This year, I celebrated my 11th years as a proud member of this untamed and misunderstood industry…
Since my debuts in 2004, the adult industry grew in such way that we now consider it to be more “mainstream” and part of our pop culture. It is absolutely amazing how performers can now jump from one porn project to one mainstream project without the old shaming that was one inflicted on our past peers.
You can hear a lot of different stories about the adult industry, everybody took a different path, had their own little adventure and I’m sure all these stories would be incredible, compiled all together in to one book. Personally, I’m always sad when I read some of the negative press our industry gets from time to time because I consider my story to be a positive one!
Which brings me to the main subject of this article: How I started in the adult industry.
The question came up in one of my recent twitter communications and I thought why not taking this occasion to re-visit the subject now with my new 11 years old perspective.
First thing first, I never aspired to be a sex worker. Not that I ever had anything against the jobs, that’s just not something I saw myself being able to do and in my defence, my knowledge on the subjects were pretty inexistent . In my regular life, I can be very social but most of the time, I’m kind of shy and when I’m nervous (which happens often) I become awkward… super awkward. lol!
One of my first attempts at sex work was at a webcam “studio” downtown Montreal. I had answered a text advertising in the free newspaper of the subway because you know, the best success stories always starts like that. I did not know what to expect when I knock at one of the random doors, on the 20th floor of this office building on beaver hall but the guy on the phone sounded “nice”.
Since I was pretty nervous, I asked my boyfriend at the time to come with me to make sure i wasn’t going to be kidnapped and then sold to a rich prince somewhere because like I mentioned, I’m a nervous person and as any nervous Nancy that respect herself, you can never be too careful.
The door opened on a 400 square meter room filled with enormous servers, cooling systems and a ton of fiber optic cables coming out of them, three pore webcam set up made with old couches and fancy fabrics and six computer screens per set up. A man welcomed me, then asked to be followed in a 100 square meter adjacent room, in the back, to explain me roughly what the advertising was all about. I honestly don’t remember if he explained it to me well or not but a few days later I was in the studio, in front of one webcam, 6 computer screens with one remote in my hand, a dildo in the other that I had purchased for this occasion and absolutely no clue what I was doing. We were broadcasting on six different websites at the same time and we had to monitored 6 different chat rooms and I remember looking at all the insults passing front of my face and think “what the hell am I doing here”.
It’s not that I didn’t had the motivation to be super naughty because in fact, I was pretty excited with the idea of making money that easy (when you’re 20, money is very important) while doing something that I already loved doing which is being a little bit of an exhibitionist and being a good, dirty little slut. Sadly, the environment wasn’t optimal in order for me to become the good little slut that I wanted to be and the customers were honestly awful. Because I looked so young, people were playing very mean games with me and I often came back home with a little grey cloud over my head, wondering what I had done to deserve this.
Now that I’m looking back on this story, I’m giggling. You really build up a very thick shell by being in the industry for a long time. I think I heard all the insults in the world and saw all the techniques haters use to put down one person but as I made my place in to this crazy world, the haters disappeared to finally let place to the awesome fans following me today.
I don’t know why people always seem to pick on the new kid…
In my last few days at the webcam studio, I met a girl. A beautiful and friendly brunette that had already shot a few successful softcore scenes for a few big websites. I was already having fun shooting nudes with an amateur photographer and told myself why not try modelling instead of webcaming.
…Nothing so bad can happen right? lol
She introduced me to her photographer and it’s with him that I created ArielRebel.com, back in 2005. At the beginning, we would get along because my interventions were minimal on the shooting ideas and over all feel and image of the website. I was told that most people wouldn’t find my website, that it wouldn’t have that much effect on my regular life and that I should always try to keep my head outside the industry because most people who work in this field are there to take advantage of me.
Bad, bad, bad porn people…
He clearly had a few misconceptions about the industry as well but I couldn’t blame him too much for it because, like me, his knowledge of the real industry was very basic. I just didn’t know that yet.
As I grew more confident and wanted more say on my website, our work relationship started to become more difficult. I was tired of always hearing him complain about this and that and I’m sure, on his side, that he was tired of dealing with me.
I remember our last fight over this project that he was trying to do called “the Catholic school girl”. Now I see it clearer, it was his project, his vision. I was only suppose to be the silent muse and I obviously couldn’t handle it. I should have known better, be affirmative of my opinion from the get go but I wasn’t able to. I was too nervous, too new and grateful to see doors opening in front of me, that I thought would never open.
For the first time in my life I had a purpose, a goal to work toward and a new set of very entertaining friends.
When he decided to quit the project of my website, our communication were already cut, months ago. After I went to my first convention (Internext Miami 2007) I was only dealing with the owner of Panchodog.com which still host my website today till I can finally move it in to my own affiliate program.
To wrap this up quickly… When my broke up with my last boyfriend, almost 8 years ago, my world crumbled but then I met Max. He always had a passion of light effects and photography but was working in a bank and had no friends in the adult industry. He was energetic, devoted and fascinated by the world I was evolving in.
