YNOT Magazine, Issue Y19-02 by YNOT

CONTENTS

Adult Performers: The Industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Underappreciated Lifeblood Gene Zorkin

Missy Martinez, Social Media and the Art of Being Yourself Gene Zorkin

Casey Kisses: Stardom, Struggles and Something Extra

Mallory Hall

I AM ANGELA: An Accurate Rendering of the Real Angela White

Amber Gold

Allie Eve Knox on Crypto, FOSTA and the Importance of Listening

Gene Zorkin

Reinvention, Staying Relevant: Cory Chase Explores Her Sustained Career

Mallory Hall

PAGE

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Featured Article

Adult Performers: The Industry’s Underappreciated Lifeblood By Gene Zorkin “Porn stars.” “Adult performers.” “Talent.” Whatever term you use to refer to the people who appear in the videos, photographs and other mediums which comprise pornography, adult entertainment as we know it wouldn’t – and couldn’t – exist without them. Make no mistake: Being an adult performer is not an easy job. If you think it is, this just means you haven’t walked a mile in a performer’s shoes – or spent an hour on the set of an adult content shoot. Despite their mission-critical importance to the adult industry, adult performers often aren’t treated with the respect, or given the support, one would expect such crucial workers and human resources to receive. For many consumers, performers appear to be perceived

as mere collections of attractive body parts, rather than full human beings. Sadly (and shockingly, considering their central importance to the production of the content which sustains so many adult businesses), there are many within the adult industry who don’t show performers much more respect than such consumers. While the importance of performers to the production of adult content hasn’t changed or diminished over the years, many things about the industry and the consumer market

have shifted radically over the same period. To cite just one example, in the social media age, adult performers have more of a voice than they did in years past. Now they can communicate directly with their viewers and fans in a way that simply wasn’t available for most of the commercial porn industry’s history. Of course, there’s also a downside to the direct communication modern technology has enabled. After all, where there’s an online platform for communication, there’s also certain to be trolls, cyber-stalkers and other internet miscreants – along with all the assorted threats and irritants which serve as tools of their miserable, insipid trade. How do adult performers go about navigating this evolving modern market, where every opportunity seems to be wrapped around a pitfall? How do they take advantage of the good and avoid being bogged down by the bad? In the weeks ahead, YNOT will publish a small series of profiles and interviews focused on adult performers. Rather than being selected for their fame, popularity, or perceived status within the adult industry, these performers have been chosen for their compelling personalities, their crafty use of social media and for the passion they display, not just for the work they do in the adult industry, but for a

variety of life’s little pleasures – and its big challenges. You’ll hear from performers who have mastered the art of self-promotion via social media, others who are on the cutting edge of the emerging cryptocurrency market and others who offer specific suggestions and constructive criticism on how the adult industry can improve its support for performing talent. Obviously, no small set of articles can do more than scratch the surface of the enormous variety of personalities, perspectives and passions embodied in the large and everchanging population of adult performers. But for this issue of YNOT Magazine, YNOT has endeavored to assemble a representative sample which speaks to the intelligence, savvy and determination embodied by many performers – traits which all too often go unappreciated, or even unnoticed. We hope these features help readers obtain a fuller understanding of those profiled and contribute to a greater appreciation for all adult performers. Respect, support and appreciation is no less than they deserve... And no less than they’ve earned.

About the Author Gene Zorkin has been covering legal and political issues for various adult publications (and under a variety of different pen names) since 2002.

Interviews

Missy Martinez, Social Media and the Art of Being Yourself By Gene Zorkin If you’ve ever consulted with a social media expert, you’ve probably heard it said that one of the keys to building a successful social media presence is “authenticity.” Like a lot of things consultants say, being authentic sounds easy, at least until you try to define precisely what they mean by it. Adult performer Missy Martinez’s Twitter feed presents a vivid living definition of social media authenticity – and her follower count (473,000 at the time of this article’s writing) reflect the trait’s oft-cited benefits. YNOT recently sat down with Missy to talk about her social media presence, how she built it and the crucial role of her irreverent sense of humor, not just in her posts and tweets, but throughout every face of her life. “I’ve been on Twitter for almost a decade now – which sounds way more sad out loud than I thought it would,” Martinez said with a laugh.

