Before you read this column, scroll down, and check out a couple photos of Skye Blue.
Go ahead, I’ll wait a minute …
Alright, so– that’s a supermodel looking girl. She’s easily a fifteen on a scale of one to ten, but that’s only part of what makes Skye Blue special. The other part, the most important thing, is her attitude and drive towards success with film, modeling, fashion, and just being a decent human.
Skye Blue is a starlet who cares about this business and people in general. Skye is doing what she can to make herself, the industry, and those around her better and stronger with each passing day.
As far as I’m concerned, that’s the best thing anybody can do. If you’re a fan of Skye’s, give this interview a look, and even if you weren’t a fan before, I think she’ll change your mind. Either way, this was a super fun conversation about a day in life of Skye Blue, on and off set. I think it will brighten your day.
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Jim Steele - Hey, Skye, it's nice to be with you today. How are you?
Skye Blue - Good. It's nice to virtually meet you as well. How about you?
Jim - Very nice. Where are you at? In California?
Skye - Yeah, Los Angeles.
Jim - I'm in Indiana. It's 60 degrees here today and sunny, so I'm happy about that.
Skye - Nice.
Jim - What's a typical Sunday afternoon for you look like?
Skye - Today I am going out to brunch in a bit and oh, I don't know, taking a couple pictures with friends and bringing out my camera and then watching anime for the rest of the day after that.
Jim - Do you have any pets?
Skye - I do. I have two pets. Two little cats.
Jim - Little cats. That's awesome. Any TV shows? You mentioned anime. Is there anything else that you're into or not?
Skye - Well, I love everything science fiction. Obviously, I adore anime cartoons, lots of thrillers. I think the last thing I watched was "Inventing Anna", which was super good.
Jim - I actually just finished that. It was very good.
Skye - Anything that's interesting to the mind and gets me thinking or is just like psychologically thrilling, I love that.
Jim – So, I just started "Ozark", like five years too late, and I don't know what I was thinking because when I was in the first episode, it showed that I had watched like five minutes and clicked off of it. And I cannot understand why I ever clicked off of it because now I'm totally hooked.
Skye - Oh, you get hooked because the same thing happened to me. I just didn't want to get into it because it was so intense. It's a slow build-up, but it gets more and more intense as it goes. If you just watch the five minutes, it's easy to click out.
Jim - Well, and also the way it's shot, some of those scenes are really dark, like lit-wise dark. I was just like, I don't even know if I want to do this, but I got past that pretty quickly. Yeah, it's way interesting.
Skye - I love thrillers like that, everything that makes you start thinking and just learning stuff too. The amount of knowledge I've learned about laundering money from that series. I'll never need to use it but … wow! Haha.
Jim - Yeah, I'm way into that too. If it's intellectually stimulating, then the rest of it just goes along with it so I can deal with the dim lighting at that point. But let’s roll into a couple of things going on with you professionally. We talked about dim lighting, and I'm going to bring up Slayed films because they DO NOT have dim lighting at all. And I know that you just had Sparks come out with Alina Lopez for them and let's see, Derek Dozer directed that. I watched the trailer and I love the way that it was set up, and I think that Slayed just really nails the filming on that. We talked about lighting on TV shows, but their lighting, like I said, it's on point. Absolutely.
Skye - So working with Slayed and Vixen and things like that, it's always super nice because they bring out the big guns. It's all of the most intense cinematography cameras and video equipment. It feels like you're on an actual TV show or movie just because of the way they do the lighting. It's all very pointed and precise, and their directors know what they're doing. It's such a nice experience every time.
Jim - Yeah, and they've got the takeaways. Like in Sparks, you're walking out, and you go to the restroom, then you come back and she's waiting for you. But there's a whole story that kind of builds up just in that 35, 40 seconds or so of you walking out and then back into the room. And yeah, I love their style.
Skye - I was very surprised because we hadn't gotten a script for that day. We were just doing whatever, and I was like, "How are we actually going to get into this?" Because I thought it was going to be a New Year's thing or who knew? Derek just figured out something very last minute and was like, "Yes, here we go. This is it." It was like, "All right," and he made it work perfectly for something that we had no idea what we were doing at first.
Jim - Yeah. And I'm always curious about how that works all the time, and I hear that a lot, that it's "unscripted". But it turns out, like you say, as coming off as a really, really polished and finished product. So how much of that beforehand would you and Derek or even Alina be talking about or texting about to work up to that?
Skye - I think that's mainly on his end. With things like that, you get a script the day beforehand, and for whatever reason, I didn't get a script for that day, so I just left it all in Derek's hands. We finished the sex scene, had lunch, and he's like, "All right, great. Now we're going to shoot the intro." Like, "Okay, we only have like two hours of daylight left. How are you going to do this?" He came out 10 minutes later and was like, "All right, we know what we're going to do. I know what I'm going to do." It's like, "Cool." He just gave us direction and it turned out terrific.
Jim - Well, that's a really interesting thing that you went back, and you shot the intro last. I know that we normally shoot the "pretty girl pics" beforehand when everybody's makeup is still perfect, and the hair is perfect. So that's interesting that you would go back and do that last.