I wanted to stop modelling and do something else but he convinced me to stay and for once, do what I wanted to do. Together, we started revamping ArielRebel.com, as he learned his new craft. There is obviously a lot more stuff that happen between that time and now but that was the beginning of my amazing journey.
I hope this story answered a few of your questions, for everybody who asked, and I hope it will maybe inspire you to push your limits to see what you are capable of in this lifetime. I would have never see me as a porn performer but it is, for many reasons, one of the best choices I’ve ever made in my life.
Peace, Love & Porn
August 25, 2015
Very cool story!!
March 25, 2020
Very nice story, Ariel!
August 25, 2015
ariel …
we can expect coming to your site, it was wonderful when I appeared his first blowjob video, we can expect something stronger?
August 26, 2015
you should never expect anything…. 😉
August 26, 2015
I always keep my super Ariel rebel
August 26, 2015
good thing that after all the spins things got in the groove, don’t ya think?
we know (or at least we all should know) that beneath anything there’s always a story to tell
September 5, 2015
YES! …finally! lol!
August 26, 2015
Thankyou for sharing Ariel. I’m sad that your beginning experience was so negative, but I’m glad it’s positive now! 🙂
August 30, 2015
I do think it’s a shame you have to go through the worst that the industry has to offer before you can get to the good parts. It’s really sad that humanity has so many folks who are so hung up in a love-hate relationship towards women, that they feel it’s okay to lash out and try to harm them for having felt unjustly treated by them.
In fact, I’d reckon that all fields have their fair share of bitter people who are angry against the world that deprived them of their chance of a happy ending. Not everybody finds their passion, not everybody is able to chase their dreams. Yet, it isn’t right to blame others for the deck of cards that life dealt us, even if that’s the only sort of retribution that they may experience.
Just being a woman is such a difficult role to fulfil… the social expectations placed them on them are both contradictory and at times impossible. Being into the sex industry makes it an order of magnitude harder, since society, since ages ago, has made of the “slut” a scapegoat to blame for all the injustices of the era. That even today prostitutes get murdered, and that they can’t hope for any kind of protection, help, or justice to come to their aid is really depressing.
But enough of the blue talk. There are rays of light even in the dark, after all. I am glad that you’ve come out a great person despite all the adversities, and that you’ve even come out loving your job. Despite everything, I think we can agree it’s been a success story for you, so far. :3
September 5, 2015
Ohhh dear Walther, I missed your mind 🙂
September 22, 2015
Whoa Inspiration to follow what “feels right” it seems that you did peruse your intuition pretty good and it landed you an awesome place in life. I admire your courage Ariel, since I can tell your an introvert and the world is not easy for us “Introverts” but you got passed that. Amazing just amazing, I’m inspired 😀
P.S. this post was posted on my birthday haha~ and your birthday is coming up! Happy early bday! I’m the same age and I can’t believe the big 3 and :O!!
September 22, 2015
Thank you Leo *^_^*
It’s an incredible feeling to read that you found my post inspiring 🙂 xxx
September 24, 2015
Been a fan since 2008..
December 8, 2015
Ariel, youre amazing.
Really, I’ve known you as a model since the beginning (probably 2006) and followed your work ever since. You were my dream girl back then hahah and honestly, the most i know from you, the more i like you…
From your first ‘innocent’ pics, your candids, your blog posts, silly posts, interesting posts, your cooking interests, your podcasts (lovely voice [: ) and your recent realization that youre a sub…(oh boy *winky*winky*)
All that made me really like you, so if you have any, i really dont see them lol
… I sound like a teenager in love , I better stop it.
Anyway, it was just recently that i read the story of how you started your adult career, anyone know it is difficult by reading this post, but after i listened the other side of it on the Whorecast as well as read your original interview, you’ve earned even more of my respect.
Seriously, i see how difficult it is to be a feminist today, i wonder how though you had to be back then. I honestly feel bad for those guys and how they acted… but oh well, you’re a though girl alright, the fact that you stood up and showed everyone that you’re not a “dumb slut” like slut-shaming people always says.
But oh well, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right? I’m glad that you’re happy and successful now (Who’s laughing now?), despite all the trouble and the haters from the past, you finally have fans and respect (:
As i can tell, you are an awesome person inside and out, and you deserve all the respect. You are a nice and pretty person, and i personally find it cute that you are actually shy in person hahaha. You are amazing, so keep that up ;D
I really wish i could meet you and just talk to you someday, or even through texts (: but oh well, being a college student with no money is not easy (im sure you know that lol) so sorry i cant subscribe 😛
Ps: all of this may not mean much to you — you probably won’t remember me in some days — but know that your career and your history really makes the difference, im sure you’re contributing to a better non-sexist society.
Have a wonderful day, sweetheart (:
January 21, 2016
awwww 🙂 your message made my day really.