Adult Site Broker Talk – Episode 73 with writer Michael McGrady

Speaker 1 (0s): This is Bruce Friedman of Adult Site Broker and welcome to Adult Site Broker Talk, where every week we interview one of the movers and shakers of the adult industry, and we discuss what's going on in our business. Plus we give you a tip on buying and selling websites this week. This week we'll be talking with adult industry writer Michael McGrady.

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Now time for this week's interview. My guest today on adult side, broker talk is Michael McGrady. He is a writer at why not, Michael, thanks for being with us today on adult side broker talk. Thanks

Speaker 2 (3m 35s): For bringing me on Bruce. I'm really excited,

Speaker 1 (3m 38s): Excited to have you here. Now let's tell you a bit about Michael he's a contributing writer to why not.com. Why not cam.com and why not magazine? He's worked on several news beats, including digital civil liberties, free speech, public health, ethics, drug, legalization, harm reduction, topics, national security, and other trade industry topics he's been published in conservative, liberal centrist, libertarian, and international journals, and other news media outlets.

These outlets include the south China morning post filter magazine insights sources, NASDAQ, the Motley fool, the Washington examiner, real clear politics, real clear policy and real clear health. So we've got all our real clears out of the way. The Jerusalem post, the Denver post, the spectator, the center square wire service, the USA today, network and others around the world. He has higher education credentials in international relations and global public health policy.

Much of his current journalism focuses on the adult entertainment industry, of course, electronic cigarettes and harm reduction and immigrate. He is also the founder and chief executive of the NPR public affairs family of companies. And perihelion, I hope I pronounce that right creations where he produces podcasts on varying topics like drug use harm reduction and the history of Christmas. So drug route drug use for or against

Speaker 2 (5m 10s): Definitely in favor of drug use I'm in Colorado. So

Speaker 1 (5m 15s): Say no more.

Speaker 2 (5m 16s): Yeah. We're, we're kind of one of those bastions of, you know, drug, drug libertarianism. I, I call it, you know, where no one really gives a shit.

Speaker 1 (5m 27s): Well, you smoke in a fight. You really don't give a shit. Right.

Speaker 2 (5m 31s): I am. I admit I'm I'm smoking right now, so.

Speaker 1 (5m 35s): Good. Good, good. Nice to have you in that state, I'll take advantage of you. Okay. So Michael, talk a little bit about what you do for the why not network.

Speaker 2 (5m 47s): Oh, all right. So I, I was hired for, for why nots main webmaster and affiliate page. When i.com back in January, February as a freelance contributor, and I mainly just cover political topics and business side of things. So just with my experience in politics and covering these types of industry discussions, including free speech, digital, civil liberties, and, you know, health rights sets, workers' rights, you name it.

I just found it. Why not to be the perfect place to kind of do that? It's a great publication. I learned so much there already. And, you know, I've, I really am grateful to be there and just engaging in the industry as I am. So

Speaker 1 (6m 32s): Now you told me when we were talking casually, you've been an observer kind of a Voyager as it were of our industry and our industry media for awhile.

Speaker 2 (6m 41s): Oh yeah. Very much so I'm, I've read all the magazines I subscribed to ASN. I subscribed to AVN. I subscribed test is I've always read why not. I've always been interested in this industry. And, you know, I just thought to pull the trigger one day and, you know, I emailed my editor at my current editor at why not. And, you know, within a day he sent me a contract and now I'm here. So, you know, it's, it's been, it's been fun.

Speaker 1 (7m 9s): You get any easier than that. What about the industry interests? You

Speaker 2 (7m 13s): Let us set politics, really the free speech components and everything we're saying with section two 30 and you know, these types of discussions as it relate to and, you know, sex workers rights online, not to mention sex workers, rights and performers rights in real life as well. So with COVID and all the shutdowns and everything like that, it kinda just fit me to kind of find, you know, this, I call it an alternative career field.

I like to cover, you know, cause you know, a lot of people, when you say, oh, I write for a porn industry publication, they think that I'm writing about like films or I'm reviewing content. When in reality, I'm literally doing what I did everywhere from covering politics, interviewing politicians, industry leaders, chambers of commerce, you know, just doing that, but you know, engage with that. So just really just, I like the whole concept of politics, how this is such a very open and interesting industry.

