for sex workers, by sex workers
As sex workers with unique experiences, we’re determined to give an eye-opening glimpse into our anomalous world. The SUGAR pilot was filmed by a diverse cast and crew dominated primarily by women, people of color, the LGBTQ community and fellow sex workers.
we’re ending the stigma
You’ve seen every show about a stripper, an escort, or an outdated “call-girl;” these stereotypes are overplayed. It’s bullshit and we're over it. This is not a show about the fantasy of the stripper. This is a show about the reality of the women behind the fantasy.
The pilot: Kika’s viewpoint
Our pilot episode follows Kika, a broke fashion school grad in New York City who’s hopped on the sugar daddy train. Unbeknownst to her, her sugar daddy is the owner of a Manhattan strip club. Her first date spirals into a behind the scenes look of the club’s employees, dancers, and customers. Kika’s night takes an unexpected turn when she is thrown into auditioning to dance. While she is ready to take the plunge into sugar baby territory, she doesn’t know if she’s prepared for the main stage. As the night progresses, Kika becomes inspired by the community of the club. She finds herself craving the autonomy the women have. She faces a choice: play it safe, or dive in head first to the world of the strip club and embrace the unforseen highs and lows that sex work has to offer.
THe series
Every episode of the series will be told from a different character's perspective. While they all made short cameos throughout the pilot, they all have a distinct and impactful story about how exactly they ended up at the strip club that night. Their outside lives cross in ways you never thought possible and leaves the viewers wondering just how many people in their every day lives play a role in the sex industry. SUGAR takes you deeper into their worlds, highlighting the realities of strippers, fetish workers, customers, and the staff of the strip club.
why sugar is important
It's extremely hard for sex workers to open up to their families and friends about their work, their realities, their relationships and their truth. With SUGAR, we're determined to open peoples' minds and hearts to a world that has been kept underground for far too long. We aspire to transform judgment into empathy and understanding by telling the real stories of female sex workers, LGBTQ sex workers, sex workers of color, immigrant sex workers, incarcerated sex workers, trans sex workers, and others who have yet to have the privilege to see themselves accurately represented in the media.
SUGAR is for anyone who has ever felt lost, devalued, or ashamed of who they are. It is for people pursuing a dream and making a change. It is for the mothers, fathers, friends, and family members who still need a little help in understanding why we are proud of what we do.