All language subtitles for Back Issues. The Hustler Magazine Story 2014

- I DON'T REMEMBER
EXACTLY WHEN I REALIZED

THAT MY FATHER
WAS A PORNOGRAPHER.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW
IF THAT WORD "PORNOGRAPHER"

IS A WORD YOU COULD APPLY
TO YOUR OWN FATHER.

MY DAD WAS THE ART DIRECTOR
OF HUSTLERMAGAZINE,

BUT I JUST THOUGHT
MY FATHER WENT TO WORK

LIKE EVERYONE ELSE'S PARENTS
WENT TO WORK.

HOW DO YOU KNOW
THAT'S A DOG ERECTION?

I MEAN, I-I--YOU KNOW,

I HAVEN'T HAD A DOG
IN ABOUT 25 YEARS.

- WELL...
- YEAH, I GUESS THAT IS.

- IT'S VERY SIMILAR
TO A CAT ERECTION,

WHICH I'M FAMILIAR WITH.

- MIKE, I THOUGHT
WE HAD THIS TALK ALREADY.

- I DON'T REMEMBER THAT TALK.
WE NEVER HAD THAT TALK.

YOU KNOW WHAT TALK I HAD?

I HAD AN INTERNAL DIALOGUE

WHEN I SNUCK THESE
OUT OF YOUR CLOSET.

- THERE'S SORT OF THIS
MT. RUSHMORE OF PORNOGRAPHY.

HUGH HEFNER STARTED
IN THE 1950s.

BOB GUCCIONE AND PENTHOUSE
CAME ALONG,

WHICH WAS REALLY
JUST A KNOCKOFF ON PLAYBOY--

JUST LARCENY.

AL GOLDSTEIN STARTED
SCREWMAGAZINE IN 1968.

IT WAS REALLY VERY POLITICAL,

IT WAS RIGHT AT THE PEAK
OF VIETNAM INSANITY.

LARRY FLYNT
WORKED IN A STRIP CLUB

AND WAS FUCKING ALL THE GIRLS.

- AL GOLDSTEIN AND LARRY FLYNT
ALWAYS HAD THIS LITTLE...

LOVE/HATE, YOU KNOW,
COMPETITION THING.

- LARRY CAME TO MEET ME,

AND UNLIKE MOST PEOPLE, I SAID,
"I'D LIKE TO MEET EVERYBODY."

- HE HAD A GRANDIOSITY,
AND HE HAD A STRENGTH

THAT NOTHING SCARED HIM.

- WE WERE TRYING TO SELL
MEMBERSHIPS TO THE CLUBS,

AND WHEN YOU'D BUY A MEMBERSHIP,
YOU'D ALSO GET

A COPY OF THAT MAGAZINE.

- LARRY FLYNT HAD
THE LITTLE HUSTLERMAGAZINE

THAT WAS A FLYER

WITH, LIKE, FIVE PAGES,

AND HE USED TO
PUT HIS GIRLS THERE.

AND I GO, "GEE, WHAT
A PIECE-OF-SHIT THING THAT IS."

- 1969, I GOT BACK FROM VIETNAM.

THAT'S WHEN WE OPENED
A CLUB IN CINCINNATI.

BACK THEN, CLUBS WERE
NOT LIKE CLUBS ARE TODAY.

THE GIRLS WERE
DANCING IN BIKINIS

AND HUSTLING DRINKS.

- IT WAS JUST A BAR
WITH LITTLE, TINY,

ROUND STAGES FOR HIS GIRLS.

AND THE GIRLS WERE VERY YOUNG.

WE'RE TALKING 18 AND 17
AND LITTLE HILLBILLY GIRLS.

- BEFORE ALL THIS
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE

CAME ABOUT IN THE '80s...

I MEAN, IT WAS JUST
ONE BIG ORGY.

- IT WAS WHEN THERE WAS
SO MUCH PUSSY THERE.

AND IT WAS ACCESSIBLE.
IT WAS AVAILABLE.

