Like most things in the age of social distance, strip clubs have gone remote. Demon Time, a virtual club starring amateur strippers performing anonymously for the likes of The Weeknd and Kevin Durant, quickly became Instagram Live’s hottest strip joint after launching right around the time the pandemic took hold across the country.
Demon Time was created by 28-year-old social-media entrepreneur Justin LaBoy back in March after his female followers started “going crazy” with him on Instagram Live one night. “I told them to let me post their Cash App so users can donate to them,” LaBoy told the Daily Beast. It didn’t take long for the pop-up amateur strip shows to attract attention from some notable patrons, including celebrities like Meek Mill, Drake, Lil Yachty, Yo Gotti, Diplo, and Jake Paul.
After launching, Demon Time quickly became a popular source of income for recently out-of-work women who lost their jobs amid the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Women could perform on Demon Time anonymously by covering or hiding their faces, which made it a popular option for women who may not be professional strippers but found themselves in need of a new source of income.
Because Instagram is Instagram, the shows got shut down multiple times, forcing LaBoy to jump from burner account to burner account until he was banned from the platform entirely. But the virtual side hustle has still proven lucrative for many of its performers, some of whom reported making thousands of dollars every night while performing for Demon Time’s massive virtual audiences. Performers also reported receiving other offers and opportunities thanks to their newfound exposure, from more OnlyFans subscribers to requests for personal videos from NFL players.
Strip clubs and their performers, like many in the entertainment industry, were among the first and hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. And while some strip clubs have tried to get creative with drive-through shows and sexy food delivery services, the future of stripping might be virtual.
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