Checking In With Fleshbot Awards Host/Adult Time Director Joanna Angel

See The Sexy Social Media Shenanigans in Adult Time/Burning Angel's Shadowbanned!

Fleshbot Awards hostess/AVN Hall of Famer Joanna Angel wrote, directed and stars in Adult Time/Burning Angel's latest comedy Shadowbanned. The movie is about how shadowbanning--a social media format blocking or modifying a person's visibility on that format without their knowledge--harms sex workers and the movie also stars Jessie Lee, Maddy May and Rocky Emerson. Angel's comedies are always damn good but I love this one hits an issue that porn fans should definitely makes themselves aware of so that they can support their favorite performers in a more meaningful way. Here's what Angel had to say about the movie and her world.

Hello, Joanna! How are you? How are things in your world?

"Going alright! Thank you!"

Congrats on the release of Adult Time/Burning Angel's Shadowbanned! What do you like most about how it came out?

"I love this movie! I’m incredibly proud of it. It was tough subject matter to tackle and I think the cast, crew, and post production tram handled it really well."

Shadowbanning is a very real problem for sex workers on social media platforms. Why give it a comedic treatment?
"Because there is simply no logic in the way we are treated - and so much hypocrisy. And when you spell it out, it is comedic. You know….it’s much like, the episode of South Park that describes the Mormon religion. They just say exactly what it is and it’s so absurd, it’s comedic."

Could you explain to the readers how shadowbanning on social media hurts sex workers? Have you personally faced this problem in your work?

"Much like all celebrities, adult stars are very much a brand, and we also all run our own small businesses. It’s crucial for anyone with a brand, or a small business, to promote their brand and business on social media- so when we can’t … what do we do? It cripples us from being able to market ourselves, promote ourselves, and it hurts our current fans from being connected to us …. along with the potential to make new fans. It leaves us with our hands tied and not in a sexy bondage way. Yes, I’m definitely shadowbanned on both Instagram and Twitter and I spend a lot of my time figuring out how to make the algorithm like me more so I am not hiding behind an internet curtain."

What is your favorite sex scene in this? What do you like most about it?

"I like all the sex scenes in this movie! Ha ha,  I can’t pick a favorite."

If you could say anything to the Borg collective/weird corporate force that runs Instagram and Facebook, what would you say?

"I’d say- please, someone, talk to me, and tell me what the hell I need to do to keep my accounts up and keep them visible because your Terms Of Service are incredibly vague and make no sense. I’d be willing to comply with the rules if I could actually figure out what they were."

If you could go to another dimension in time and space like Jessie Lee does in Shadowbanned, where would you go? What would you want to do there?

"I’d go back to the 80s and go to all the hair metal concerts I was not old enough to attend when they happened."

Where does Shadowbanned rank amongst your comedies? Your comedy movies are some of my personal favorite things in porn.

"Thank you very much. It’s hard to rank them! I can’t rank my own movies - a critic like you is able to do that!! Me rating my own is just weird but if it means anything at all, Mike Quasar said it was the absolute best script of mine he’s ever read."

What is coming up for you? What should your fans be on the lookout for?

"Oh! Well, well, what’s coming up for me is that I’ll be hosting the Fleshbot Awards!! So, I’ll see you all there."

Is there anything you would like to say to your fans here at Fleshbot?

"Go watch Shadowbanned and go vote in and watch the Fleshbot Awards!"

All of the images and video here appear courtesy of Adult Time.