Skye - Yeah, I think the way Derek does it, it's actually really nice. He does the sex scene first, most of the time, just so that all of that energy, the good energy that's there that we need for the scene, is going to be there. If you spend three hours doing the intro, you're going to be a little bit more tired for the sex scene. So, it's actually perfect the way he does it that way so that we have all this energy for the sex, it's great, and then we get to eat and then we're ready to do the intro again afterwards. Working with Slayed or Vixen, they have the makeup artist there on set all day, so the makeup really wasn't an issue at that point.
Jim - Well, Haha, if you have a makeup artist that takes all the guesswork out of it. It might be very different if you're expected to carry your own suitcase and they're full of supplies and somehow make yourself look perfect again.
Skye - I know. I think because of that he was able to just be like, "All right. Well, they're in makeup, and we're going to think of something really quick."
Jim - No, but that's a cool thing. I guess I'm happy I asked that question because I know that it happens like that, but I had never heard it described in that way, so that's really cool, and I think it works well. If that's how he does it, then it's obviously a great technique. I learned something today. Haha.
Skye – Right !? I think it's really great because most of the time girls wait all day to eat just so that they don't look bloated or something in the film. And this way, once you get the main bulk of the film out, all of the thinking and planning out your day of like, "Oh, I'm going to wait to eat," or "Oh, no, I'm fatigued. Now I have to go and have sex while I feel gross," it really gets all of that out of the way so you can focus more on the work, which is great.
Jim - Yeah. And like you say, I do know that there's just a ton of energy and even some apprehension that you're feeling when you walk on set and then it's like it's an unnecessary thing to keep that pent up during this slower process of shooting that intro. So yeah, makes a lot of sense. You had a scene come out with Anton Harden for Blacked. And we can get back to the girl/girl stuff here in a minute, and we probably will, but I watched the trailer for that film. It's a very, very different dynamic. And what's your take on that?
Skye - It's a hugely different dynamic. First off, because Alina was there with me, it made it a little bit easier. Sometimes with girl/girl scenes, you're talking to the girl, you're in makeup together, but with a boy/girl, normally you do the pretty girls, and the guy comes a little later. Especially working with somebody new that I haven't worked with before, it can be a little nerve shaking, having to wait around for some guy to show up, not knowing what they're going to be like, if you’re going to vibe well, if you're going to have chemistry automatically, or no chemistry. So having Alina there with me really helped a lot in that scenario because we'd worked together a ton in the past, and I consider her one of my favorite people to work with. It was a lot of fun. We hyped each other up getting ready to do it, and there wasn't as many intense emotions going around with me getting nervous about who I'm working with.
Jim - But you had that, and then also some stuff came out with Lust Cinema, and it's only February. So right off the bat you've got a pretty big year going, right?
Skye – Yeah, last year I finished up really crazy doing three feature films and just working super hard. So, it's been fun to see them released and see all of the fruits of my labor. I guess it's a good way to put it.
Jim – Haha, that’s a great way to put it.
Skye - Because, it was intense the last three months, where I was just working nonstop and now– I just get to sit back and watch all of these beautiful films come out.
Jim - And speaking of beautiful films coming out, I know on March 1st is the, I'll say, big one - pun intended - with Jules Jordan and DreddXXX.
Skye - Yeah, and Dredd's a sweetheart. I have worked with him for his own personal site before. He’s terrific, but oh my… It was intense.
Jim – Intense in more ways than one. I mean, that’s a star-studded line-up too. Let's see here, we’ve got Kenzie and Carmen Caliente, Jazmin Luv, then there’s you and Dredd. And that's intense just in and of itself. I looked at the box cover on that with the names, and it's the kind of thing of even if you're not into the whole Interracial thing with Blondes on Dredd, it's like “Oh, well, I’ll probably watch that.”
Skye – Right!??! Especially with the box cover, just seeing Dredd against so many beautiful women, it was like, this is going to be so beautiful to watch. The scene itself was just so wonderful. Dredd is just a huge sweetie and takes care of you so much, makes sure you're comfortable the whole time. Of course, because he's a big one. You have to make sure that comfort is a huge thing. Taking on somebody of that size in and of itself … it’s like “Oooh!” But he's great. He does a really great job of making you comfortable throughout the whole way, and the chemistry is just amazing.
Jim - Yeah, and I've always heard that about him, that you look at his appearance and it’s like, “Whoa, … I don't want to look at him the wrong way!” But he's very gentle and accommodating and, like you said, a sweetheart, I've heard that a lot about him.
Skye - He is just the sweetest human I've ever met, especially with just on- and off-scene behavior. Just a really wonderful, nice guy. Which is great because it's very intimidating seeing somebody of that size. I feel like you really need to have that demeanour about you to make people even more comfortable.
Jim - Yeah. And you mentioned off-screen behaviour. I know that chemistry plays a big part of it. But that is a big part of it, right, and that brings into the trust and he's going to respect boundaries and all that kind of stuff too.
