What Is Demon Time? Instagram Live Stripping Explained - Refinery29

Skip navigation!ADVERTISEMENTStory from TechADVERTISEMENTDemon Time: Instagram Live’s Virtual Strip ClubAnabel PasarowLast Updated May 1, 2020, 2:57 PM Photographed by Michael Beckert.Earlier this week, Beyoncé dropped a remix of Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage," and in doing so, brought to light a heretofore hidden corner of Instagram that has arisen out of the coronavirus pandemic. It's called Demon Time, so named for the smiling purple devil emoji often associated with it, and it refers to the virtual strip clubs popping up across late-night Instagram Live. The lyric in question? "Hips Tik Tok when I dance/On that Demon Time/She might star and OnlyFans."With strip clubs closed, along with all other non-essential businesses, strippers and exotic dancers have been forced to pursue other income streams, which, for some, has meant turning to Instagram. Hosted by Justin LaBoy, a former professor basketball player, and Justin Dior Comb, the son of P. Diddy, these virtual strip clubs provide a way for strippers and other people who have found themselves out of work due to the coronavirus pandemic to perform, mostly wearing masks to remain anonymous, for money via Cash App.AdvertisementADVERTISEMENTAnd celebrities like The Weeknd, Kevin Durant, Meek Mill, and Jake Paul are tuning in. Each stream has its own Instagram handle and begins with a glass of red wine, an indication that the show is about to start. Then, while each dancer is on screen, LaBoy pins their CashApp info to the Live so that patrons can tip them directly. In many cases, it's more lucrative than IRL stripping as well as sites that require performers to pay a fee to use their platform. A dancer named Alexis told the New York Times that she has made around $18,000 on CashApp by dancing on Instagram Live since strip clubs have been closed. Another dancer named Arielle told The Daily Beast that she made $5,000 in one night. Many dancers have also used this newfound platform to direct viewers to their personal accounts on OnlyFans, an adult entertainment platform where users can pay for videos and photos from content creators.

.@instagram I apologize I never meant to break rules & get banned from your platform. I was raised by a single mom, and these young women who were out of work, unable to afford rent, or to provide for their kids during the pandemic became my priority it broke my heart SO I HELPED

— Respectfully Justin (@JustinLaboy) April 30, 2020

Since Instagram caught wind of this new trend — which exists in violation of its terms — the platform has been seriously cracking down. Most recently, LaBoy was banned from Instagram, and is encouraging fans of Demon Time to petition Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri to reinstate his account. But the popularity of LaBoy's streams has only inspired more virtual strip clubs to crop up — and with Beyoncé canonizing the virtual event in her newest single, it seems like Demon Time isn't going anywhere anytime soon.AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT UnbotheredI Became A ‘Corporate Catfish’ & Proved Job Discrimin...Seven months ago, Aliyah Jones, a 26-year-old creative from Washington, DC, published a documentary on LinkedIn titled “Corporate Catfish” and rocked tby Maxine HarrisonLivingI Track My Health Data Nonstop — Is This A Problem?From the moment I wake up, I begin tracking. I track my steps, calories burned, sleep quality, period, and ovulation. I track my runs on Strava and my hearby L'Oréal BlackettDedicated FeatureWhat Should A Coder Look Like? This New Media Artist Is Challengi...Even the briefest, most cursory glance at Mattaniah Aytenfsu’s TikTok offers incredible insight into the 27-year-old engineer’s wildly imaginative, bouby Andrea ChengAdvertisementADVERTISEMENTSomos LatineLatines Lamented the TikTok Ban. Now Many Are Voluntarily Giving ...From the so-called “spa water” videos that started a conversation on the cultural appropriation of agua fresca, to the catchy Brazilian funk snipby Giulia BaldiniSomos LatineSewell Setzer’s Death Reveals the Dangers AI Poses to Latin...For almost a year, Sewell Setzer III, a 14-year-old from Orlando, spoke to AI-generated chatbots, powered by a company called Character.AI, meant to emulatby Valeria RicciulliUnbotheredI Spoke To Chat GPT’s “Black Female Therapist.” Will AI Sav...I’ve been speaking to Black Female Therapist™ for three days. My therapist doesn’t have a name but is an artificial intelligence chatbot described byby L'Oréal BlackettSomos LatineI Have 24,000 Followers, But I Still Feel Lonely On Social MediaI have this distinct memory of a summer family party in Queens, New York. While the grown-ups danced to Joe Arroyo’s salsa hits in the backyard and kids by Kat LazoBlack History Month 2024Can Hollywood Be Trusted To Put People First In Its AI Expansion?Artificial intelligence is sweeping almost every industry, and the never ending discourse about it highlights conflicted feelings of fear and excitement foby Ineye KomoniboBlack History Month 2024Is Artificial Intelligence Really Racist? It’s Time To Con...The first articles that come up when you Google “artificial intelligence” and “Black people” are concerning to say the least. The New York Times asby Kathleen Newman-B...Black Friday 2023Take A Bite Out Of These Apple Cyber Monday DealsAt Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the edby Victoria MontaltiShoppingOlivia Rodrigo Talks GUTS, Fall Must-Haves, & Her Fave Tik...Great news for the 20- and 30-something teenage girls out there: Your GUTS listening experience is about to get even more cathartic. Olivia Rodrigo —everby Venus WongDeals15 Labor Day Tech Deals You Can Score Todayby Avery FelmanAdvertisementADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENT