BTS: My Robot Look by Shannon Brooke

Siri, play “I am Not a Robot” by Marina and the Diamonds.

There are some ideas I have that I know I can only do with Shannon Brooke. She just gets me. Her ability to commit to a bit and go all the way with it is extremely admirable. Plus, her style works with mine.

I got the idea for this robot look from a joke I habitually tell to clients who ask, “So, do you have a life outside of this?” My silly response is: “No, I’m just a sex bot that gets activated by $100 bills.”

After the like, 100th time of saying this, I got the idea do a shoot as a sex bot.

At first, I wondered if I should go the Austin Powers fembots route.

Ultimately, I was more drawn to a sleek 1960s sci-fi space age aesthetic. Above is some of the inspiration I pulled from around the ‘net.

I described my idea to Shannon, and she put together a team consisting of Adrienne Baranoff for hair, Imani Carino for makeup, and Nanometer Vintage for wardrobe.

Everyone really nailed it. Dani from Nanometer Vintage brought the perfect clothes and the perfect accessories. The shoes really made the outfit complete and were almost identical to the boots I had in my inspo album. She also brought along a collection of interesting glasses. The white ones are called “boy watchers.” They were originally patented in the 1960s as a combination of sunglasses and hair band. They were marketed as a discreet way to check out your crush and became popular with the space age style crowd.

Shannon created the set. I loved the inclusion of the headless mannequin. I felt like it could be a representation of the way that people can project almost anything onto sex workers, whether it is a client projecting a fantasy of what we are “really” like, or the outside world projecting their fears and stereotypes onto us.

This shoot felt vulnerable in some ways. It was an artistic expression of the objectification I can sometimes experience as a sex worker. Sometimes, certain clients can have a syndrome where they can’t imagine an escort living a normal life. I think it’s kind of like when you were in school and you ran into your teacher at the grocery store. Like, yes, I do go to the bank and post office and wear sweatpants and have friends and family and do fun things and do not-fun things and exist outside of my incall space. And, I’m sure I can do the same type of thinking about some of my clients.

While it’s a totally different aesthetic, I was also inspired by some of the themes from an unlikely source: the music box dance scene in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

While most of my clients are incredibly respectful, there is also a way that society can boil down what they think of a sex worker to a dehumanizing and/or objectifying point. I don’t personally feel like the wind-up doll character. But, sometimes it can feel like others see me that way, especially SWERF type of people when they speak for us or try to say that we don’t have the agency to make my own decisions.

This shoot in particular was also an artistic distillation of the relationship between sex and money for me as a sex worker in addition to the commodification of sex in general. Again, I feel it’s a portrayal of how society might reduce sex workers as an object to throw money at. And, there’s a touch of truth in it, right? There’s a way that it is a very simple exchange. And yet, it can feel so much more complicated at times. And, what I’m offering isn’t just a physical service. There’s a lot more that goes into it. Plus, I’m not a robot…I don’t think.

Thanks to Shannon and her team for making this come out so magically!