Catfight customer relations

I have subscribed to the Twitter feeds of several fetish models and video producers whose work I like.

I don't personally know any fetish models or catfight video producers, but I did spend a lot of my working life in more 'mainstream' media, and I think what I learned there is probably applicable to fetish media as well.

Twitter is a great tool for creating and maintaining a relationship with your customers. They read your tweets, and feel like they're getting to know the 'real you', and that may make them more prone to being repeat customers.

The down sides, though, are these: if you're the talent doing the tweeting, you may be attracting stalkers who otherwise would be leaving you alone; and if you're the customer reading the tweets, you may be fooled into thinking you have some kind of personal relationship with that talent when actually – read this carefully, please – she is a complete and utter stranger to you and you don't know a damn thing about her.

My media career mostly predates social media, but I saw people create all kinds of infatuations and delusions regarding TV newscasters, radio station personalities, Playboy playmates, pageant contestants and commercial talent based on promotional material that was specifically created to lull people into that false sense of familiarity they were experiencing – the same thing Twitter feeds often do.

I once worked in a radio station where an entire family broke into the building after hours in the hope of meeting one of our personalities, who, thankfully, wasn't there. The family had driven all the way from a neighboring state to meet this guy, based only on hearing him on the radio. They broke out a window on the front door, reached through and undid the lock, and invited themselves in.

They had convinced themselves this DJ was their personal friend and good buddy, and would just be thrilled to death to have them drop in on him. Creating that kind of bond is great for ratings, but it's bad for attracting weirdos.

I was quite surprised to learn of this practice of fetish and porn talent posting their Amazon wish lists so that their fans can buy them stuff. I think it's kind of unprofessional.

I can see, from a purely business standpoint, a situation where this might be appropriate. If you had a custom video made, and you thought the performers put in exceptionally good effort on it, then it might be appropriate to offer some kind of gift to show your appreciation. We did that for vendors and talent who went above and beyond for us.

But if you think having a Crockpot drop-shipped to some porn/fetish star is going to make her masturbate in bed while gazing adoringly at your Twitter avatar on her iPad, you need to come home from the parallel universe. She is not your girlfriend or your soul mate; she is a professional performer doing her job. You are basically buying stuff for a total stranger, and that's it.