Joining OnlyFans wasn’t a publicity stunt, but part of a climate communications project, aiming to address the question: Why do many people still ignore the climate crisis, even though it’s one of the most critical issues of this era?
My role is to convey the existential threats to humanity caused by climate change in a way that doesn’t cause the average person to tune out. Many question the need for such a role. After all, shouldn’t humanity respond adequately to the impending dangers?
However, humans don’t always act rationally, a fact fossil fuel companies have capitalized on for many years. Since these industries became aware of their pollution problem, they’ve spent billions to sway public opinion, lobby governments, and instill doubt about climate change among the public.
If you found the previous paragraphs dull, there’s an explanation. I just relayed alarming information devoid of emotional connection, solution, or way forward. And since you don’t know me, why should you lend me your attention?
The human mind is not designed to pay heed to warnings about slow, existential threats without a clear way out. So, choosing to ignore such threats isn’t irrational; it’s a defense mechanism. However, many people don’t realize that there are many actions we can take to slow down the climate crisis and adapt to already occurring changes. Part of my job is to share this information and counter the confusion caused by the misleading information peddled by fossil fuel billionaires.
This is the origin of Headline Newds. Some of the most intimate parasocial relationships today, particularly among those often overlooked by climate communication, are on OnlyFans. This online subscription platform is popular among adult content creators. So, what if we utilized comedy and OnlyFans celebrities to convey urgent climate science, political context, and solutions to those who usually bypass such information?
As a result, people have indeed paid attention. Our videos have garnered millions of views, and I’ve received messages from men expressing their dismay at the government’s response to the climate crisis, their fears for the future of marine life, and their outrage over the corporate deceit they’ve endured. Many are lonely or grew up in an era where emotional expression was frowned upon, and most have never encountered climate messaging in a way that resonated with them.
The impact of meeting people where they are, rather than where the climate sector wants them to be, is evident. Storytelling and entertainment can help deliver complex messages as our defenses lower when we engage with rich worlds, humor, and emotional character journeys. In the present information economy, influencers shape everyday beliefs. Brief political commentary during a gaming stream can be more persuasive than a political ad, while right-wing political content is now pervasive in the influencer ecosystem.
We could have reached a larger audience if Instagram hadn’t shadowbanned our creators’ accounts. This means the algorithm won’t recommend their content to non-followers due to potential offensiveness. While content moderation is crucial, particularly on platforms frequented by children, it’s interesting to note what is considered dangerous.
The regulation of women’s bodies has hindered our reach to a broader audience. There’s more stigma attached to displaying human flesh and appreciating natural instincts of desire and connection than to destroying the earth for profit. As a middle-class white woman with a misunderstood ‘real’ job, I’m mostly shielded from this stigma. I joined OnlyFans as a statement to the climate communications industry that we must try everything and be everywhere if we want to break through a media ecosystem built to suppress us.
Although I may not offer the type of comfort usually found on OnlyFans, I can assure them that the impending apocalypse they envision is not inevitable. We know how to survive impacts that are too late to reverse, and more importantly, how to prevent it from getting worse. Our task now is to dismantle the systems erected by politicians, fossil fuel billionaires, and the media they own, which protect the status quo and hinder effective climate action.