Speaker 1 (8m 16s): Absolutely. Now this leads into my next question. You, as you mentioned, you previously did a lot of mainstream writing before. Why not? How has writing in the adult industry different?

Speaker 2 (8m 28s): I can be more boisterous.

Speaker 1 (8m 33s): Well, you can just say, you can just say fucking general and nobody cares.

Speaker 2 (8m 37s): Yeah. And you know, all these, all these crappy Republicans who just want to get rid of everyone's free speech and you know, you know, I just liked to be more open and you know, I don't usually use profanity that often in my writing, but sometimes it's just, there have been a few pieces I've published for why not, where they're pretty, they're pretty strongly worded it pretty sarcastic, pretty bitchy. And I'm just like, yeah, these, these guys need to, or these guys just need to get out of office or we just got to keep it strong and all that.

So

Speaker 1 (9m 10s): Yeah, maybe we can find an island for them all, you know, forget about politics

Speaker 2 (9m 17s): Right

Speaker 1 (9m 19s): Now. Let's talk about your foray into covering the adult entertainment industry. How's it going? So

Speaker 2 (9m 26s): It's been good. I've been able to do a lot in a very short time. Yes, I interviewed, yeah. I, I started writing a series on NFTs and how NFTs and blockchain are basically the future for the industry. And I got to spend a lot of time with some wonderful performers and producers so far. And I've just, like I said, it's just been a fantastic experience. You know, I've never met so many professionals in an industry that know you most normies.

I call them most normal people. Wouldn't expect us to be so professional because it is. And I just a hundred percent, a hundred percent respect everyone in this industry so far that I've interacted with. And it's, it's just been a great learning experience. Like I said, I know I don't want to sound too green, but you know, I, I started officially covering the industry, you know, just this year. So it is, it is been a kind of a blessing in disguise and also challenge, but a very worth while challenge.

Speaker 1 (10m 32s): Okay. Now, why are you so interested in the politics surrounding the industry? Well,

Speaker 2 (10m 38s): When you think of it, the politics, including, you know, the free speech components, like section two 30 and you know, the free speech of internet users online, that, that doesn't just impact, you know, platforms, adult platforms that impacts everyone. So why don't we wait, I view it is why don't we approach this from one of the most scrutinized industries that rely on internet freedom and try and make a case for everyone else to realize that, you know, we can't have a far left Democrats or far right.

Republicans trying to control what people see and what they say on the internet. Obviously there are with limits, there are criminal things that we need to watch out for and we need to follow law. But the thing is, is that it's, it's the first amendment. And my, my religion, I like to say is the first amendment. So it's just, I that's how I care about it. It just, everything that happens to the adult industry can happen to, you know, the mainstream tech industry can happen. Social media, it could happen to you tubers. It could happen to even like, you know, religious blotters or something like that.

So it's, it impacts everybody. And

Speaker 1 (11m 53s): What, what kind of burns me sometimes is the lack of awareness among the public. Especially people who vote Republican, how the lack of adherence to the first amendment, how, how dangerous it is to everybody.

Speaker 2 (12m 15s): Yeah. And you know, I I've noticed that too, especially with the rise of Trump. It's just everyone, you know, the, the whole thing with, during the Obama administration is that conservatives and Republicans who, you know, didn't like Obama, but weren't necessarily so far writer they're centrists or something like that. You know, they felt repressed because the liberal media, so to speak had that, that had their numbers, so to speak in the sensory, in their messages.

But you know, same thing happened when the Republicans came into power and now it's just, it's the same, same people, same, same bull crap on both sides where everyone's just like, well, you're, you shouldn't have the right to say this, or you shouldn't have the right to say this. And you know, this feeds into the toxicity of cancer culture feeds into the toxicity of social media de platforming performers for no absolute reason. It just, it's all of this, it's all of this craziness that not even just Republicans, but Democrats moderates, you name it, that they just, they don't, they don't think of it because, you know, yeah, porn's this still this taboo field, this taboo part of society, but you know, it, it's everywhere.

When you think about it's the most far reaching industry I've ever seen. And that's a good thing because it helps push conversations. And, you know, we need to have these free speech conversations still, especially when it comes to controversial speech. So

Speaker 1 (13m 45s): Yeah, and I think people take free speech for granted and they really shouldn't. I agree.

