BLECHHHH!
I know, I know. “In other news, the Earth spins, and the Atlantic ocean is wet!” Nevertheless, it is occasionally worth the trouble to remind ourselves what an unprincipled sleaze Larry Flynt is, especially with people still around who argue that he’s a hero.
Flynt announced on Nancy Grace’s show last night that talks are ongoing with Casey Anthony to have her nude and tattooed bod featured in Hustler magazine for $500,000 up front plus 10% of all profits. Flynt said he decided to make the offer after concluding there was a big market for seeing the acquitted child murder suspect in the buff.
In what might be the stupidest question ever asked of anyone on TV, Flynt was quizzed about whether the decision to let Anthony cash in on what many Americans believe was the intentional murder of her own daughter “might be distasteful” to some Americans. Sure, the publisher of Hustler cares deeply about what people think is distasteful. Flynt’s answer was, essentially, that there was money to be made, so he intends to make it. He also claimed that a portion of any proceeds would go to charities aimed at addressing child abuse.
Oh. Well that makes it all right then. Wait a minute..no it doesn’t! That makes it worse. If Flynt believes that Anthony is innocent and thus just trying to help her survive, then what does her appearance in Hustler have to do with child abuse? If Flynt believes she’s a child abuser, why is he allowing her to make money off of her daughter’s death?
Flynt articulated his justification for trying to turn a likely child-killer into a pin-up this way: “You’ve got men who say hey, I want to see her in her birthday suit. There may be some sick individuals … but that’s what life is all about.”
Sure Larry. That’s what life is all about. At least that’s what your miserable life is all about.
Ethics Alarms 
Jack,
And I’m sure he just feels terrible all the way to the bank (in other words, he wins).
-Neil
People like Larry Flynt (that is to say, sociopaths) always win, if they can find a legal outlet for their anti-social, self-centered instincts.
Thought I would never be surprised by anything Larry Flynt did or said, but I am now. He’s not just greedy, disingenuous, and sick, he’s evil.
Oh yes, Larry is evil. No doubt about it in my mind. And he will leave this earth a little smuttier, colder and coarser than he found it.
I also recall he tried to hire Anthony Weiner too.
If Larry wants to feature Weiner in a fold-out, I’m fine with that. He’d probably like it.
It’s almost refreshing to have Larry Flynt around. You get to see his shenanigans and say, “Yep, that’s what you’d do if you just didn’t give a crap.”
And besides, can anything that takes money away from Flynt really be a bad thing? I bet nobody’ll remember who she is by the time it’s published. (Don’t believe me? Does the name “Darva Conger” ring a bell?)
You know, Jeff, I had just been thinking, while reading Jack’s post, what a great role model Larry Flynt is. A dad could just point to his image onscreen, while watching television with his son, and say “You that guy? If you turn out to be like him, I’ll give you such a smack on the head….” But you more or less beat me to it,
So, and just out of morbid curiosity, what was Nancy Grace’s reaction to Flynt’s, uh, announcement? I mean, I can imagine, but, well, just asking?
Nancy was off on Thursday—Grace ‘s replacement looked disgusted, but didn’t do anything overt. Flynt wasn’t in the studio.
A portion of the profits go to fight child abuse?! Only to those of truly twisted rationality could this all-too-common kind of pronunciation from a pornographer have any validity. This is on par with the infamous “Hounddog” press conference at Sundance 2007, where a spokesman from RAINN (Rape And Incest National Network) referred to that groundbreaking act of child porn as “raising awareness of the issue” of child abuse… by enacting it graphically with actual children. At least then no kid was actually killed in the process. Physically, at least.
Thinking now on Larry Flynt, I recall that he had contacts with Lawrence Robbins, who arranged the last minute financing which allowed that movie to be completed. The identity of that final backer was never discovered. Flynt? He never backed off from child sex themes in his magazine. But then again, Guccione and Hefner never did, either. I’m still looking for that smoking gun.