Skye - The moment he steps in he's automatically cracking jokes, making you feel comfortable. The chemistry is just there. He's so sweet in everything that he's doing, making sure you feel comfortable, hyping you up while taking photos. It's a great experience, just like being able to work with him and seeing how respectful and nice he is. And that plays a lot into the scene where you're going, "Oh God, I feel so comfortable and so safe," and it’s like, "This man is here to make me feel good."
Jim - Yeah, and I think it was Carmen said... I was watching the trailer and she was feeling him up and was like, "Oh, this thing's as big as my arm," so to feel comfortable with that, I get it, that would be a big part of it. We talked a little bit about Slayed, but on a Jules Jordan set, what's the different dynamic there? Just maybe if you want to compare apples and oranges for a minute as far as his direction style, and I know it's different with the boy/girl genre, but just in general.
Skye - Oh, Jules. Yeah. I mean, working with Jules is a thing in itself. I don't want to say that in terms of professionalism, but it's a little more low-key in terms of filming. The set is a lot smaller, it's just this totally different vibe with like, he's there and he's either the cameraman or he has his other cameraman and he's just directing.
But it's a lot more closed off and personal, and the other flip to the script with that, sometimes it can be better on either end, but they both have their own way of making you feel really comfortable and trying to get the best out of you in that way. Because sometimes when there's a million people running around, like eighteen people on set, it can feel a little bit intimidating, especially having that many people watch you perform.
It’s a fact of life that performing in front of others can be distracting at times. But the larger part of this conversation had more to do with getting in the zone and focusing on a scene partner. We’ve all seen gangbangs with twenty plus guys and a girl, and they’re flat out getting it on, and I would argue there is some amount of chemistry, biological or otherwise, going on with those types of very populated sets.
Skye is talking about something completely different, and it doesn’t have to do with stage fright, or being embarrassed easily. At the heart of the conversation was intimacy, at a deeper level, the kind of chemistry where performers stop performing, and start being real. To do that effectively, there has to be a level of comfort, and a feeling of safety. I was happy to hear that these directors and sets she had experienced, even though each one is different, provided that for her and her co-stars. The result are sex scenes that look real on film because they were real and enjoyable on set.
Skye - So with Jules, it's a little bit more closed off, but I think he's able to get a little better of a performance out of people because it is so intimate and you're not worried about if the grip guy going to lose his grip for a second and I'm going to have a speaker in my face, or is this person judging me from over there, and how does my ass look from that angle, but I don't need to think about that because they're not the one recording. So, with Jules, it's way more intimate, and he's coaching you the whole way through telling you what angles he's getting. It's nice in that perspective of just way more intimate. And I guess with such intimacy, you really get a great performance out of it.
Jim - Yeah. And he shoots in that kind of style that's really, I'll use the term in-your-face, where a lot of shots are just kind of zooming right in there. What's the right word? Jules might not shoot as cinematic as other films, but he still tells a great story and shows that in the 4K high def that we've all become accustomed to. I know that he's built that over the years, and it's all him, it’s his style. I get it. And with the smaller production staff and the intimacy of the set, it would make sense.
Skye - Yeah. And just with something like that as well, you just think he has his target audience already and obviously you can tell that when somebody does it their own way for so long, they would have to, I would assume, very much enjoy it. And you can really feel that when you work with him, that he just really loves being able to do these things and film in his own way. It's a really interesting and fun experience.
Jim - Well, it comes across in the performance. I mean, I think it does. I normally wouldn't bring this subject up, but it's all over your Twitter, your whatever. Erika sent me the press release, so forgive me, but I wasn't even for sure that there was a category, but you got the AVN for “Most Spectacular Boobs”? I almost feel like I have to mention that because they are spectacular. But I wanted to ask you, taking from that, if that's what the AVN comes up with, I’m interested in you. When you look in the mirror, what is your favorite part or body part?
Skye - Oh, my favorite? My eyes. But that's like me. I'm sure when anybody ever looks at me, it's normally straight to tits because I do have an extremely small stature. I'm quite tiny, like 5'8", but very petite. Yeah, so having triple D tits can distract from other body parts.
Skye - It's not something that would be the most immediate response. But honestly, I'm like, “Wow, I really love my eyes.” I really threw them for a loop in my family with everybody having very dark blue or brown eyes, and I came out with these crazy light blue eyes. So, I mean, honestly, for me, that's my favorite. But then, of course, next would be my tits because they're just so huge and wonderful.
Jim - And correct me if I'm wrong, but they're Au Naturale, correct?
Skye - Yes, they are.
Jim - It's such a funny thing to ask somebody about their boobs, but I guess with you it's okay.
Skye - Oh, no, it's fine. Honestly, I get asked about it all the time. When I'm on set with a new girl, they're always like, "Oh my God, there so awesome... Can I touch them?" I’m like, “You're going to be touching them in a couple of minutes, but yeah, sure.”
Jim - That would be a funny thing to ask. But that does bring up something. I was just messaging with a friend about this, and if somebody asked, "Can I touch them?" And I know that everything gets signed beforehand as far as boundaries and permissions, but for you, what is one thing that you don't really think you want to be a part of or maybe is like, "I don't think I want to do that?” Or is there such a thing?