Martinez said she originally established her Twitter account to promote the scenes she performed in, boost her visibility, connect with studios and network with her fellow performers. But what began as a strictly promotional effort soon evolved into something more. “I quickly began to realize I could use it for far more than just ‘work,’” Martinez said. “I started flexing my comedic muscles instead of just the muscles inside of my anus. It was and still seems to be pretty well-received.” Use of humor on social media was a natural choice for Missy – if it can reasonably be described as a “choice,” that is. “I definitely use humor in almost every aspect of my daily life,” Martinez told YNOT. “I have severe depression and my life’s motto is ‘If you’re not laughing, you’re crying.’ I try to live my life to the best of my abilities while keeping that in the back of my head. Even if there are days I’m at my darkest, I still actively try to make others laugh at the very

minimum, especially when I’m in those depths of despair. Who doesn’t want to laugh?” It’s a good question – and anyone who doesn’t want to laugh should probably steer clear of Martinez’s Twitter feed.

“99% of my social media interactions are surprisingly positive,” Martinez said. “Most of my fan base has been following me for quite some time and are aware of my sense of humor and knack for sarcasm and engage with me in a way I appreciate. I’m a huge fan of manatee and mozzarella sticks so when I open up my twitter page in the morning, I see pics of those things my fans have posted for me.” It’s a form of support and attention Missy appreciates even more than hearing how much people enjoy her adult entertainment work.

Naturally, having a strong social media presence isn’t all fun and games. Like any other high-profile social media personality, in getting her message in front of a large audience, Martinez has attracted plenty of unwanted attention in the process. Unlike some of her thin-skinned social media peers, however, Missy takes the trolls in stride. What’s her secret? Just ignore the bastards. “I have my fair share of trolls,” she said. “I seldom give them any attention these days and by doing so I’ve noticed a drastic decline in them. Negative attention is still attention. Deny them any form of it at all and you win.”

“It’s refreshing to be seen as someone more than a fantasy character they jerk off to,” she told YNOT. “I’ve actually become great friends with people I’ve only known in the virtual world. The internet has a crazy way of bringing strangers together. It’s glorious.” Another facet of her personality which has resonated with fans is Missy’s affection for gaming – although as she revealed in a recent post for Fanbyte, she no longer feels the same passion for gaming she once did. Make no mistake, though; Martinez hasn’t set gaming aside lightly. In a tweet linking off to the article, she referred to the Fanbyte piece as “one of the emotionally hardest pieces I’ve ever had to write.”

Happily, the trolls who try (unsuccessfully) to get under her skin are greatly outnumbered by far friendlier and more supportive voices.

It’s easy to see why Missy’s past discussions and posts about gaming struck a chord with other gamers. Asked which games had struck her fancy over the years, Missy provided a list which should inspire satisfied nodding from connoisseurs of action role-playing games.

Now that she’s spending less time gaming and recently announced she’ll soon be retiring from doing adult entertainment work, Missy has more time to dedicate to other pursuits. Don’t expect her to set aside her trademark humor in the bargain, though. Asked what other projects and hobbies she might have that are keeping her busy now, she replied: “Does alcohol count as a hobby?” “Lately I’ve been turning to more creative outlets, such as working on my comedy sets or writing pieces for websites and magazines,” Martinez said. “It’s helped me immensely creatively and has been a great substitute from disemboweling pixelated enemies!”

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“My all-time favorite game franchise is Fallout,” Martinez told YNOT. “That game defined me as a gamer and set the bar for other games I’d subsequently play. The immersion of the world, the story line and dialogue options left me craving more. I also really enjoyed Bioshock, Bayonetta, The Last of Us, Until Dawn and Red Dead Redemption to name a few. An obscure game I fell in love with was a scrolling game called Castle Crashers – adorable graphics and high replay-ability.”

About the Author Gene Zorkin has been covering legal and political issues for various adult publications (and under a variety of different pen names) since 2002.