- GRAVY TRAINS
AND GANG BANGS,

AND IT WAS FUN.

- ALTHEA WAS HIRED TO DANCE

IN COLUMBUS, OHIO.

AND THEN LARRY MET HER.

- I STARTED TALKING TO HIM,
EVEN THOUGH I HATED HIM.

YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT, "THIS GUY--
HE MUST BE HOMOSEXUAL."

HE HAD HIS FINGERNAILS POLISHED.

AND AT THE TIME
I WAS VERY HIPPY-ISH,

AND I THOUGHT
HE WAS A CAPITALIST PIG,

AND I WAS VERY AGAINST HIM.

BUT HE CAME OFF--HE WAS JUST--
HE WAS A VERY NICE GUY.

- THEY KIND OF HIT IT OFF

AND BECAME CLOSE FRIENDS
AND EVENTUALLY GOT MARRIED.

- WE WERE TRYING
TO FRANCHISE THE CLUBS

AND DO A MAGAZINE
LIKE HEFNER DID.

THAT WAS OUR DREAM.

WE WERE INTRODUCED
TO RON FENTON,

WHO'D PUBLISHED
GALLERYMAGAZINE.

HE HAD OVERSPENT, OVER-ADVANCED
IN THE MAGAZINE BUSINESS.

WE GAVE HIM $10,000,
AND FOR THAT $10,000,

WE WERE PROVIDED
WITH ENOUGH INFORMATION TO...

TO SHOW US A DIRECTION TO GO
FOR A NATIONAL DISTRIBUTOR.

THAT'S HOW THE FOUR-COLOR
HUSTLERORIGINATED.

- AL, YOU'RE MY HERO.

AND LET'S GET SOMETHING STRAIGHT
FROM THE RECORD.

- ON 60 MINUTES,
YOU DON'T SAY THAT.

- LOOK, GREAT--THAT'S BECAUSE
THEY DIDN'T ASK ME.

YOU KNOW, I'M ON YOUR SHOW NOW,
SO I'M TELLING YOU.

I THINK THAT THERE'S ONLY
ONE PUBLICATION IN THE WORLD

THAT'S MORE IMPORTANT
THAN HUSTLER,AND THAT'S SCREW.

- I THINK THAT
AL GOLDSTEIN'S PUBLICATION

HAD AN ENORMOUS
INFLUENCE ON LARRY.

- LARRY WASN'T THAT SMART.
HE WAS ILLITERATE.

I DON'T OPEN ANY DOORS.
I'M NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

I'M GEOGRAPHICALLY
A NEW YORK PIMP.

- WE WOULD RATHER HAVE TEN TRUCK
DRIVERS READING OUR PUBLICATION

THAN ONE COLLEGE PROFESSOR.

- I USED TO SAY THAT.

IN FACT, KNOWING YOU, YOU
PROBABLY FOUND THAT I SAID IT

AND STOLE IT, BUT--

- EVERYTHING HE HAD WAS
DERIVATIVE, BUT IT WAS OKAY.

- ME, AL, AND LARRY FLYNT
WERE ONCE HAVING

A DIM SUM BREAKFAST
IN WESTWOOD.

I CALLED IT THE SLIME PACK--

NOT THE RAT PACK,
THE SLIME PACK.

AL GOES, "YOU'VE TAKEN
A LOT OF MY IDEAS, YOU KNOW."

"UH, THAT'S TRUE."

OH, MY GOD,
HE FINALLY ADMITTED IT.

AL GOES, "PRAISE JESUS,
HALLELUJAH."

HE SAYS, "LARRY FLYNT
JUST ADMITTED

HE TOOK SOME OF MY IDEAS,"
YOU KNOW.

AL WAS JUST DANCING
ON THE RESTAURANT, YOU KNOW,

HE SAYS,
"HE FINALLY ADMITTED IT.

NOT ON CAMERA,
BUT HE ADMITTED IT."

- LARRY FLYNT UNDERSTOOD
THAT HE HAD TO DISTINGUISH

HIS PRODUCT
FROM PLAYBOYAND PENTHOUSE.