Skye - I don't know. It really depends on the day and the moment. If I'm feeling horny enough, all bets are off for what I will and won't do. But for the most part, like day to day, if I'm not having great chemistry on set with the guy or the girl and just not really feeling overtly sexual or wanting to go the extra mile, there are things that are really intimate that I'd rather do with somebody that I trust completely and enjoy working with. So, things like rimming or fisting or extreme bondage are things that I reserve for partners or people that I really enjoy working with.
Jim - Okay, fair enough. Well, it's a good question, and you never know what the answer's going to be.
Skye - Oh, yeah, I know. Haha
Jim - But I'm always curious because some people are like, "Do you have a watermelon? Go ahead and shove that in there while you're at it." But shit, your Twitter is 222,000. You've got all these great scenes coming out, but I can't forget at the bio section (Skye's Twitter profile shows modeling for Playboy, Penthouse, and Hustler), and I have this in my notes as well... Take me back a few years, before the film, before the scenes. Let’s look at Holly Randall and Playboy, as an example, what was that like?
Skye - God, it's so long ago now. I was living in New York, and I had blue hair at the time, and Holly Randall reaches out to me and asked me to shoot for Playboy. I was like, "Oh my God, I would love to." The only problem was that we were only doing very natural girls at the time, so I had to change my hair color. So, I finally changed from this model in New York who was very big in the fashion world of the alternative modeling style and was like, "All right, I'm going back to girl next door, I'm going to go be a Playboy model." And Holly was actually so fantastic that day. She talked me through everything and thanked me for being such a good model because I guess they get a lot of girls that are beautiful and - I hear this a lot in work - they're just a little bit newer and they don't know how to model yet. Yeah, it was nice to get a gold seal of approval from a Playboy director being like, "Wow, you're a really great model." I was like, "Oh, that's amazing," and just the whole day went by like such a breeze.
Skye - I flew out to LA and we were shooting downtown in this beautiful studio, and it was just such a nice experience of one of my first ever adult things. I had done solos in the past, but this was a real production, where it's not just some guy with a camera. You have an actual adult production; there’s a person for my hair, one person for my makeup. It's like, "Oh my God, it's just like fashion. It's just like actual modeling in New York. This is great." I really fell in love with the whole adult industry after that, just seeing the parallels between my fashion days and then getting into adult. It was a great experience. After that, she brought me back to do one of her modeling workshops or photography workshops, and we were together for Penthouse as well and I got the centerfold in one of their magazines. It was just a perfect first experience for getting into the adult world
Jim - And that's cool because she is such an iconic and even legendary person. Forget about her mom, but just Holly. Two questions from that. If you were such a great model for her from the get-go, where did you learn to do that or was it just natural for you?
Skye - With modeling, honestly, it came very natural to me, but I mean, it doesn't hurt that I grew up watching "America's Next Top Model" and always wanted to be one. So honestly, I like to give a lot of props where I'm like, "Well, it was watching girls model for so long. It makes sense that I picked up a few things from that." But honestly, when I started modeling in New York, that wasn't even a thing for me. I didn't even think that was what I was going to become. I moved to New York to go to FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology), and I was looking for a bartending job at the time, and no one would hire me. But one of the people that I went to an interview with was like, "Hey, my dad owns this modeling agency. I can't hire you here, but why don't you go there?" It was just kind of wild from the get-go of that happening and me realizing how much I love it and doing good at it, really excelling. So, it was just like a love for the thing, and I loved that it was just happening naturally.
Jim - And the second part of that... So early in your career especially, and I think you almost kind of answered that because you just felt so natural, but be honest, was it not a little bit overwhelming to be working with Playboy, Penthouse, and also Hustler? To be on that level, before you've got a "presence" or career, I'm curious to know if that was intimidating at all for you?
Skye - Oh, no, it was very ... I looked at myself and I looked at the girls that were doing it, and I was like, "Man, I haven't even been in this that long. All these people are wanting to shoot me." It was a little overwhelming at first, yeah, just because I had seen all the other girls and I was like, "Man, they've been doing this for so many years. I'm not even ready yet. I know I'm a good model, but I feel like I'm taking somebody else's spot that should be here." But it all went really well so I was just like, "All right, I guess I did earn it in a way of just really honing my modeling skills and getting to that place because of that."
Jim - Yeah. And the fact that you're there– put that in capital letters– YOU ARE THERE AT THAT MOMENT. It’s like, “Okay, well, forget that maybe I didn't put 5 or 10 or 20 years into getting here, but I'm here so that's all that counts.”
Skye - Right.
Jim - But after you were with her, did that give you any amount of confidence and you’re like “This is my direction,” and then you just kind of dove right into adult, correct?
Skye - Mm-hmm. So, I had always been webcamming and stuff since I was like eighteen, because it was a really good way of making a side income and making sure I didn't go broke in New York. It eventually led to my downfall in fashion because I didn't realize there was a morality clause in my agreement with the agency when I signed. So once I got kicked out of there for the camming and stuff, people were still hitting me up to do fashion work, which was great, but it wasn't enough. And honestly, I was like, "Well, if I can't be a part of this world, this is the next best thing and I'm just going to go all in and make a career out of this."