Speaker 2 (13m 52s): A lot of people say they're protecting free speech when in reality they're censoring just what happened with the Florida social media bill, which a couple of my colleagues at why not. And you know, other publications in the industry have, have covered saying that, you know, this bill, even though it said to protect quote unquote, so for media or, you know, political viewpoints that are not favored by certain technology companies or something like that. But you know, it just, it, it, it impacts more than social media and, and passing an entire ICS, entire interactive computer service or an entire platform that meets the criteria of equal unquote social media network in these laws, including, you know, some of the largest tube sites in the space.

You know, a lot of the tube sites have social media functions and, you know, we have only fans now, which is completely premium social media and not to mention just all the other premium platforms where people can interact. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (14m 54s): I mean, not to mention everything that's happened with net neutrality in the last administration.

Speaker 2 (14m 60s): Yeah. I just P I w as we're recording this, I just got a article out for why not? Yeah. For the net neutrality, EO from president Biden, yet second order, he's asking the FCC to reinstate net neutrality, but he can't really do that until he appoints, you know, the next democratic member of the FCC. Cause it's tilts still two to two. And, you know, you got to have three to, you have to have a simple majority to pass regulation on that commission.

Speaker 1 (15m 31s): It's just amazing that Republicans would be against something that's so good for Americans and also be against something that is good for business.

Speaker 2 (15m 44s): Exactly. A lot of businesses reply, rely on that neutrality. Yep. And especially internet based businesses, almost every single business in this industry is internet based. And we rely on everyone in this industry relies on an open internet. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (16m 0s): Well the only ones, we're the only ones that are going to benefit from getting rid of net neutrality or the big are the big ISP.

Speaker 2 (16m 9s): Yeah. Those internet service providers, you know, they say they're for, you know, supporting other companies that rely on their broadband infrastructures, but you know, it's still at the end of the day, they're still businesses. So they want to turn profit and, you know, restricting internet speed throttling and censoring content that just that's profitable for them. Unfortunately,

Speaker 1 (16m 31s): Unfortunately. So what have you learned so far about this industry?

Speaker 2 (16m 37s): Pretty much everything I've said, you know, I've been learning the different factions, I should say. You know, the types of people, the feelings on tube sites, feelings on, you know, content piracy and I'm learning a lot of the, you know, the internal, my main thing is I'm not trying to be like a controversial lightning bolt or anything like that. I'm just trying to learn about the controversies in the industry that continue to impact fellow members.

You know, why people don't partake with certain studios or student, certain genre film or something like that, or, you know, just the general intricacies of the internal politics of the industry, but also the external it's impacting the internal and making things more complicated, easier, et cetera, just, you know, it's kind of, it's kind of what happens when you try and learn a subculture or an entire new industry in general, you know, corporate culture is not just relegated to individual businesses.

It's, it's definitely seen across an entire industry and in my time just covering media and all that, it's just, you, you learn a lot about people, you learn a lot about different types of people, a lot of different types of actors in an industry or a certain space. Has

Speaker 1 (17m 59s): Anything surprised you that you've

Speaker 2 (18m 1s): Learned? Actually, no, I, I knew that, you know, this industry was a hundred percent professional, you know, all the accusations of, you know, porn being this gigantic conspiracy of, you know, you know, you know, the stupid Q Anon conspiracies or whatever about porn or some shit like that. You know, I know none of that was true. And one thing that I've learned just working in my field as a journalist and as a communicator is that, you know, you gotta always have to keep, keep an open mind when you're interacting with people, even if it's something you're familiar with, but, you know, that's, that's, I've just learned that a lot of what the external forces against the industry say about the industry are not true and that's a hundred percent true.

I know I'm kind of preaching to the choir here, but sure. It just, you know, it, it, I I'd like to say it again. And I like to be one of the thousands in this industry who say that none of what, say like an organization, like INCOSE says about porn or suicide or whatever they're called, isn't true. You know, it's not this giant criminal enterprise or anything like that. It's people who believe in sex positivity, people who believe in, you know, free speech and using, you know, what God gave them to not only make money, but to make other people happy and to make themselves happy.

You know, that's the way I see it. So

Speaker 1 (19m 26s): Well, in many cases you just have to consider the source. And in the case of those sources, you can pretty much guess that anything they say is going to be a lie.