THE FIRST EDITION OF HUSTLER,
HE WRITES, VERY CLEVERLY,

THAT ANY MAN CAN BE A PLAYBOY
AND HAVE A PENTHOUSE,

BUT IT TAKES A REAL MAN
TO BE A HUSTLER.

- THE GREAT THING
ABOUT LARRY IS THAT

HE DOESN'T CARE
WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF HIM.

THAT'S WHY I THINK I LOVE HIM.

HE'S GOT A GREAT
SENSE OF HUMOR,

AND HE DOESN'T
TAKE HIMSELF SERIOUSLY,

WHEREAS HEF WAS ALWAYS

TRYING TO CONTROL HIS IMAGE,

YOU KNOW,
EVERY NOTCH ON HIS BELT,

AND HE WAS--HE WAS THIS,
AND HE WAS THAT,

AND EVERYTHING
WAS PROGRAMMED.

- HEF WAS REALLY A SQUARE...

YOU KNOW.

FOR ALL HIS TALK
ABOUT BEING SUCH A SWINGER,

I MEAN, HE'S REALLY,
YOU KNOW, 23 SKIDOO,

HE'S STILL LIVING
IN THE BIG-BAND ERA.

HE PRETENDS THAT PLAYBOY
IS THIS LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

THAT'S REALLY KIND OF NICE
AND PART OF AMERICANA, YOU KNOW.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE
THE SATURDAY EVENING POST

OF, YOU KNOW, MEN'S MAGAZINES.

AND NOTHING COULD BE FARTHER
FROM THE FUCKING TRUTH--

THAT IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT SEX
AND SELLING FLESH.

- I THINK IT'S LONG
BEEN KIND OF VIEWED

BY A LOT OF PEOPLE
WITHIN THE INDUSTRY

THAT PLAYBOY
WAS THE GIRL NEXT DOOR,

PENTHOUSEWAS THE RICH BITCH
WHO WAS JUST NAUGHTY,

AND HUSTLERWAS
THE HORNY, YOUNG GIRLS

WHO WERE ALWAYS ON THE BEACH
WITH THE MOST FABULOUS TANS

DOING THE RAUNCHIEST THINGS.

- THE GIRLS WERE PORTRAYED
AS THE ATTAINABLE GIRL.

IF YOU WOULD LOOK
AT THE GIRLS IN PLAYBOY,

WELL, GUYS WOULD SAY,

"I DON'T HAVE A SHOT
AT FUCKING THAT GIRL."

BUT THEY COULD LOOK
AT HUSTLERAND SAY,

"I GOT A SHOT WITH THIS GIRL."

- PLAYBOYWAS KNOWN
FOR THE NO VAGINA.

PLAYBOYWAS ALWAYS
BIG, SEXY BOOBIES, NICE ASSES.

THEY ALWAYS TOLD THE GIRLS
TO GROW HAIR

SO YOU DIDN'T
SEE THE PUSSY, ACTUALLY.

YOU DON'T SEE THE LIPS.

SO THE CAMERA SHOOTS,
THEY CAN'T REALLY SEE IT.

YOU NEVER SEE A SPREAD-LEG SHOT
IN PLAYBOY,EVER.

THEY CALL THAT
THE "OBSCENE VIEW."

PENTHOUSE,AT THAT TIME,
WHEN HUSTLERGOT STARTED,

DIDN'T EITHER.

PENTHOUSETRIED TO BE
A POOR MAN'S PLAYBOY,SIMILAR.

MODELS DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE
SUCH BIG OF BOOBIES,

BUT THEY WERE VERY SLEEK.

THEY LOOKED MORE LIKE
FASHION MODELS.

WHAT HUSTLERDID
WAS THE VAGINA.

IT WAS FOR THOSE
WHO THINK PINK.

- I DON'T THINK WE HAD
SUCH PINK PUSSIES, REALLY.

- HUSTLERWAS JUST GROSS.

