Happy International Women’s Day to all the badass babes who make up our wondaful community! Join us in celebrating women's achievements with this year's theme #BreakTheBias. This year, we asked some of the amazing women in our Model Program what breaking the bias means to them.
Joanna Angel pioneered alternative beauty in the industry when she showed off her tattooed body and funky coloured hair on the website BurningAngel – a website she started with her best friend in college. BurningAngel is now a household brand for alternative erotica lovers. Joanna has gone on to write, direct and produce her own feature films and has her own series of erotic books! These are just some of the reasons why Joanna Angel is a badass woman that #BreaksTheBias!
What misconceptions do people still have about female adult performers? How do you personally challenge that?
I mean I honestly don't know! I'm too busy taking over the world to even know or worry about what misconceptions other people have. I know who I am! And I have no shame in what I do and I simply don't care what other people say!
This year’s theme is #BreakTheBias – how do you contribute to Breaking the Biases people have about women and the industry?
Well I think it's important that I mention here- that I sold BurningAngel two and a half years ago. But with that said, I'll sum up my story in just a few sentences because that within itself certainly breaks the bias. I started BurningAngel in 2002 in my college dorm with my best friend/roommate. It was a website that celebrated "alternative" models, which was an umbrella term coined to describe punk/ tattooed girls- which in 2002, there were absolutely none of in porn. I produced, directed, and performed almost exclusively for my own studio for 15 years, using only my own money (nothing from investors). I sold this studio to a major porn conglomerate in 2019. The people who believe all sex workers are victims of our own job, or need to be saved can just read that and let it sink in. In more recent years I've directed multiple large projects with the intent of including fellow sisters from the trans community in mainstream productions, and I work to end the homophobic stigma within the industry.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you? How has your perception of what being a woman is all about changed over the years?
It's bittersweet. It sucks that we need a day with a hashtag to remind everyone how awesome women are, but the patriarchy still in fact does exist. I first learned about feminism through the band Bikini Kill when I was in high school. The lyrics, and the words Kathleen Hannah said still very much resonate with me. My perception of being a woman hasn't changed much over the years, there's just more and more battles to fight as you get older and acquire more responsibilities.
I'll leave my favorite Kathleen Hanna quote here: "You learn that the only way to get rock-star power as a girl is to be a groupie and bare your breasts and get chosen for the night. We learn that the only way to get anywhere is through men. And it's a lie." That about sums it up!
Since you started your own company, would you say the industry has improved in its treatment and perception of female adult performers?
I think female performers have more power now than they ever have. And now having dabbled in mainstream work outside of the porn industry- I truly believe that women have far more power here than in other facets of entertainment!
As a writer, director, and producer, what do you do to ensure the women you work with feel
empowered in their roles?
I do my absolute best to make my set an enjoyable and comfortable environment, with a trustworthy and talented crew, along with respectful and desirable male talent. I do my best to pair people appropriately and give people roles that I think they'd enjoy and brings out the best in them. Some of it comes down to the way my set is run and some of it comes down to just being aware and having good intuition and knowing how to accommodate every individual's needs to bring out the best in them.
When you started out behind the camera, were there other women at the time doing a lot of writing, directing, or producing?
There were lots of other female directors I became aware of when I first got into the industry. Way more than I expected there to be because the media painted it as such a male dominated place. There's actually far more female representation behind the camera in porn than there is in Hollywood!
Who are some women you look up to and why?
Oh wow. There are so many incredible women in the adult industry- and the world at large who have mentored me and inspired me in ways they'll never even know. But In this particular moment I will boil it down to just one incredibly important woman I'm honored to call a friend. Asa Akira. Because, she's Asa.
How has the image of alternative girls changed since you joined the industry?
It went from being completely unheard of to impossible to ignore!
What has been your favourite achievement or proudest moment in your career?
This year at the 2022 AVN awards winning "grand reel" aka- feature movie of the year for the film Casey: A true story. It was the first movie to win the movie of the year award that featured a trans woman as the star. I couldn't be more proud of that, and the movie in general.
Keep up with Joanna Angel on Instagram: @JoannaAngel and Twitter: @JoannaAngel
Collectively, we can all speak up, support, inspire, and #BreakTheBias to help create a world free of stereotypes and discrimination. So join in, comment, and tell us what it means to you!
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