Speaker 2 (19m 35s): Exactly.

Speaker 1 (19m 38s): Is there any type of journalism you haven't done that you'd like to do?

Speaker 2 (19m 43s): I really want to get into a strain writing for the industry. I want to do, obviously it doesn't take too much to write a scene. It's just, I'm really into the law inform erotica and the features and the parodies and all that. And where there is actually a storyline, where there is a, a long form story, obviously with the sexualities sexuality implied. But, you know, I still really liked dialogue. I liked watching that even, even that late, you know, I don't, I don't just need to watch a clip or anything like that.

I actually like watching the entire film because I like to appreciate what the filmmaker did, especially with these feature films and these long form narrative films that are coming out of the industry. You're like, I mean, there's not too many.

Speaker 1 (20m 32s): Oh, no, there's a few you're, you're like one of those guys who reads the articles in Playboy.

Speaker 2 (20m 37s): Oh yeah. I do read the articles.

Speaker 1 (20m 41s): Well, you're a journalist. I'm not surprised.

Speaker 2 (20m 43s): I mean, you know, Playboy, you know, they, they definitely gone different directions, but you know, they've, they've published all sorts of people and Ian Fleming, it was published in Playboy. I think don't quote me on that. You know, inflaming, he's my favorite novelist. I love James Bond movies. I love the books. He was actually one of the reasons why I wanted to become a writer. So it was just like, you know, I liked reading archives and stuff.

Yes. I liked, you know, the visual displays and things mapped to scenes, but, you know, I I'd really do appreciate good wordsmiths and there are plenty in this industry.

Speaker 1 (21m 23s): Sure. No. What other projects are you involved with and how are they coming along?

Speaker 2 (21m 30s): There's this, I'm working with a few folks on just some documentarian projects. There's one project in particular that I'm very excited about. I'm not gonna give too much away, but it's, it's the film for, it's the documentary for a mutual friend of ours and I'm helping her writes the scripts and the screen, the screenplay.

And I'm pretty much serving as like the proofreader and the editor for her as she writes and we transition, you know, her book to the screen. So,

Speaker 1 (22m 11s): So that's the one year the most fired up about right now.

Speaker 2 (22m 14s): Oh yeah. I'm most excited about that. You know, it, it, it, I, you know, I'm pretty sure it's going to be very, obviously I'm talking about later in the interview, but, you know, it's, it, it, I'm very excited about that project. She's, she's nothing but a talent, great director, great, great writer. And, you know, she's a great performer too. So, you know, it, it, I've learned a lot from her. I've learned a lot from the people involved with the project and, you know, I'm excited for it. So

Speaker 1 (22m 42s): Let's talk about your recent writing for why not now what stuck out to you while reporting some of these articles,

Speaker 2 (22m 50s): Everybody's openness, you know, everyone's pretty open in this industry to talk, obviously, sometimes I'm just talking to people with pseudonyms or, you know, I'm talking to people who are just, you know, kicking me, press releases or something like that, but everyone is pretty fantastic in their own way. You know, there are some people that I haven't spoken to yet that I want to, and I want to get involved more in the industry.

You know, I want to, like I said, I just want to enter, I honestly see this being a longterm career for me moving forward. But it just, everything I've noticed is just everyone's professionalism, everyone's mutual respect for different points of view, different approaches to projects. And, you know, everyone's just been good. You know, obviously you're going to have your bad actors in the industry and your workplace and all that it's in for any industry, any office, but you know, everything's been positive so far for me. And I've, I've learned, like I said, I I've said this many times, I've learned so much and it's been a hell of a ride and it's been so quick, but I'm so just so happy I'm here and I'm talking to you,

Speaker 1 (24m 5s): It's a pleasure and honor,

Speaker 2 (24m 6s): Actually, LA LA with your podcast a lot. So it's, it's an honor. So, you know,

Speaker 1 (24m 12s): It makes me, that makes me feel good. So you're the listener. Okay. That's good to hear. Finally, I finally talked to him. That's good. That's

Speaker 2 (24m 19s): I love podcast. Yeah. Oh, sure. It's the podcast all the time. I like audio dramas. I like news podcasts. I like talk shows like this. You know, I listen to all sorts of podcasts, even foreign language podcasts and stuff. I try and understand it with my barely passable French channel. That's like, it's it's I like to, I like to learn. I like to read. I like to listen to so sure.