AND IT WAS JUST, LIKE,
VIOLENT AND FRIGHTENING

AND FASCINATING

AND DISGUSTING
AND EXHILARATING

AND JUST SO DIRTY,
JUST SO WRONG.

AND I DIDN'T REALLY
LIKE HUSTLERMAGAZINE.

BUT I STILL BOUGHT IT
AND READ IT.

- WHO WAS THE FIRST
PLAYBOYCENTERFOLD?

MARILYN MONROE, ON THE COVER
OF THE FIRST PLAYBOY.

CELEBRITY NUDITY STARTED

THE MEN'S MAGAZINE REVOLUTION
OF THE '50s.

- MARILYN JUST SAID,
"I'M NOT ASHAMED.

IT'S SOMETHING I DID
FOR THE MONEY. SO WHAT?"

AND PEOPLE TOOK HER TONE
AND WENT WITH IT,

AND SAID, "YEAH,
WHY SHOULD SHE BE ASHAMED?

SHE LOOKS AMAZING,
AND SHE'S A SEX STAR ANYWAY."

IT MADE HER EVEN BIGGER.

- THE THING ABOUT CELEBRITY
NUDITY IS THAT WITH CELEBRITIES,

YOU KIND OF KNOW THEM.

YOU FEEL LIKE YOU KNOW THEM.

SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE
SEEING YOUR NEIGHBOR NUDE.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE SEEING
SOMEBODY AT THE OFFICE NAKED.

- AL GOLDSTEIN GOT WORD THAT--

YOU KNOW, THAT JACKIE KENNEDY
PHOTOS WERE AVAILABLE

FROM THIS PHOTOGRAPHER
IN ITALY

BY THE NAME
OF SETTIMIO GARRITANO.

- I DID IT FIRST.

- SCREW'SLIMITED DISTRIBUTION
WAS NEW YORK CITY.

- I BEAT HUSTLERNINE MONTHS.

I BOUGHT THE MAGAZINE

AT A NEWS STAND
IN MANHATTAN FOR $20.

IT WAS OUTRAGEOUS.

SOLD A COUPLE HUNDRED
THOUSAND COPIES OF SCREW.

SHE WAS PUSSY.
I WAS HAPPY TO HAVE HER THERE.

- BUT THAT WAS, LIKE, SHITTY
NEWSPRINT BLACK AND WHITE,

AND IT'S SCREW.

- AND IF YOU HAD THE PICTURES,
HOW COME JIMMY FLYNT

HAD TO GO TO ITALY
TO GET THEM FOR HUSTLER?

- HE'S STUPID.
HE'S A JEW BOY.

I PAID $20.
HOW SMART CAN YOU BE?

JIMMY WAS, YOU KNOW,
A REDNECK PIECE OF SHIT.

I LIKE JIMMY.

- WE WENT OVER AND BOUGHT
THE PHOTOGRAPHS FROM SETTIMIO

AND RAN THOSE IN THE MAGAZINE.

AND WE MADE A MILLION DOLLARS.

OUR CIRCULATION WENT FROM--

WENT FROM, YOU KNOW,
100,000 TO A MILLION AND A HALF.

- HERE IS LITERALLY THE MOST
FAMOUS WOMAN IN THE WORLD,

THE MOST ADMIRED WOMAN
IN THE WORLD, COMPLETELY NUDE--

UNIMAGINABLE THAT YOU WERE
EVER GONNA SEE JACKIE O. NUDE.

IT JUST CHANGED EVERYTHING.

- THE CHALLENGES BEGAN
AS EFFORTS CONTINUE

TO GET A JURY TO HEAR THE CASE
AGAINST HUSTLERMAGAZINE,

ITS PUBLISHER LARRY FLYNT,
HIS WIFE, ALTHEA,

AND TWO OTHER HUSTLEROFFICIALS.

THEY'RE CHARGED WITH ENGAGING
IN ORGANIZED CRIME

AND PANDERING OBSCENITY.

