Joanie Xenia and Amy Madison are similar to other Twitch broadcasters in that they are gamers that share their gameplay with an online audience. They tweet Overwatch jokes, cosplay, and collect game-related memorabilia. Moreover, they don't work on Twitch as other streamers do. However, what sets them apart from other Twitch streams is that they are also professional actors on camera.

If you're unfamiliar with camming, it's essentially the same as Twitch streaming except that the performer, who is typically a woman, strips off rather than playing a game. However, camming is about much more than that, much like streaming. Like they would for their favorite Twitch streamers, fans tune in because they want to engage with and support artists.

Performers like Joanie and Amy broadcast on Twitch for a variety of reasons, despite the persistent chants of "camwhore" and "fake gamer girls" directed at female streamers. I discussed with them the similarities and differences between camming and streaming, as well as what Twitch and other platforms may learn from the past of cam sites.

Camming vs. Streaming: What’s Similar

Since the invention of cameras, or perhaps before the idea of streaming games, people have been camming. One of the biggest cam sites now in use, MyFreeCams, was established in 2002. Justin.tv, the forerunner of Twitch, didn't go live until 2007. In return for a percentage of every transaction, platforms have emerged since those early days to simplify the camming sites' setup, watching, and payment procedures, thus simplifying life for both spectators and performers.

It's challenging to tell the difference between the two positions, even if one ignores the details of the performance required. Both of these internet jobs revolve around building and making money from a personal fan base. Someone else owns the site itself, and they profit from transaction cuts and advertisements. With time, the similarities between Twitch and cam sites will only grow.

MyFreeCams, for example, has a token system. Tokens can be purchased in advance and used for either public or private performances, or they can be given to performers as tips in open discussions. Tokens range in price from 8 to 10 cents, and artists get paid 5 cents for each token they obtain. With the launch of Twitch's Affiliate Program earlier this year, a significant number of broadcasters now have an in-platform option to monetarily support their channels. Viewers purchase "Bits" from Twitch and use them to "Cheer" streamers under the new arrangement. The applauded streamer receives one penny with each bit, with the platform charging around 1.3 cents for each bit.

With the introduction of an internal tip system, Twitch has made it possible for a greater number of streamers—not just Twitch partners—to make money from their performance. Maintaining a consistent routine, developing a unique identity, and staying in touch with fans are often necessary for this as well—all tried-and-true tactics for becoming a popular cam performer.

Amy claims that she feels the same pressure to be interesting on Twitch as she does while camming. Like when she goes on camera, she gets nervous before going live and thinks she needs to build a relationship with everyone in the chat room, no matter what platform it is on.

Although Joanie claims not to make much money from it, she does now collect tips from her streaming outside of the Bits system. She therefore views it more as a recreational pastime and does not view it as a job in the same sense as camming. She states, "My viewers know it's just for a good time and I don't expect anything from them other than their company if they want to come and hang out while I stream." Although Amy doesn't presently monetize her show, her fans often recommend that she do, and she intends to work with Twitch in the future.

And What’s Different

Joanie believes that her camming audience accounted for the majority of her Twitch followers. She interacts with fewer trolls while streaming since her viewers are usually more interested in the game than in her, however this might also be because she changes her look between the two activities. She usually wears "nerdy t-shirts or tank tops" with minimal makeup and avoids exposing too much cleavage while she streams on Twitch. This stands in contrast to the sexier attire and darker cosmetics she dons when camming.

Every now and then, Amy needs to remind her Twitch stream audience that she isn't there to talk about her job and that she won't put up with anything too obscene in the conversation. She believes that because streaming is a more defined social environment, people are more engaged. Here, she makes the argument that there's a feeling of "not knowing what to say to a naked girl" in live conversations, which makes some viewers want to watch in silence.

How Twitch Can Improve

Every now and then, Amy needs to remind her Twitch stream audience that she isn't there to talk about her job and that she won't put up with anything too obscene in the conversation. She believes that because streaming is a more defined social environment, people are more engaged. Here, she makes the argument that there's a feeling of "not knowing what to say to a naked girl" in live conversations, which makes some viewers want to watch in silence.

Additionally, Joanie contends that the content guidelines for cam sites are less ambiguous. For example, MyFreeCams prohibits cam performers from showing breastfeeding and fisting; most infractions result in banishment from the site. This is a very typical situation for websites who deal with porn and are unsure about the legality of the content they post. But according to Joanie , Twitch might label something as pornographic without even providing evidence of moderate explicitness, which could result in erroneous bans.

While MyFreeCams's restriction on particular behaviors is quite explicit, Twitch's Community Guidelines specify that "Nudity and conduct involving overtly sexual behavior and/or attire are prohibited." For instance, despite her claims that she stopped broadcasting in a bikini, Zoie Burgher was banned from Twitch last year for posting sexually explicit videos. When Joanie's clothing was deemed to be "pornographic," her account was once temporarily banned, which made her reconsider how she presented herself while streaming. Game developers have also disagreed about what kind of material is permitted on Twitch, with creators such as Robert Yang frequently having their creations instantly removed from the platform.

What Constitutes Work?

Despite the stigma attached to sex workers, Amy believes that camming is more seen as "real work" than streaming; perhaps this is because camming has an offline counterpart—you're a "digital stripper," in her words. Since streaming is a more recent activity, there isn't a comparable practice. For some, it's still somewhat weird to think about playing video games in front of an audience, much less earning money for it.

Of course, not everyone views camming as a legitimate job, particularly in light of the fact that some people are still incensed by the thought of women being paid in part for their sex appeal. This article cannot fully explore the intricate and multifaceted phenomenon of whore shaming, but let's just say that women are rarely making "easy money" from streaming, there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work involved in all sex work, and the strongest social outrage appears to come from women who choose to directly benefit from patriarchal expectations regarding their sexuality and appearance.

This makes the debates around what defines "legitimate work" that frequently revolve around both camming and streaming more comprehensible. This is also the reason why the best defenses of women against the stereotype of "camwhores" avoid categorizing them as "legitimate" or "illegitimate" streamers or employees. The accounts of those who cam and stream provide support for even more expansive alliances, not just between cam performers and streamers but also between streamers and other sex workers. Arguments that many streamers have over whether or not their work is "real" are similar to ones that cam performers have been having for a long time.

More often than not, camming and streaming include taking part in a closed online workplace where users must follow the guidelines set forth by the site or face expulsion. While this may help employees by, for example, eliminating some of the risks associated with conducting business directly with viewers, it also leaves artists at the whim of the platform. Given that Twitch's Community Guidelines are still vague, this puts certain female streamers in danger because their bodies are perceived as naturally sexual.