Speaker 1 (24m 44s): Now you mentioned that there's some people you would in the industry. You'd still like to interview who are they?

Speaker 2 (24m 51s): I really want to definitely interview some of the superstars. I really would want to add interview Natalie Mars or a Daisy Taylor. You know, they're, they're stunning performers. I think both of them are really taking the industry by storm and showing that trans performance is just as sexy as you know, regular. I shouldn't say that as a, you know, straight and gay performance and all that.

But I think that the trans presence in the industry has definitely grown. And I'd like to talk to these, those two heavyweights, several of them just, you know, to learn and see where they feel the industry is going and all that, you know. Right.

Speaker 1 (25m 37s): Right now. Yeah. I completely get it. Now. We've had some, we've had some stars on, on as well, you know, you know, you know, I had, you know, I had coral and on, I recently had lucky vet on and yeah. And Vicky was, Vicky was fabulous. She's always fabulous. Everything she does. Okay. So let's give your big secret away. Let's discuss your experience with coral and Juul and the four or five days you spent together.

And, you know, when you, you know, when they, you know, in the article, you said you spent that much time there. I said, okay, there's gotta be something more involved here. So how was it, how was it to spend four or five days with, with our friend Coraline?

Speaker 2 (26m 25s): Well, first off I come from very small town in Colorado. I look out at, out of my office and I see mountains and, you know, I, I hunt, I do all this, you know, I have a pretty outdoorsy, very quiet life. And I, you know, I've done big cities, I've done California. I've done all of it. Sure. But when the four or five days I spent with coral and you know, it just, it was the grade. It was just one of the most exhilarating experiences I had as a professional.

You know, I learned so much from her and obviously the secrets out, it was, it is a film. It is a project that Courtlands is leading it's based on her book, her documentary, you know, where the, when the ice melts. But these I first stuff, you know, I fly out and I, I, I made this mistake of leaving the airport during the layover in Las Vegas. I have family in Las Vegas. We have a home in Las Vegas, me and my wife.

And I just had to go out and check, you know, I thought it'd be quick, but I missed my flight. And she was so pissed off at me, but I booked another flight. But having mine, the, the flight I booked was with Southwest airlines. Right. And that was when Southwest airlines had that gigantic failure for their weather software a couple of weeks ago. And I, my, my flight got delayed like five hours and I just ended up sleeping at my in-laws and then going back to the airport at like five in the morning, and then Cortland picked me up like seven or eight.

And she was like, I'm so angry at you. We can talk when we get sleep. And that was the first day. Oh, nice.

Speaker 1 (28m 19s): I can't, it's hard for me to imagine Carlin being angry at anybody,

Speaker 2 (28m 23s): But she, but she, I, I, it was my fault. And I, I owe her a lot for that. And, you know, after that, we just started getting professional and doing the work we needed to do. And, you know, just spending time with her was definitely something else. She is one of the most vibrant people I met in this industry. So far, one of the most vibrant people I've met in my life. And, you know, just based on the story I wrote for why not describing that was great.

That thank you. Thank you. That got

Speaker 1 (28m 56s): Know that got us conversing in a little led to this interview.

Speaker 2 (28m 59s): Yeah, it did. It did. We were hanging out at the Harris Southern California casino resort in Ray con and on the right-hand Indian reservation, kind of outside San Diego. And I was able to finally get to like, get her alone. We can talk, you know, all that stuff. We had fun. We got, of course we got drunk, but I mean, it's just like, it, it was definitely worth the experience. She, she opened up to me, I opened up to her and you know, now we're good friends.

It's just one of those situations, you know, like we talk pretty often or still working on projects together. She's sure she's been, I like to think that she's kind of been a mentor for me in this industry so far I'm on others, but she's definitely been fun, but the entertainment of just being around her, you know, her, her quirkiness, her, her professionalism, her creativity, it was intoxicating. And it, it was certainly a worthwhile to spend time with her.

Speaker 1 (29m 60s): Yeah. I got to tell you the whole experience of doing the interview with her. And that's, that's been the, all of our contact except for some emails and some Skype messages. So we have yet to meet in person yet, like so many of us during the pandemic, but I just, yeah. She blows me away. You know, the, the, the question I asked of course, was what do you do in your spare time? And she's a, she's a 24, 7 type of person for sure.