THE PHOENIX FORUM 2019

12Pictures courtesy Buster Brown,YNOTShootMe.com

TEMPE, ARIZONA

Pictures courtesy Buster Brown,YNOTShootMe.com

Interviews

Casey Kisses: Stardom, Struggles and Something Extra By Mallory Hall

“Since first joining the industry, I’ve gone on a rollercoaster of opportunity and excitement,” Casey Kisses shared with YNOT. Currently age 29, Kisses is a trans performer who began working full time in porn during the summer of 2016. She’s originally from Miami but currently lives in Las Vegas, where her career has been no less than a rollercoasterrocketship-juggernaut. Kisses has won 2017 Stroker of the Year, 2018 Cam Performer of the Year and 2019 Best Solo Performer of the Year in the Transgender Erotica Awards (TEAs). She also brought home the 2018 Top Trans Cam Model in the Adult Webcam Awards and has received many other nominations from community spaces.

“I’ve presented awards, flown around the US and have had the opportunity to grow a fan base and gain independence,” Kisses said. “This industry is thriving with opportunity and has been such a blessing to me... I do see a ton of areas we need to work on as a community though.” Kisses’ path to the industry was somewhat perilous. “Before I began working full time in the adult industry, I saw very hard times,” she explained. “I did just about anything I could to make ends meet.” For Kisses, “anything” included repairing antiques, working at a strip club, creating and selling paintings and glasswork and camming in between it all. What’s more, her truly intense

work schedule was accompanied by a litany of personal struggles – issues that she was forced to meet head on. “When I finally decided to transition, I was faced with the possibility of losing my work and my livelihood due to discrimination. I could hardly sleep at night thinking of how I was going to handle coming out at my places of work,” Kisses shared. “My girlfriend at the time left me when I came out as trans as well, so I was stuck paying for an empty apartment that was meant for two on top of the thought of losing my jobs.” Serendipity can work in mysterious ways though, as Kisses explained: “I did four scenes before I began my career as a trans performer. I did these scenes as a way of funding my transition and wasn’t planning on coming back to the industry at all to be honest.” Then, on December 22, 2014, Kisses was involved in a terrible car accident. “I woke up in the hospital with no memory of the two days prior and was left to spend six months to recover in a wheelchair,” she said. Rather than being wholly awful, however, Kisses said the accident was “absolutely freeing.” “I could work all I wanted on cam, and I didn’t need to quit or come out. I didn’t need to pay thousands for the empty apartment either. I could be me,” she explained. “I cammed every day, twice a day. I cammed until I fell asleep, I cammed until I made my rent and -- even more importantly -- I cammed until I was recognized.”

YNOT: One thing that seems to be a huge issue in the industry for performers is having no place to take workplace grievances. What are your thoughts regarding “no HR for porn” and the tendency to “call out” as a result? Casey Kisses: In my experience, there are not enough resources for a model to turn to when facing oppression, discrimination or even on-set abuse. Most models I know, as well as myself, have turned to their Twitter following when confronted with one of these problems. In most cases, nothing serious comes of it. At the same time, as a model taking to Twitter you are faced with the chance of being outcast as a complainer and losing work opportunities as a result. In my experience, a company would prefer to not book you rather than investigate its own employees. This leaves absolutely inappropriate employees running around on set with a camera and a metaphorical badge policing you, with loss of work a consequence for “bad behavior.” For the most part, all we have at our disposal at times is our fan base. I think it is important for us to speak up -- at least to warn other models of potential danger. Without a proper system implemented to protect us, I think it is important for us to remain a close and tightknit community. To be able to reach out and be heard helped me get through one of my grievances, and I hope others keep the same mentality towards speaking up. This is in order to keep this industry safe for us all.

Soon enough, companies were hitting her up, looking to book her for scenes. She took three bookings in her area, where she met future bestie Korra Del Rio. Via Del Rio, Kisses traveled to Las Vegas, and the rest is history.” Kisses shared her thoughts regarding challenges faced by performers in today’s industry, as well as some of her interests outside work and her hopes for the future.