During this part of our conversation, I was absolutely drawn into Skye’s world. It is not an everyday thing for someone of her stature to take her experience and break it down like this. Most of us, especially guys, spend our lives imagining that if you’re lucky enough to be a pretty girl, and in Skye’s case… fucking gorgeous, that the world is whatever you want.
That’s obviously not the case, and Skye proves it. Sure– she has been in all the best magazines, and nowadays enjoys a level of success that many dream of. Still, she came up along a pathway that gave her a few bumps and bruises. It wasn’t always easy, and it wasn’t always fun. But she made it, she’s here, and I have to say– whatever humility she learned as lessons along her march to the top have stuck with her.
I don’t have a list of questions. I just hit record and talk … and when you have an hour long, true to life, free flowing conversation with someone, you get a pretty good feeling of what they’re about. Skye, despite all the fame and success, is as down to earth and is such an incredibly sweet soul. I felt blessed to talk with her, and hope that the overall upbeat tone shines through in this narrative of our phone call.
Skye - So it was nice to do a slow approach into it, of doing like Penthouse and all of those first and then being able to talk to a bunch of girls that were in the industry themselves and I got a really good idea of what my day would be like, what I would be doing and went from there. I was able to really see what the world was like without having to just throw myself into it first, which was great. And it really made a difference in doing the actual porn scenes where I felt a lot more comfortable walking onto a set, knowing what the day was going to be like. And I feel like that really translated into a lot of my scenes at first until COVID happened and we all had to take a break. And now it feels like second nature. It feels so comfortable. I was really, really happy that I got that kind of experience out of it.
Jim - Yeah, and you mentioned that. I hear that a lot from people, and I imagine that you do too. They’re like, "Hey, what do I have to do to get into the industry?" You get that question 20 times a week. And they really don't have an idea (of all that is involved with the business), so for you to have that insight and the invitation to take a look beforehand. Without that, I can't imagine what it might be like, but I know girls and guys do it. Still, it would be so much easier and, like you say, such an easier transition if you kind of know what you're getting into.
Skye - Oh, exactly. Yeah, I know. It was a much easier transition for me, knowing right off the bat what I was going to be doing. Yeah, I can't imagine what the 18-year-olds go through when they just show up to a set and have no idea what they’ll be doing.
Jim - I think that the really wild and crazy ones do okay with it, but I know that there's countless others that are probably scared, and they're running for the hills after five minutes. It has to be overwhelming.
Skye - Oh, for sure. Yeah, I was more of a shy and timid one myself so I was really happy to get the experience I did because I couldn't have had it this way just showing up. Even still, my first scene was for Blacked, and I held out, I was like, "No, this isn’t the studio I want to do it with when I’m doing my first scene. I want it to be Vixen." And so, even with all that I knew, was just terrifying on its own. They're like, "Okay, here's the man now." I was like, "Oh, it just happens like this." I was somewhat prepared, but still being in it, it's such a different experience than just hearing about it. So, I can only imagine what the other girls go through.
Jim - I mean, like I say, I know there are stories of that went really well, then there's horror stories daily. But that's cool that you had that experience and that insight already of what you kind of thought it was going to be. I'm curious, though, that's you and that's you looking at yourself in the mirror and saying, "Okay, I'm cool with this." What about the other people in your life at that time? Your family, your friends, what kind of feedback did you get from them?
Skye - At the time, I was dating a fashion photographer and I’ll just say I'm not dating him anymore because of it. There's a difference for some people of shooting erotic content and then seeing your girlfriend or whoever, your partner, going and doing it with another person. So, I think that was a really rough thing for him. I was like, "Hey, I'm going to go do this." And he was fine at first, and then fine turned into not fine. As far as my parents go, they had known I was camming since I was eighteen. My mom was super excited. She's seen me in Playboy, and she was like, "Oh my God, you’re in Playboy. That's amazing." She's always been supportive, but for a couple of years when I started doing porn, it was like a don't ask, don't tell policy up until when she saw her boyfriend looking at me on Pornhub.
Jim - Oh, no.
Skye - And that was the big awakening of like, “Oh, my daughter really is doing this.”
Jim - Wow. Haha. Was that over the family Christmas time or when? What kind of a blow up did that cause or do we even want to talk about it?
Skye - Oh, no. Thankfully, I was not there. I guess I was on the top page of Pornhub. So, she understood, she just didn't really understand how far I was in it, and that kind of gave her a little awakening. It wasn't too big of a thing because I think she had always known it. This was just the in-your-face proof. It ended up okay. I mean, there was a really rough period of like three months where she just couldn't understand it. And then once we sat down and talked later, she finally got a pretty good understanding. It was like, "Okay, well, if you like doing this work, then that's fine."
Jim - Well, at least she still speaks to you, right?
Skye - Yeah, there's been other things, like me and my father really don't talk at all anymore because of it. But I know there's been horror stories from other people, much worse scenarios, so I was very lucky to have a really supportive mom. She's here right now, spending time with me. What was it? The other day I had a photo shoot in my apartment. Me and my friend are modeling for this man, and she's just sitting there watching like a little Kris Jenner being like, "Ooh, no, arch your back like that. Oh my God, yes, that's pretty."