And I, and I encourage people to go to why not this isn't going to run until the fall, but I encourage people to go to why not? And, and search in Michael's works for, for Cornyn's article. It's,

Speaker 2 (30m 48s): It's entitled hustling with coral and Juul. Yes. And, you know, I think it w it was pretty funny. This video is Encore. Berlin's only fans. We were hanging out in the hotel room before we went out to the casino floor. Well, we went to the casino floor, but we were really down. And then she started filming, complaining about how we were down. And then she turned the camera on me and she was like, what type of shoes are you wearing? I'm late. I'm wearing my slippers.

And she was like, my screenwriter is worrying, is like, it slippers on the casino floor and a wonder, we're having bad luck. And I literally wore slippers on the casino floor. Cause you know, I just, I was tired and I didn't really think anything of it, but it just, I was like, oh crap. Yeah. I should probably update my, my, my footwear. It's hilarious. Yeah. And there's a few other inside jokes in the article.

If you haven't noticed that I can probably did into more on a, on a different date, but you know, it was just, it was, it was fun. You know, I got a glimpse at her life, you know, she put me up in her home. It was very kind of her to let me stay with her. You know, we had dinner. No, it was kind of fun. You know, just to two friends hanging out working, I got to see where she hosts her hanky-panky podcast, you know? And, you know, I learned about a lot of her upcoming projects outside of the film and the documentary work.

And it, it just is, I just said it was worthwhile very worthwhile. And you know, if you ever get the chance to see her in person, definitely get her a drink

Speaker 1 (32m 35s): Just to hang out. She's already, she's already promised to come visit me, my wife and I in Thailand. So yeah, we're looking forward to that. I know I want my wife to meet her now. I haven't even met her yet, but yeah.

Speaker 2 (32m 46s): Yeah. Well, my, my wife wants to meet her too, so it's just,

Speaker 1 (32m 51s): Yeah. I was raving to my wife about her too. So there you go. Okay. So let's talk about your coverage of section two 30 and digital freestyle

Speaker 2 (32m 60s): Speech. Section two 30 is under attack. I mean, come on. I, I, you know, all the, all the legal blogs for the industry, all the lawyers in this industry, you know, they, they have some understanding of how important section two 30 is section two 30 of the communications decency act of 1996 is the so-called free first amendment of the internet. Yep. And everyone on this podcast knows it's a third-party liability shield to prevent platforms from getting sued for the actions of a few select bad apples that use their platform, right.

That users, but that had this law has permitted a self regulatory environment and suffered a laboratory approach for all digital companies. Just about like, just not just social media, but even like our sites in the industry. You know, there's a lot of self regulation in this industry and it's owed to not just, you know, us wanting to be compliant and, you know, show that we're a responsible industry, but also just because it's section two 30 that provides the platforms and owners of these platforms, the tools and the legal cover to, you know, implement policies that support not only speech, but also protect user base and cashflow.

So it, it section two 30 is getting attacked because, you know, well, during Trump, you know, he said, oh, section two 30 is, you know, there's terrible. It's terrible. I, my Trump's terrible.

Speaker 1 (34m 43s): Almost, almost sounds like Charles Barkley, but anyway, terrible, terrible.

Speaker 2 (34m 48s): It's horrible. Let's just made such sincere 30 repeal and it will be bright. I can't, I can't do Trump, but it just, just the attacks against the section two 30 coming from the left, the right. Especially the religious. Right. And, you know, the implementation of laws like assess the foster. Yep. You know, it just, it, there's just this sentiment in the political lead these days that, you know, free speech isn't really free.

And, you know, I think one thing that is mixed up is that the first amendment protects us, the people from censorship, from the government. Right. And it's exactly, it's exactly what they're doing. What they're, what exactly they're doing is they're trying to repeal section two 30 and they're trying to sensor that's exactly what the first amendment of the constitution protects us from. And, you know, you know, the court hits is I know the court cases, everyone in this industry should be aware, aware that courts at every single level in American governance, all the way to the high court Supreme court has at least confirmed that session.

