Fleshbot Sheds Staff, Reassigns Those Staying On

CYBERSPACE — Company-wide layoffs at Gawker Media will affect its subsidiary, sex culture website Fleshbot, a source told XBIZ Monday.

On Friday, Gawker founder Nick Denton announced in a memo that 19 employees would be laid off across its family of blogs, as a response to the souring economy and as a measure to please advertisers.

Denton didn’t return emails seeking comment to confirm the number of employees to be laid off at Fleshbot.

Gram Ponante, who has contributed to Fleshbot as a “senior erotic consultant,” told XBIZ that the site was undergoing “a few redistributions of efforts” related to the layoffs.

“Lux Altpraum will take over as editor and will be responsible for making sure the site, with fewer contributors, still churns out 18 or so stories a day,” Ponante said.

With the move, founding editor John D’Addario would become an “emeritus” contributor who files an “occasional dispatch as he feels like it,” Ponante told XBIZ.

The cutbacks, Ponante said, reflect what he views as “the understanding that people are getting more and more of their porn for free, as well as that the taboos that drive interest in seeking out porn for porn’s sake are fading away.

“That Denton has eliminated positions from Fleshbot and shifting resources to his car and gadget sites simply reflects a canny emphasis on putting staff where advertisers are most likely to see increased [return on investment],” Ponante said.

Related:  

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Streamster Launches 'Tip2Peep' Camera-Switching Feature

Live-streaming software provider Streamster has launched Tip2Peep, a new feature that allows viewers to switch between multiple webcam viewing angles by tipping the creator.

Tyler Wu Guests on Chaturbate's 'Sex Tales' Podcast

Tyler Wu is the latest guest on Chaturbate’s “Sex Tales” podcast, hosted by Melissa Stratton and Vanniall on the company’s “Camming Life” YouTube channel.

Fleshy to Launch Interactive Cam Site 'Eromote'

Male pleasure brand Fleshy has announced that it will launch an interactive, bidirectional cam site next month called Eromote.

XBIZ LA Show Introduces New 'Crib Crawl' Feature

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the 2025 edition of its flagship conference, the XBIZ Show, will debut a brand-new feature: Crib Crawl, offering attendees the chance to meet and greet representatives from leading brands and organizations in dedicated suites at the host venue.

Pre-Nominations Now Open for 2025 TEAs

The pre-nomination period for the 2025 Trans Erotica Awards (TEAs) is now open.

Byborg Invests $22.35M in PLBY Group

Luxembourg-based Byborg Enterprises SA is investing $22.35 million in Playboy parent company PLBY Group.

Supreme Court to Hear Oral Arguments on Texas AV Law in January

The United States Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for Free Speech Coalition's challenge to Texas’ age verification law to take place Wednesday, Jan. 15.

2025 XBIZ Exec Awards Nominees for Online Industry Announced

XBIZ is pleased to announce the nominees for the online industry edition of the 2025 XBIZ Exec Awards, set to be presented as part of the annual XBIZ Honors ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 15 in conjunction with the XBIZ 2025 conference.

Project 2025 Leader Claims Big Tech Companies 'Deliberately Fuel Pornography Addiction' Among Men

Heritage Foundation president and Project 2025 leader Kevin Roberts published on Wednesday the text of a speech in which he persists with his past claim that “predatory Big Tech corporations” are “deliberately fueling pornography addiction” among young men.

FSC Petitions 10th Circuit for Review of Utah AV Dismissal

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) on Wednesday petitioned the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit to review a decision handed down earlier this month by a three-judge panel of the same appeals court, which denied FSC the right to challenge Utah’s controversial age verification law by suing state officials.

Show More