The industry appears to be making positive strides in terms of inclusiveness for trans performers -- is it? I think inclusiveness of transgender performers in mainstream porn is crucial for the advancement of the industry. I have just as many, if not more, fans than some of the cisgender models have on social medial, and yet there are seemingly more opportunities available for some cisgender models as opposed to trans [models]. For example, there are a very limited number of toy companies who even make molds after trans porn stars, which is basically an untapped market on one of the biggest niches in the adult industry. And when it comes to award ceremonies, in my opinion, it seems that some will pick a familiar face over a well-known one simply for the lack of effort put in researching our community. I think we are moving in the right direction though, even if we seem to take a step back after we take two forward.

Outside of work, what are you most passionate about? Outside of the industry, I am extremely passionate about wildlife and nature. I love the ocean and, if I could spend every day on and in it, I would. I love to travel, and Hawaii is one of my favorite places to go. I love exploring the islands. I love the culture, the food and the love I get when I visit. I’ve made so many friends there that I consider family in the short amount of time I’ve visited. It is definitely my home away from home. If you could change one thing about today’s world, what would it be and why? If I could change anything about the world it would be to end hatred. I feel like it’s the common answer to the question, but I couldn’t think of one thing I would want to change more than that. I don’t think we are as racist, sexist or discriminatory as we once were as a human race, and I think we are moving forward. If we could try to stand things we dislike a little more and approach things with an open mind, I think we would ultimately be headed for happiness -- that’s something I can get behind. Love, and let love.

About the Author Mallory Hall is from Central Texas. She has worked in journalism since her university years and enjoys exploring unexpected occurrences in ordinary places.

Interviews

I AM ANGELA: An Accurate Rendering of the Real Angela White By Amber Gold I AM ANGELA is a pretty impressive film. It stars one of the most lauded performers in adult industry history, Angela White. Released in October of last year, this “XXX documentary”form film features four noteworthy scenes: White with Mick Blue, Markus Dupree and Steve Holmes; White with Joanna Angel and Dana Vespoli; White with Chanel Santini; and White with Rocco Siffredi. Each scene is guided by its own noteworthy director, while the entire project was overseen by Evil Chris. From beginning to end, I AM ANGELA is packed with exclamatory moments – performance firsts (!!), sexual intensity, things that the most discerning porn aficionado would appreciate, things that a bro into big tits and dirty talk would appreciate... Even things that feminist-minded critics would appreciate (if they could just let themselves).

As a standalone piece of media, I AM ANGELA is excellent -- a testament to the brilliance of White herself, as well as to each of the leaders, innovators and creators involved in the project. Though adult content takes (and needs) all kinds, with work of all calibers contributing to the overall conversation, I AM ANGELA exemplifies porn at the very top of its game. Like the box copy says, “I AM ANGELA is a vivid, honest and humanizing portrait of a woman whose personal and sexual journey challenges assumptions about the adult industry and the performers within it.” This is not an inaccurate statement. We sat down with White, prepared with a series of questions developed specifically to dig deeper into her thinking and process as an artist and performer, as well as to explore the significance of I AM ANGELA within the context of the wider social world.

YNOT: Why are you excited about I AM ANGELA? Angela White: I AM ANGELA is not your typical adult showcase. This docu-porn hybrid weaves together revealing interviews, engaging documentary footage, candid behind the scenes clips and hardcore sex scenes to present a compelling and unique portrait of me as a performer and, more importantly, a person. I think this approach to adult filmmaking is innovative and important. I AM ANGELA is an intimate and honest look at my career, my passion and my life. It presents me as multifaceted and multidimensional, as a daughter, a student and a business owner. While the focus is on me as a sexual being, it never reduces me to my sexuality. If I had to sum up the project in one word I would say it is humanizing.

Vespoli, trans porn pioneer Joey Silvera and Buttman himself, John Stagliano. It’s exciting to have so many iconic names involved in a single project, with each director bringing their signature style to their respective scenes. The style of sex is diverse, ranging from tender intimacy through to extreme rough sex. It showcases the scope of who I am as a performer and my desire to explore the depth and breadth of my sexuality. I have received a lot of positive feedback from fans who had never witnessed the intimacy, bond and love performers have for one another on set and the care taken to negotiate sexual boundaries and consent.