Two 30 is protected under the first amendment. And is this important law to the growth and acceleration of internet technology, free speech communication through the internet, everything like that. It just, it did. It's just being trampled. I rarely try and comment on the, the pain of some of the larger players in this industry. But I mean, like all these bogus lawsuits against the tube sites, you know, the Nicholas Kristoff stories, obviously there's, there's probably some evidence of like abuse by a third party user who used these platforms for bad and evil.

But you know, you can't just blame the platform. You have to consider the fact that, you know, these platforms do everything they can to have compliant businesses. Yes,

Speaker 1 (36m 52s): Absolutely. And even, you know, even PornHub move, you know, the mind geek people and who own porn PornHub and all the other big or most of the other big tubes, they've been very, very Dell, digital and diligent. I can, I can talk, they've been very diligent about, Hey, and you're the one smoking pot about

Speaker 2 (37m 14s): It's medicinal. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (37m 15s): Of course, about keeping about keeping, you know, kids and, and other, you know, negative things off of, out of their content. And, you know, I'm much more so than Facebook or Instagram or Twitter or anybody else yet the Canadian government goes after them after this bogus series of articles by Kristoff, who I canceled my, my subscription to the New York times after the second art,

Speaker 2 (37m 48s): You know, it's kind of sad. And this is coming from a journalist who's learned from a lot of great journalists. I think Nicholas Kristoff is a good journalist. Well, he was, but you know, he got into this. Yeah. He w he has Pulitzer prize prizes for his reporting and war zones and Darfur, you know, he has all of this foreign correspondence experience. Sure. And he's done so much for, you know, this field of journalism, but, you know, he bought into the alarmism of the anti-porn and tie trafficking, quote, unquote groups so easily.

And I, I, it just makes me sad to see that

Speaker 1 (38m 33s): Well, NCOC got through to him and yeah. And I, you know, I mean, they basically own him now.

Speaker 2 (38m 41s): Oh yeah. Yeah. You know, it's just, well, it is that. And, you know, I think he didn't do his due diligence as a journalist to even reach out to industry groups, like the association of sites, advocating child protection, you know, that's a great org, you know, it's, it's literally a chamber of commerce that works to promote the RTA banner, the,

Speaker 1 (39m 4s): And it's fully supported by our industry.

Speaker 2 (39m 6s): Yeah. And they even have, they even have they even work with the department of justice, they have a reporting line, all this stuff. And no,

Speaker 1 (39m 13s): No, the guy that owns it runs it very well.

Speaker 2 (39m 16s): Yeah. I interviewed it's Mr. Henning. Yeah. I interviewed him while back for why not for an article basically, where I said, I asked him, like, did Nicholas Kristoff ever reach out to your group? And he said, no. And he said, he'd be welcomed. He'd welcome him with open arms to give him a look at what they do. And it just, it just, it, it's just sad because, you know, I haven't seen anything like that yet coming from Mr.

Christoph. And it's, it's unfortunate, he's he has this history of being a tremendous journalist, tremendous author, but he, he just, he's kind of proven to be no a Lackey for the anti-porn movement. Exactly.

Speaker 1 (40m 1s): So what do you think is the biggest policy issue facing the industry and indie adult content creators right now?

Speaker 2 (40m 10s): Well, that's a big question. Definitely session two 30 and net neutrality, but that's, that's pretty top level, very broad, but you know, if we want to get into individual issues, you know, de platforming and you know, how the Nyla platforms, Manila, social networks just treat, you know, performers, profiles just like they're terrorists or something like that. And that's not, that's not right. Yeah. Like, you know, you, you have the leader of like what a terrorist group on Twitter, but I can't even follow my favorite porn stars on Twitter.

So, you know, that doesn't make too much sense to me. So it, it, that to me is probably one of the bigger issues facing the industry. And that in itself is definitely something that needs to be done company to company, industry, to industry. And it's just unfortunate. Cause you know, you know, Twitter is kind of Twitter as a platform at, for example is kind of succumbing to this pressure of the anti section two 30 people and all that. And you know, we can't even share our articles from wine on.com on Facebook because it's blocks.

Like they say it's like harmful or something like that, or potentially harmful. I can't even post my articles on my Facebook page. So it just, it it's just it's so it's just so arbitrary and it kinda kinda just sucks. You know, I really could go on, I don't want to sound like I'm ranting, but that honestly feels like the biggest issue. And that definitely kind of evolves in the politics and the policy. Of course, everything, of course.

