Hookers for Jesus face Evil Angel

Evil Angel is among the largest distributors of porn in the country, thanks in large part to the films of company owner and adult filmmaking auteur John Stagliano.

Spiegler's client, Melissa Lauren, was signing autographs for fans of her appearance in the final "Fashionistas" movie, a trilogy that spawned a Vegas show and became Stagliano's most award-winning series. (Another Spiegler Girl and star of the previous "Fashionistas," Sasha Grey, was also at the booth, talking to Stagliano's wife.)

Spiegler is one of the most important people you haven't heard of in adult films. He is a leading talent agent for many adult stars, by his own description a "legal pimp." He had two documentary crews following him at this convention.

Covering the Adult Entertainment Expo over the years, I've seen Spiegler in a lot of situations. But Annie Lobert of Hookers for Jesus seemed to have legitimately befuddled him with her questions about Jesus. Spiegler is Jewish, and he isn't the only one. "What if the girls are Jewish?" Spiegler asked.

"Even if they are Satanist we are still going to stand by them," Heather Veitch said. Veitch is from another church group that focuses on converting strippers. Lobert and Veitch teamed up for the convention. "You are the chosen race, by the way," Vietch told Spiegler.

Spiegler shrugged. "If Jews are really the chosen race, why do they have the only country in the Middle East with no oil?"

Veitch began, "I don't know, but the Bible says..."

But before this conversation about religion and foreign relations could reach fruition, an Evil Angel employee charged in with his hand in heavy metal horns, yelling "Hail Satan," followed by "Get out of here." Lobert and Veitch obliged at once and never got to meet John Stagliano (who, for the record, is a Cato Institute-supporting, Reason magazine-reading libertarian with no belief in God or Satan).

After they left the Evil Angel booth, a reflective Spiegler offered, "A lot of girls in this industry could use something stabilizing like religion. I don't mind what they are doing at all." He then went back to closely monitoring how the fans interacted with his client.

As for Lobert and Veitch, they were not in the least discouraged. "We just sometimes expect that kind of reaction. We are in their territory and they don't want God there."

On the other hand, God's workers were very popular with the fans at the convention. Every few feet, Lobert and Veitch were stopped by fans who wanted to take photos with them. They always agreed.

"They probably think we are in the industry like these other girls," Veitch said. "But when they get home, they will see what our shirts say; they will know we have a different message."

Veitch and Lobert then enjoyed a laugh at one failing in their advertising plan: Lobert's Web address for Hookers for Jesus on her T-shirt couldn't be read by conventioneers because the writing had fallen out of sight, a victim of her cleavage.

(Photo of Mark Spiegler and John Stagliano/ Heather Veitch and Annie Lobert by Sarah Gerke)