Jim - Yeah, so she's way in... I shouldn't say way into it, but she's supportive, so that's cool. Awesome.
Skye - Yes, very supportive.
Jim - Awesome. You mentioned the photographer boyfriend. So nowadays, what does your personal life look like, or do you not have one?
Skye - Yep, I decided to date a civilian this time.
Jim - Oh, no. ...
Skye - No, it's actually been really great. He’s very supportive. One of the first things I told him was that I was a porn star, and they were like, "Yeah, we support sex work in this house." So, it was like, "Great." It's honestly been one of the best relationships I've ever had in my life, just because there's a separation of work and home life where before our lives were just so mixed together that you couldn't tell ‘what was the relationship,’ and ‘what was work.’ It's been a nice change of pace. It's been really lovely, actually, and they're supportive as well. I couldn't ask for a better partner, so it's been really nice. He'll help me take my bags down to the car before a set day, help me to have a good day at work.
Jim - No, that's great. I apologize because I thought that you said that you “tried to date a civilian” and I was going to be like, "Oh, no."
Skye - Oh. No, it's not like that at all.
Jim - I'm happy to hear that it's working out well for you.
Skye - Right. I had tried dating other civilians as well, and it didn't wind up the same as it did with this one. Some people just really can't handle seeing their partner in that light. Some people you can't even get past the first date where, like I say, I'm very upfront and honest with it. I'm like, "Yes, this is what I do for work. I'm a porn star. Are you okay with that?" Some people right off the bat are just like, "No." Okay, well, that's not going to work.
Jim - Yeah, and I don't do exactly what you do, but I don't know that I can date civilians because it's like, "Oh, you talk to those people, and you do that?" It's like, "Okay, fine, I'll just go find somebody else." But yeah, that's always an interesting thing. And a lot of the couples that are both in the industry, they still have what you mentioned, those lines. But it's kind of a pre-understood thing at that point where it's work, it's personal, it's home life, it's business. Whatever the partner, it's important that we have that. I'm curious about your art because we've mentioned fashion and art a lot or several times. And your blonde hair, so it was blue, fine, but now it's blonde. Was it always that short? It's a very fashionable look.
Skye - I had gotten the hair cut from one of my friends. He does hair for Fashion Week and stuff like that. It's like, "You're too girl-next-door. Let me give you a better cut," and I got that done four years ago. So really, I changed it right before I went into hardcore porn so it's kind of hard to find anything without it. But the stuff with Penthouse and Playboy, I had longer hair, and that was right before I decided to change my hair again.
Jim - Okay. But I like it like that, I think it looks cool. The take that I get from it is like kind of a “less is more,” like "Here I am… and I'm awesome."
Skye - When I first cut my hair, it was such a big eye opener of me being like, "Wow, I cannot believe how much hair really hides a person." I was able to see all of my facial structures way more clearly, photographed way better. So, it was a really nice change of pace of really there's nowhere to hide behind hair, so you have to really look at yourself and look at what you're doing in work. I can't just throw my hair over me anymore. I have to be full of expression and really go the extra mile just to... It’s just that everything feels like it's the extra mile because there's nothing to hide behind.
Jim - No, there's no need for you to hide behind anything, you’re gorgeous.
{Shared Laughter … there was actually a ton of shared laughs, too many to list! Haha}
Jim – I want to ask you about social media. You've got OnlyFans, CamSoda, Pornhub, Insta, of course, Twitter, Reddit, TikTok, which I stole a sound bite from one of your videos the other day. I think you stole it from somebody else so that's cool. Out of all the social media - kind of a two-part deal - is that what really drives a lot of your sales? And which one of those do you seem to put the most effort into, or which one is your fave?
Skye - Honestly, Instagram is my favorite, although TikTok's coming in second. I can scroll through it for hours, honestly. I don't know. I think making the content myself isn't my favorite, but with Instagram I love being able to share my modeling. It's a fun little escape for me of being like, “Oh, Twitter for all of my porn, but here's a different side of me.” Here's like all of these cute artistic little poses, and it's like a nice switch from scrolling through Twitter and being like porn, porn, porn, great, this is all my feed is to then Instagram being a little bit more modest and having the same people become really creative with the way that they advertise themselves on there since you can't have nudity.
I love talking with performers about their social media. Each one is different, and they all have different angles on why they are there, what they hope to get out of it, and also … what they put into it. Skye’s answers about Instagram were so on target with me, and I love the way she was talking about following fashionistas on Instagram. It was clear that she really enjoys her interactions.
But then, she spoke of losing an account, and I have heard from others how devasting this can be. It is a combination of their sales and advertising being gone, in an instant, forever. All of that to say this– most know our performers through following them on any number of social media outlets, and yeah … some accounts are run by a service. However, most of them are not. Our performers are literally small businesspeople, doing their best to have a presence, interact with their fans, network with other professionals, and earn an income.
They’re people, just like you and I, and that’s what makes our industry so terrific. What other form of show business permits such close contact with its stars??? The answer is, few … if any at all. Adult is so unique in this way, and that’s a good thing. We can learn so much about the lives of our fav stars just by checking in on their accounts. So, hell yeah– follow your fav performer, support them, and interact in a way that builds everyone up.
