By Kate Harrold
SMOKING HOT: This woman earns eight-hundred-pounds per month from SMOKING for her FIVE THOUSAND FOLLOWERS – and says CORONAVIRUS has IMPROVED business.
Student, Brit DiMattia (25) from Wisconsin, USA, is better known online to her followers as ‘Smoking Model.’ Having spent several years working in the service and entertainment industries, Brit is now studying for her master’s in marketing, after deciding to move closer to home.
Brit had been smoking since 2013, when she was 18 years old. It was a habit she considered a social activity, a confidence boosting accessory, and a relaxant – but never a job. When Brit stumbled across the smoking fetish community on Instagram in 2018, the opportunity to earn some extra money to fund her studies suddenly presented itself.
Brit soon set to work creating pre-made videos for her newfound paying customers. Before long, Brit’s predominantly male audience began to place special requests. Brit would paint her fingernails, perform certain smoking tricks, roleplay, or use a certain brand of cigarette.
Other requests were slightly more out of the ordinary. Brit has been asked to create nude or sexually explicit content – something she declines – and has even been asked to chain smoke until she was sick.
The young entrepreneur spends £50 ($60) a week on cigarettes but is making an impressive £400 ($500) to £800 ($1000) a month from her fetish content. Brit even claims that the current COVID-19 pandemic is increasing her earnings. With many people now in self-isolation, Brit has seen an increase in demand for her content – which handily provides her with a steady income during these uncertain times.
Brit hopes to continue growing her fetish content page having only realised its lucrative potential in the last 12 months. Brit views her content as a form of art and aims to show others that it’s healthy to explore their desires.
“I moved back to Wisconsin several years ago to be closer to my father and brother. I am currently a full-time student, working in the entertainment industry for income,” Brit said.
“Smoking is a relaxing ritual that fills gaps of time in between my busy schedule. It’s sometimes a social activity for me, a way to connect with people, and a conversation starter.
“A cigarette is my favourite accessory. I find smoking satisfying and there’s a certain confidence that I have when I have it in my hand.
“When I have stress or anxiety, having a cigarette to smoke gives me a buffer for the world around me. For those few minutes I can block anything out – it’s my time.
“I spend about $60 a week on cigarettes, varying slightly depending on the brand choices.
“The community found me, really. Just over two years ago, I posted a few photos of me smoking on my Instagram page. I received quite a few messages asking me if I had ever heard of smoking fetishes, along with some encouragement and links to several pages which were popular at the time.
“At first, I brushed it off as you normally do when people suggest something that seems out of the norm or too good to be true, but the messages and requests kept coming and eventually I decided to start a page and give it a shot.
“I now sell pre-made videos that I film for my audience and custom videos for certain clients when they have specific requests. In a typical month with my current schedule, I make between $500 and $1000 dollars.
“With the current COVID-19 pandemic impacting my regular job and keeping me at home, it is a relief to have this alternative income to fall back on.
“Many of my followers are overseas in affected areas such as Italy and the Middle East. They seem happy for the extra content and I am grateful for the additional income.
“I do worry about the effects smoking is having on my own health. I fully intend to quite sometime in the next few years.”
The requests Brit receives from her followers are incredibly varied.
“Most are very simple and ‘on brand’ like having painted fingernails and doing specific types of smoking tricks and techniques,” Brit said.
“Some include costumes and scenarios related to smoking like wearing gloves or smoking like I haven’t got to smoke all day and have an uncontrollable urge.
“I have learned that most smoking fetish enthusiasts have strong preferences for specific details, like the brand of cigarette, the makeup I wear, or the way I inhale or exhale the smoke. I find most of these types of fetishes interesting and my content reflects this.
“There are also crossover fetish requests like being asked to smoke a cigarette with my foot or whilst wearing latex. Once I was asked to chain smoke until I got sick. I’ve also been asked to give virtual smoking lessons.
“On the more extreme side of things, there are requests for nudity or sexually explicit material. Whilst I hold no judgment for these fetishes, I personally do not fulfil these types of requests and recommend that those seeking this type of content reach out to other creators.”
Brit is supported by her friends and family and hopes to inspire others to embrace their fetishes.
“Mostly, the people closest to me find it hard to believe that there are people willing to pay money for this. Some find it amusing or strange, but most of the people in my life are supportive. I’ve had a few close friends even help me make content,” Brit said.
“The reaction from the community is extremely positive. I get hundreds of comments and reactions to almost everything that I post. They are supportive and loyal people always giving encouragement and complimenting my work.
“I do get the occasional internet troll. I’ve been criticised for not giving away free content to someone who doesn’t want to pay. Occasionally, people criticise me for not having any nude or explicit content.
“We live in a very stimulating world and it’s only natural that we explore our sexuality through all avenues that become available to us. It makes sense that our sexuality would evolve in the same way that our interests and engagement do.
“There are people that enjoy creating this type of content just as much as people enjoy consuming it. In its own way, it’s a form of art.
“It’s healthier for people to have a safe place to express their fetishes rather than supress them. I’d tell anyone that felt hesitant to explore their fetish that there’s a place for them and their desires. They should be explored and celebrated.”
For more, please visit Brit’s Instagram page.