Why should the rest of the industry be excited about the film? All of the performers and directors involved in I AM ANGELA are interviewed in the documentary footage, which helps to humanize an industry that is often demonized and misunderstood. It gives fans a chance to meet the real people behind the porn they watch. This documentary reveals the process of adult film production and what occurs before and after a sex scene. And the general public – what might be especially noteworthy for fans and viewers? Consumers have been equally excited about the sex scenes themselves, which include my first trans scene with Chanel Santini and my first sexual encounter with the legendary Rocco Siffredi -- who flew across the globe for this one scene! All four sex scenes are directed by noteworthy directors with a long history with Evil Angel: Jonni Darkko, Dana

More and more, we are seeing high-profile cis women performers working with high-profile trans women performers. This was not the norm even a few years ago. With respect to gender inclusivity, how is porn once again reflecting changes occurring in wider culture? How is porn leading wider culture? Trans visibility within mainstream media has increased significantly over the past few years. The world witnessed Caitlyn Jenner’s transition, Laverne Cox landed the cover of Time Magazine and Daniela Vega became the first trans person to present an Academy Award. These moments and other milestones, along with some unfortunate political and legal setbacks in the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights, have helped to bring awareness to trans issues and to amplify trans voices. I can only hazard a guess that more acceptance of the trans community in our broader culture will be reflected in more acceptance of trans porn in the consumer base. But the

every interpersonal interaction, but that doesn’t make it inauthentic. It may just highlight a particular facet of who we are. Even when we relay a story or a memory we don’t relay every detail. We talk about the most exciting things, the most spectacular events, the funniest and most unique happenings. But leaving out what we consider to be boring or irrelevant details does not make a story untrue.

reality is that trans porn has been popular among consumers for a very long time, well before mainstream media started turning their attention to the trans community. Despite the popularity of the genre, shooting trans porn has been taboo even within the industry, but that is changing fast. With prominent performers like Adriana Chechik, jessica drake, Joanna Angel and Sean Michaels shooting trans scenes and with mainstream porn companies such as Mindgeek and Gamma launching trans websites, trans porn is more highprofile and more celebrated than ever.

I don’t feel any need to reconcile authenticity and performance when my performances are authentic. I chose to enter the adult industry because I saw it as a space where I could express and explore my sexuality in a safe environment with like-minded, sex-positive peers. I chose to use my real name rather than adopt a stage name because I wanted to live without shame and to live my truth in my work. I’ve always been committed to creating scenes that are an honest and authentic reflection of my sexuality and desires. In I AM ANGELA, not only do viewers accompany me on another sexual journey, they also learn more about me than ever before.

When director Evil Chris approached me about I AM ANGELA I knew this would be the perfect project to showcase my first trans scene. Evil Angel has been at the forefront of mainstream trans content for decades, and I knew that Joey Silvera would do the scene justice. I’m so grateful to Chanel Santini for being part of this special project with me. She is a beautiful and intelligent woman and the sex that we shared was absolutely unforgettable. Today’s world is very interested in authenticity, and some say that even the most authentic “documentary” footage still has an element of performance to it, thus somehow rendering it less authentic. How do you feel about authenticity as it relates to I AM ANGELA? I agree that there is an element of performance when cameras are rolling, but I don’t believe that performance is necessarily inauthentic. Performance and authenticity are not mutually exclusive. We curate our speech and our body language depending on our environment and our audience. We act in accordance with a situation, presenting a different side of ourselves to our parents, our friends and strangers. There is performance in

A documentary film is the result of capturing real time chaos and the attempt to make sense of it. The very process of producing a documentary requires a director to make decisions about what is relevant and what is inconsequential to their subject matter. My answers during interviews are dependent upon the questions that the interviewer considers important enough to ask, and those answers are refined during the editing process. Footage ends up on the cutting room floor if it disrupts the flow of the film. But none of this makes a documentary inauthentic. Any art that attempts to reflect the world around us can only ever be an interpretation of reality. I feel that I AM ANGELA has been successful and honest in interpreting mine.

About the Author Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, the adult industry has always been a presence in Amber Gold’s life. At an early age, she became acutely aware that narratives often take shocking creative license when she noted there was no way Daniel LaRusso could’ve made it to the beach from Reseda (and back again) so quickly. She’s been seeking out various forms of truths ever since.