HAVE FUN WITH IT!
Skye - I would definitely say that social media drives a lot of the sales. My last Instagram got deleted of 220K, which was a huge blow for me. I don't know why, but OnlyFans sales go through the roof when I post about it on Instagram, probably because they don't know that I have a Twitter full of all of that stuff and I think they get really excited about the fact that somebody that looks like a model... My last one, some people were just shocked to even find out I was a porn star. They're like, "Wait, what? She's got a whole Pornhub of work. I don't understand." Hahaha
Jim - What I have found is it's a way different audience between Insta and Twitter. What you're saying, I've heard before as well, and there's girls on there that have huge Instagram followings, but you look for them on Twitter and they’ve got like five followers. So, what's going on here? But they do really, really well on their OnlyFans. Like you say, you just have to present it in such a different way than you do on Twitter.
Skye - But it's a fun, little social experiment with that. You're just like, "Wow, all right. I can literally throw a different version of myself to these people, and they think I'm just a model. Great, cool. Drives sales even better." But yeah, it's a totally different platform. Twitter's more for like porn and where I find my memes and then Instagram, I love following all of the fashion accounts and just really getting that fresh, different kind of feed in there where I can have my little escape. Sometimes I'm like, "Oh, wait, that's right, I should advertise my work. I can't just post pretty pictures."
Jim - And that's a big part of it too is that's your escape, that's your downtime. With everything that we've talked about, how do you schedule time just for you and stay with that? Because you need that to stay in a good spot mentally and physically.
Skye - For the most part, I'm on my break right now. I try and work for like eight months and then I take two months off for myself just to really not work at all and go back into my passions. I get artistic with photos or drawing, painting. I used to sell my artwork in New York so getting back to that is always really fun to just take some time off and really focus on what makes me happy and do that. And then whenever I get to travel for work, it's always a really nice little escape where I'll schedule a day or two for just me time to be able to explore a city. Because when I was younger, oh my God, I would go on tour and go to a different place, but never actually see the city, I was just working the whole time. So really scheduling off big chunks of time for myself is how I try and do it, just to regroup and get back in a good mental headspace. Because I noticed if I take three days off during the week or I take a week off instead of doing like a whole long chunk of time, I just don't want to go back to work. So, I have to purge myself for two months and then I want to go back to work. I get bored and I'm like, "Ooh, I wish I said yes to that!"
Jim - No, I get it. I do the same thing in the winter. It seems like December and January are serious downtime and then you want to go back and get something going. But fashion and art, is that something you're just kind of keeping around on the side? Or is that a hobby, maybe something that you're still pursuing on the down low? And I mean that as far as mainstream, not just adult.
Skye - Yeah. I try my best to keep a good mix of everything in my life, of doing normal photo shoots and keeping that in there when I work. I think the last thing that I was really trying to pick up was when I was talking to a Hollywood agent about doing more mainstream work. I've been thinking about going and taking a couple of acting classes, flexing those muscles and see where that takes me. If anything, it's just going to be like a fun little experiment, another thing in my back pocket that can also make me way better at the current job that I'm doing. I'm sure a couple of acting classes could really help with doing the intros to pornos. I think it'd be a fun little change of pace and if it takes off somewhere, then that'd be great.
Jim - That's cool, and that kind of leads into the “Where are you going to be five years from now question.” You're not looking to leave adult, but that's cool that you're exploring other options. At this point, I think the political climate that we're in, I know that in some ways it seems brutal, but there's also kind of an acceptance going on where that crossover is possible, where beforehand maybe it wasn't.
Skye - Oh, yeah, there's a ton of girls like Chloe Cherry, who was just in Euphoria, and now her and Julia Fox are out in Fashion Week, where Julia Fox started as a sex worker as well. So, it was like, "All right, great." The climate's getting better, which is super nice. There's a lot more opportunities out there. It makes me really happy because seven years ago when I started this, I would get death threats for just being a cam girl, and now, especially over COVID, the switch really flipped. It's been really nice to see all of that happening. And God, I feel so fucking happy for the girls getting into it now because when I first started, those death threats were crazy for just showing my body and people being super mean about it. And now it's a way better climate. Even me, I feel so much better at what I'm doing because it's not demonized. I mean, honestly, to some people, it still is a very bad thing, but overall consensus now is sex work is work. It's great to be able to have a different kind of perspective on the work that I do rather than always worrying, "Oh, is my new friend not going to accept me? Should I hide this?" Ooof.
Jim - Ooof, that's one of my favorite words. But yeah, I think that COVID changed... Here's what I think it did. It really made a lot of people understand the sex industry and the adult industry, and I don't want to say it's bulletproof because it's not, but it's here, and it’s not going anywhere. The people who were sending you death threats were probably logged on to Pornhub at 3:00 a.m. during their two-week quarantine.
Skye - Oh, yeah.
Jim - It's that kind of funny, weird dynamic that I can never, ever get past.
