ManCrush: Derek Atlas
With an all-American charm that is pretty much irresistible, we’ve long admired every inch of Derek Atlas.
We caught up with the big man to talk about how he’s navigating the changing landscape of online censorship and increased regulation of sex-work.
The origin story
“I began in the fitness industry as a trainer and promoted myself with a lot of professional photo shoots…” explains Derek, when we ask him about how he got his start in porn. “ I caught the eye of some NYC-based photographers and stepped into a mainstream modelling career.”
“After a little success modelling, I played with the idea of getting into the adult industry. Beginning with a few jerk-off scenes, my online personality gained popularity very quickly – I found that I could do pretty well, if I wanted to.”
“From shooting adult videos to escorting was a smooth transition. I’m a people-person – I’m not shy, and I love sex. That’s enabled me to be successful as both an adult entertainer and escort.”
“To be successful at anything, you need to think outside the box and be proactive in your success…” continues Derek. “I’ve always taken pride in promoting myself and others I work with.”
“The smart ones – the ones that survive in the industry – have figured this out early and never let up. There are so many ways to make money in this industry, it’s unreal. But if you box yourself into one revenue stream you just, quite simply, won’t last.”
The challenge of FOSTA-SESTA
“In my opinion, those laws are more directly focused on sex trafficking and have a more profound affect on female sex-workers…” says Derek, when I ask him if he’s experienced any challenges as a result of the introduction of FOSTA-SESTA. “Us men are more in control of what we’re doing, and almost exclusively working solo – not for someone else.”
“On top of that, our sites – where we promote our services – have always been much more advanced and much more in line with the requirements of the law.”
FOSTA-SESTA is a package of US legislation that was passed into law in April 2018.
FOSTA stands for Fight Online Trafficking Act, and SESTA stands for Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act.
One of the objectives of FOSTA-SESTA was to expand the liability for sex trafficking to online platforms. A number of large websites – including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram – have taken steps to ensure that they comply with the requirements of FOSTA-SESTA.
“I’ve never had any problems with law enforcement…” adds Derek. “I promote my services much more along ‘companion’ lines rather than ‘hooker’ lines. There’s an old saying – you can pay for someone’s time and then what happens after that, between two consenting adults, is really no one else’s business.”
Sex-worker secrets
“I’ve dealt with a number of first-timers, they’re usually apprehensive before meeting…” says Derek, when we talk about the clients he’s generally working with. “An escort must have excellent people skills and a knack for feeling people out – and being able to do that very quickly.”
“I’m a people person. My educational background is in psychology. I set people at ease quickly, and my client retention is near 100 percent. I’ve made life-long friends out of clients – relationships that have become stronger after every meeting.”
“About half of the guys that I see are familiar with my work before we meet…” replies Derek, when I ask him if his clients are already fans of his online performances. “The other half are just looking for company. They may become fans after meeting me and learning of my adult career.”
“I promote a boyfriend experience. I provide everything from the mild to the wild. I spend a lot of time with my clients doing activities like travelling, dining, drinking, and going out on the town. Of course, every night ends with a bang.”