Speaker 1 (41m 46s): So what are your aspirations moving

Speaker 2 (41m 48s): Forward? Ooh, another big question. I just want to get more involved, you know, I'm going to stick to doing what I'm doing now. I mean, I'm in a happy place. Sure. But you know, I still got bills to pay and you know, this is work, but you know, career aspirations or anything like that, I, I do see a long-term career in this space or on this Newsbeat or something like that, or getting more involved with, you know, the creative side of things. I really do. I just said, I really love writing.

I'm writing my own fiction novel right now. So, you know, I just, I want to, I just want to offer my talents and services to people in the industry that I feel I can mesh with, who I can get along with, who I can work with, who I can be friends with and, you know, just, you know, have that mutual respect and a mutual understanding and respect for feedback and creativity. And I just, that's all of that one. I just want you to be more involved. I really don't have anything more complicated than that.

I don't have like a set goal or a set studio on a work with or anything, and I don't necessarily want to perform myself either. It's just, I want to, you know, I just want to be creative, you know?

Speaker 1 (43m 3s): Okay. So what do you like to do when you're not

Speaker 2 (43m 6s): Writing? I am a very avid kayaker. I live near three lakes. Well, I go fishing almost every day. I like to do that, but I like traveling. I mean it wouldn't, and I am a big fan of video games. Trust me, like I, I in comic books. So I'm a, I'm a nerd in real life. I have over 2000 copies of Marvel star wars comics.

Wow. And I, I do cosplay, so does my wife and all that. So, you know, we're, we're, we're nerds and you know, we, we like to do that and we, I I'm obsessed with light procedural cop dramas. So I like watching law and order on repeat. So, you know, and I know almost every line of law and order SVU, like, like the back of my hand, I've watched that series so many times and it's just like, I like to do that. And you know, I just, I like to write like personal stuff and just doing, having fun, you know, I, I'm happy to say that a lot of my personal interests are also my professional interests, so I can do things that I like to do for fun and get paid for it.

So, you know, it's, and I want to keep it that way or try to keep it that way. So, you know, I think a healthy marriage of personal life and professional life for you pretty much,

Speaker 1 (44m 37s): Hey, it doesn't get any better than that. Exactly. Well, Michael, I'd like to thank you again for being our guests today, Dan adult site broker talk, and I hope we'll get a chance to do this again soon.

Speaker 2 (44m 48s): Of course. Thank you Bruce. Thanks everybody. It was an honor being here and you know, I'm, I'm pretty open to, if you ever get my email or anything, just message me or something. And I, I usually write back pretty quickly.

Speaker 1 (44m 60s): You do. The pleasure was all mine. Thank you.

Speaker 2 (45m 3s): All right. Thank you.

Speaker 1 (45m 4s): My broker tip today is part two of what to do to make your site more valuable for when you decide to sell it later, keep your website design up to date, do a redesign from time to time. People will tend to think your site is the same as ever and click out of it without even looking if something doesn't change. So keep it fresh and up to date times change. So should your website look at what your competitors are doing and see what it is you really like emulate success. If you know a site to be particularly successful, look at what it is they're doing and do some of the same things.

I'm not saying copy it. I'm just suggesting you improve your site by looking around a bit, you've got to keep up with the times or you're going to end up being left behind. Also keep an eye on your competition and make sure you're offering everything on your site that they are or more. Don't just look at their design, but make sure your offers are good. And you're competitive. The same goes for your content. Do you ever wonder why one site does well and others don't check out the competition's content. What are they doing that you're not doing?

Be willing to make changes. People can't understand why they're losing sales to a competitor yet. The competitor is clearly doing everything better. Emulate success. Make sure everything on your website works well. Make sure all your links work properly. Check them on a regular basis. If things don't work, you're going to lose customers. People are not patient. These days. People's attention spans are like that of a gnat. They click out immediately and go onto the next result in Google. If they don't find what they're looking for.

If the site is hard to navigate, or if things don't work, check all your internal scripts and plugins and make sure they're updated regularly as well. We'll talk about this subject more next week. And next week we'll be talking to Morgan Sommer of Live Jasmin and Dopler Group. And that's it for this week's Adult Site Broker Talk. I'd once again, like to thank my guest, Michael McGrady. Talk to you again next week on Adult Site Broker Talk. I'm Bruce Friedman.