Skye - Oh, no, it's super weird, trust me. I have had clients in the past where they had seen me, and then a week later, I'm like, "Oh, this is a senator passing a bill against sex workers. He just saw me two weeks ago." It's so funny the ways that it works like that and the people out in the middle of the country that are complaining that this is ruining the country, and then they are the same ones jacking off later that night to it.
Jim - I can't remember who said it. She's a sex worker. I think she may be in Oregon or Washington, but she runs any number of good projects against human trafficking. And the post had to do with, “Hey, I've got one through ten different certifications. Here's what I'm doing. And how is it that this church group from wherever in Missouri” - it may not have been in Missouri – “somehow knows more about stopping human trafficking or protecting people than I do?” And I think that as a rule, or generally speaking, most sex workers are so enabled and prepared to tackle these subjects. But yet, like you say, they're demonized and “Oh, well, you know nothing because you're somehow part of the ‘problem’.” Yeah, it's bizarre.
Skye - It's crazy, but it’s nice that it's getting a lot more light on it. I think social media, especially over COVID, really made us see how we can flip the script in a mere matter of seconds by spreading awareness. I've seen so many more sex workers becoming more politically active just because it's important to them. The last elections, a sex worker wrote up a two-page thing to tell me who I should and shouldn't vote for and here are the reasons and here are their politics, their political commentary. And it was like, I'm literally getting taught how to vote by this sex worker. Haha. Before that, I wouldn't have spent all the time researching. I wouldn't have gone through or known about the people in the smaller categories, like the mayor, or some of the other people in local elections.
Skye - So it's crazy how people that have been so ostracized are now the ones who are fighting for the most amount of freedom. The EARN IT Act that was coming through, I saw a vast majority of sex workers talking about that one and getting people to sign the petition to go against it, even though it'll benefit them by not having it, but would also benefit normal people. So yeah, spreading awareness about that.
Jim - Yeah, and I love it that - and it's not an overnight thing. I don't know if we can blame COVID for it or whatever – but people feel empowered, I think that’s a good word for it, to come out and say, "Yeah, this is me, this is what I'm doing.” Like you say, they are coming out of the shadows. There's plenty of light on the situation, and I think it's only going to get better or continue to do so. But having said all that, is there one thing, if you could do one thing, or maybe it's two or three, that would make our adult industry better going forward? And that might have to do with how it works internally or have to do with public perception.
Skye - There could be a lot of things done. I really liked when I signed with OC Modeling that they gave me a packet, a giant packet of lists of resources, people to talk to. Here are all the best therapists. Here's a doctor that you can go to and pay cash if you need something not covered by insurance. I think a big thing would just be information being easily accessible in this industry. In New York, we had a community, and it was just a bunch of sex workers getting together, going over rates, telling you how to stay safe. Yet, when I came out to LA, there really wasn't much of a community at all. It felt like every man for himself. So, I feel like that's one of the things where other forms of sex work really got it right, being community based and looking out for other people, rather than a race to the top, trying to be the best porn star, and being number one.
Skye - Whereas when we all share information with each other, we all benefit. Why can't this other girl be making the same amount of OnlyFans as me? I give out my tips and tricks to anybody I meet that's in my presence in the real world. Like, "Here, this is how to make your business better. Here's how to do this." I think more widespread information would be really great moving forward to make the industry better, and just community communication. I think what Motley Models right now is doing is really cute of bringing the girls together for days, having parties where everybody can get together and talk. Because it can be very, very... What is the word? It can be very lonely. If you're just going on a set every single day and meeting different directors and different guys. If you're not doing girl/girl, you're never going to meet any other girls. It’s difficult to meet likeminded people.
Jim – Lonely is a good word for it. I know that we're coming up on the hour mark, but you did mention something that I have found to be true out east in New York and New Jersey and even, to some extent, down in Florida. I almost feel like it's very much of a clique, if you will. It’s like, either you're in or you're not. Then you get out west and it’s like you say, it can feel like it's wide open, any man for himself. But I have seen where that feeling of community and these groups can be very, very helpful.
Skye - Yeah, I think moving forward, that would be best because I mean, even like the 18-year-olds not knowing anything. My experience was better because I had been able to talk to people and get an inside look. So, I think moving forward, that would be the best thing for the industry.
Jim - Cool. Well, let's all try to move forward in that direction and that would be great. I’m over my time, and I know you’re busy today, so let's wrap this up. Terrific insight though, I loved hearing your take on things. Skye, thanks for talking with me today. Everyone can find and follow along with Skye Blue on Twitter, TikTok, Insta. You've got 134,000 plus subscribers at Pornhub. And if all else fails, head over to skyeblueofficial.com. It's all there in one place. Damn, you've got a lot going on.
Skye - Thank you. Working hard. What is it? The devil works hard, but sex workers work harder! Haha.
Jim - Now, that's a quote right there. Do you have that trademarked yet?
Skye - No, I don't, but go ahead and use it.
Jim - I might tweet it here in just a minute. (And I did- tagging Skye with that quote in one of the best interview promos I’ve ever done! Haha) Yeah, thanks again, and special thanks to Erika at The Rub PR for setting this up. She's always so nice to me. I love Erika to death. But I had fun with this, and I hope that you did too.
Skye - Oh, yeah, definitely. Thank you so much.
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