.”
“I’ve always been in a relationship and I’m really wild and crazy with that one person,” she reveals. “I don’t sleep with a lot of people or do a lot of one-night stands. That wasn’t really my thing. But once I had somebody I really loved and trusted, I was like ‘All right! Fuck me upside down!’”
Leading With AI
Although she wasn’t a prude and had experienced her share of adventurous sex, Stratton says, camming still felt like an all-new experience.
“When I started, I wouldn’t even show my face,” she says. “I was so worried that I was going to get recognized, or that someone was going to tell my parents. I mean, I’d been out of the house forever. Why would I care about what my parents see? But I did.”
She opted for a somewhat generic username: Kitty Baby Camgirl. In fact, @KittyBaby_Cam is still her Twitter handle, which she still hasn’t gotten around to changing, for sentimental and practical reasons.
“I think I was building my confidence at the time,” she reflects. “It wasn’t out of shame. I was letting people get to know me during those cam sessions. Fear of putting myself out there on the internet was more my concern. And that quickly went away when I realized that this is what I love to do.”
The camming gig quickly became Stratton’s main way of supporting herself financially, helping satisfy her need for self-reliance. Six months in, she quit her graphic design business and plunged in full-time.
“I had to just jump all-in. I don’t believe you’re allowed to be one foot in, one foot out when something is giving back so much to you. I was like, ‘All right, this is a sign that I need to stop everything and do this.’”
From the start, Stratton recognized that for her, one of the most rewarding aspects of camming was connecting with her fans.
“The positive feedback I constantly get from the fans makes me want to do more and more,” she says. “There’s a fan of mine that I’ve been friends with since probably my second month of camming, and I’ll never let go of him. He’s such a friend to me now. Things like that make me incredibly grateful — that people find me interesting enough to either spend money on, or spend part of their day watching.”
Yet Stratton has also sometimes struggled with her self-perception and ability to feel worthy of her fans’ attention.
“I spent the first big chunk of change that I made from camming on plastic surgery,” she admits. “And it changed the game for me with confidence. It changed my audience, because some people liked this kind of ‘natural girl,’ so I got a lot of flack for it. But everyone that I lost because of it, I gained tenfold because I felt like the changes fit my frame a little better. I’m all for changing what you want to change about yourself to give you confidence.”
If you’re going put your body out there, she adds, “It has to be your favorite thing about you.”
“If I look in a mirror and I start nitpicking everything I hate about myself, I can’t do a good job that day,” she explains. “So I have to hype myself up, I have to remind myself how beautiful I am, I have to look at old pictures of photo shoots I love. You’ve got to bring that positivity, that self-love, because people are so attracted to confidence and charisma. If you don’t have it, you’ve got to work on it.”
Stratton still pays close attention to her fans’ needs and wants. She says her most consistent fan base is young-to-middle-aged professionals, many in demanding careers, who need an outlet.
“I have a few people specifically that like to call me just to talk because they’re so busy, and they travel a lot,” she says. “They don’t line up dates. They don’t meet a lot of people, so this is how they want to spend their time. They just want some attention. And I love that. I feel like I have a lot in common with those people.”
To cater to fans who might need someone to talk to when she is not available, in May Stratton launched the beta version of an innovative “artificial intelligence companion,” dubbed Melissa AI.
“Much of my career has been playing catch-up to everyone else that started during COVID — getting to know companies and performers and everything,” she explains. “So I needed something that was leading instead of following, and I hadn’t heard of anyone else doing an adult AI companion yet.”
Melissa AI not only helped Stratton feel like she was leading instead of following, but it also met a need among her fan base. While Melissa Stratton may not be available all the time, she notes, an AI companion is. And a lot of her fans just need someone to talk to.
“I was like, ‘Yes, absolutely. Let’s do it.’ So a company approached me to build it for me. They weren’t sure they wanted to be involved in adult, but wanted to see how it went. And they’ve been blown away by how people are engaging with this already.”
Stratton’s optimism about the new technology is contagious as she demonstrates on her phone how a language model has learned to produce a nearly flawless audio version of her.
“Everything has been new to me since I started in this industry,” she says, with a smile. “Putting yourself out there, working with new companies, working with new people, seeing yourself on different websites —it’s all scary to me. The AI companion is just part of the journey. I see so much potential in this.”
Stratton also feels grateful to Chaturbate for continuing to support her by bringing her to events and highlighting her in the company’s marketing, even after her transition to pro shoots.
“It’s such a blessing to have such a good crew over there,” she says.
And the future?
“I don’t know necessarily what my exit strategy is yet, but I definitely knew I wanted to diversify early on,” Stratton says, wrapping up the dinner before heading to the Sunset Strip to support director Mike Quasar’s punk band The Cocks at their Whisky-a-Go-Go appearance. “I didn’t want it to just be camming. I didn’t want it to just be shooting scenes. I also want to give my fans whatever they want. I definitely run my brand like a business.”
And wherever Stratton has taken them, the fans have followed.
“I would say 90% of them loved it when I started doing professional porn. And there were a few that really didn’t and they wrote to me, ‘Oh, you changed — you’re not that sweet, innocent girl.’ They thought they had something no one else had,” she concludes. “But I’m for the people. You can’t own me.”
All photos by Darkstripe.
LOS ANGELES — Technology strategist Rocio Pelayo of Reimagine Sexuality will serve as special guest moderator on tomorrow’s edition of the Twitter-based chat show #SexTalkTuesday, to discuss the intersection of technology, sexuality and ethics, from 8-9 p.m. (EDT).
Pelayo, who has worked as a consultant for Deloitte, Accenture, and BearingPoint, discovered sex tech in 2017. She has since become a global speaker on the industry, including founding the Reimagine Sexuality Technology Conference, now in its second year.
Angie Rowntree, owner of Sssh.com and producer of #SexTalkTuesday, said, “Sex tech is an incredibly thrilling and ever-evolving field within our industry, and we are delighted to have Rocio as a guest moderator, connecting our community with the upcoming Reimagine Sexuality Conference in August.”
Participate in the discussion by following the #SexTalkTuesday hashtag and access the show online and on Twitter.
Follow Sssh.com on Twitter and XBIZ.tv, and direct inquiries to Rowntree at editor@sssh.com.