NEW YORK (AP) — A once-provocative joke circulating on social media has evolved into a broader discussion about money and power in the digital age: sex-positive women and openly gay men are frequently out-earning their more traditional counterparts in today’s creator economy.
The shift reflects a changing labor market that rewards visibility, personal branding and direct audience engagement over conventional career paths. Platforms such as OnlyFans, TikTok and YouTube allow individuals to monetize attention without relying on employers, credentials or institutional gatekeepers.
Economists and digital media analysts say groups historically pushed to the margins were among the earliest adopters of these models. “When people are excluded from traditional systems, they tend to innovate faster,” said one media researcher who studies online monetization trends. “That innovation often translates into income.”
Sex-positive women, often dismissed with derogatory labels, have built lucrative businesses by setting prices for exclusive content, cultivating loyal subscribers and controlling their own labor. Many earn more than peers in salaried positions who remain dependent on raises and promotions.
Openly gay men have also benefited from community-driven economics. Long accustomed to forming chosen families and niche networks, many have translated those dynamics into digital spaces through paid memberships, live events, merchandise and personality-based content. The result is repeat revenue from engaged audiences rather than one-time transactions.
By contrast, analysts note that some traditional workers—particularly men raised with rigid expectations about masculinity and career paths—have been slower to embrace self-promotion or direct monetization, even as wages stagnate in many industries.
The trend does not suggest that everyone should pursue public or adult-adjacent content, experts caution. Instead, it highlights how economic success increasingly depends on adaptability and comfort with self-branding.
What began as internet shock humor has turned into a revealing snapshot of modern labor dynamics: in an economy driven by attention, those once stigmatized are often the ones who learned fastest how to turn visibility into income.
