It's not unusual for television shows to feature the occasional sex worker or two in storylines, but generally, even if those sex workers are the main characters, those stories are usually pretty heavy and much more likely to be cautionary tales than anything else. Well, adult cam website Chaturbate is now working to change that, and has partnered with some independent filmmakers to create a comedy about the life of a webcam model, called Cam Girlfriend. And, I have to admit, the show actually sounds like a pretty good idea.
According to Variety, Cam Girlfriend, which comes from the Canadian filmmaking duo of Daniel AM Rosenberg and Ethan Cole, will focus on up and coming cam model Chloe Cables (Lily LaBeau), while she tries to balance her love for her career and her fans with her relationship with her boyfriend, Mike (Dave Keystone). But, the couple will soon realize that Chloe's work as a cam model is something that can't really be left at the office as much as a more traditional job can.
The comedy will air on YouTube's Camming Life channel, and be made up of 10 episodes, which will each be 10 minutes long, with new installments airing weekly. Cam Girlfriend also takes advantage of the partnership with Chaturbate, as Chloe uses the platform to stream her shows and will also frequently namedrop the website. While Chaturbate is used on the series, the show is said to feature "situations both funny and all-too-real" which can happen to cam performers no matter how they choose to stream their content.
If you're wondering why Daniel AM Rosenberg and Ethan Cole decided to mine the world of cam models for their project, they noted in a statement that the field has more to offer than many people would expect:
We felt camming was a fascinating world rich with comedic material for us to explore. It’s a place where so much more than just sex happens — friendships are formed, art is expressed, and hilarity occurs daily.
I mean, this really does seem like a good idea, right? While the idea of working as a cam model doesn't seem like it would be exclusively seedy, it had never occurred to me that performers could encounter daily "hilarity." And, I'm sure that most of these things haven't occurred to many people who don't watch cam streams, especially because sex work (and the people who do it) aren't usually portrayed in the most flattering light by the media.
Chaturbate is one of the most popular cam sites online, and the company's COO, Shirley Lara, said that one of the reasons those behind the company decided to partner with the makers of Cam Girlfriend is because of the way the show chose to portray the performers and their lives. Lara noted that the series doesn't allow itself to play into "familiar tropes when artists portray the sex industry without research." The first episode, which is already online, actually focuses on Chloe and Mike getting into a bit of a situation after using her wish list (which is supposed to be for fans to tip her with gifts) to get gifts for the many weddings they have to attend in the coming year.
Star Lily LeBeau, who works in the adult film industry as well performing as a cam model herself, also said that she appreciated the way Cam Girlfriend approached the subject matter and how it allowed her to use her industry experience:
I use my experience and turn it into something that people both inside and outside of the adult industry will appreciate and equally find hilarious. Most shows and movies about sex workers are meant to provoke a sense of pity or serve as a cautioning tale. This show is different…I felt like I was being seen and represented and celebrated for my unique career choice.
Well done, Cam Girlfriend. Well done. You can catch the series right now on YouTube, and see new episodes there weekly. For more on what to watch in the coming days, be sure to check out our 2020 Netflix guide and see what's coming to TV elsewhere this summer!
