The Rise and Fall of a Notorious Adult Blogger: What Really Happened to Mike South

James Sterling · 2026-07-18

You might not remember the name Mike South, but if you followed the adult industry's messy corners a decade ago, you probably ran into his work. His real name is Michael Thomas Strother, and he ran a blog that was equal parts gossip, lies, and pure chaos. For a while, he was loud enough to get attention, but not smart enough to know when to shut up. ### Who Was Mike South, Really? Strother built his entire online persona around being a provocateur. He claimed to be an insider, someone who knew the real stories behind the adult entertainment world. But here's the thing: most of what he wrote was made up. He wasn't a journalist. He wasn't even a decent storyteller. He was a guy who realized that outrage and controversy got clicks, so he leaned into it hard. He picked sides that made no sense. He defended people the industry considered enemies. He attacked people who didn't deserve it. And for a while, it worked. He had a small but loyal audience that ate up every exaggerated tale. ### The Lies That Destroyed His Platform Strother's downfall came the way it always does for people who lie for a living: he got too comfortable. He told one too many lies, and this time, he picked the wrong targets. The people he lied about had money, lawyers, and zero patience for his nonsense. Suddenly, Mike South's site wasn't his anymore. He lost control of it. He was run out of the business almost overnight. It's a classic story of someone who thought they were untouchable until reality caught up. - He lied about industry figures without evidence - He fabricated stories to generate traffic - He alienated everyone who could have helped him - He underestimated the consequences of defamation ### The Delusion Continues Even after losing his platform, Strother can't let go. According to a recent Facebook post, he still believes people recognize him in public and ask for autographs. Think about that for a second. I've sat in restaurants with some of the biggest names in adult entertainment: Abella Danger, Lily Labeu, London Keys, Kayden Kross, Jesse Jane, Dakota Skye, Riley Steele, and at least 20 others. Not once did anyone walk up to them for an autograph. Not once. But somehow, Strother thinks people care about him at hockey games. The disconnect is staggering. ### What We Can Learn From This Mess There's a lesson here for anyone building a personal brand online. Honesty matters. Credibility is fragile. And if you build your entire reputation on lies, you're just one fact-check away from losing everything. Strother had a platform. He had an audience. He could have used it to share real insights or build something legitimate. Instead, he chose to be a troll, and now he's a cautionary tale. ### The Bottom Line Mike South is a reminder that the internet rewards attention, but it doesn't reward lies forever. Eventually, the truth catches up. And when it does, there's no comeback tour, no redemption arc, just a guy posting on Facebook about how people still want his autograph. He's still full of hillbilly crap, as the original headline put it. Some things never change.