THE DEFENSE CLAIMED TODAY
THAT THE FIRST AMENDMENT

IS A PRINCIPAL ISSUE
IN THE CASE.

PROSECUTOR SIMON LEIS CHARGED

THAT OBSCENITY IS THE ISSUE,
NOT CENSORSHIP.

- BACK IN THE EARLY '70s,
PEOPLE CAME THERE AND SAID,

"WELL, TAKE A LOOK
AT THIS MAGAZINE."

HUSTLERMAGAZINE
WAS FAR WORSE THAN PLAYBOY

AND ALL THE OTHER
GIRLY MAGAZINES.

IT WAS GROSS.

- WHEN WE PUBLISHED
THE FIRST ISSUE OF HUSTLER

AND IT BEGAN TO GET
SOME ATTENTION,

THERE WAS A BIG RESENTMENT
COMING FROM SIMON LEIS.

BUT THERE WAS A BUILDUP
TO THAT POINT

BECAUSE HE KNEW HOW WE OPERATED
IN THE CLUB BUSINESS.

HE WANTED A CLEAN CINCINNATI--
BASEBALL AND APPLE PIE.

- IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST CASES
THAT GOT NATIONAL ATTENTION.

AND THE FACT THAT LARRY
HAD BEEN SUCH A PROMOTER

THAT, BY THE TIME
THE TRIAL STARTED,

WHY, THE WHOLE COUNTRY
WAS FOCUSED ON IT.

- I WOULD GIVE HERALD
MOST OF THE CREDIT

FOR THE SOUND BITES THAT
LARRY HAS USED OVER THE YEARS.

HE WAS A BIG PART OF PUTTING
LARRY ON A PEDESTAL

AS THE DEFENDER
OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT.

- WELL, WE DON'T SUPPRESS
CIGARETTES AND LIQUOR

BECAUSE THEY MIGHT
BE HARMFUL TO CHILDREN.

WE JUST RESTRICT THE SALE.

IF WE TRY TO LIMIT
ADULT READING HABITS

TO WHAT'S FIT FOR CHILDREN,

WE'LL HAVE NOTHING
BUT ALICE IN WONDERLAND

AND LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD.

- I USED TO SAY,
"LARRY, YOU KNOW,

ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS
THAT YOU OUGHT TO STRESS

IS THAT FREEDOM IS INDIVISIBLE.

WE CAN'T SAVE IT TO ONE PERSON
AND DENY IT TO ANOTHER.

IT'S GOT TO EXIST
FOR ALL OF US,

OR THE REAL RISK IS
IT MAY NOT EXIST FOR ANY OF US.

AND HE WAS VERY QUICK
TO PICK UP ON THESE THINGS.

- HERALD FAHRINGER AND I
USED TO BE PARTNERS.

AT THE TIME, I WAS HIS
YOUNG PROTEGE, IF YOU WILL,

AND WE HAD JUST FINISHED

SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDING
AL GOLDSTEIN IN FEDERAL COURT.

AND WE GOT A CALL ONE DAY.

SECRETARY SAID,

"WELL, THERE'S A MAN
ON THE PHONE NAMED LARRY FLYNT."

- HE SAID TO ME,

"IF YOU WERE
TO DEFEND MY MAGAZINE,

WHY WOULD YOU DEFEND IT?"

NOW, I THINK MANY LAWYERS
MIGHT SAY,

"WELL, I'M BEING RETAINED.

THAT'S HOW I MAKE MY LIV--"

BUT I QUITE NATURALLY SAID,

"BECAUSE I BELIEVE VERY DEEPLY
IN THE FIRST AMENDMENT

"AND THAT IN A FREE SOCIETY,
EVERYBODY SHOULD BE ABLE

TO CHOOSE WHATEVER
THEY WANT TO READ."

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULDN'T MAKE
THAT CHOICE.

THE MARKETPLACE SHOULD BE
THE DOMINATING FACTOR.

THAT'S A KEY ELEMENT
OF A DEMOCRACY.

- ORGANIZED CRIME STATUTE
BACK IN THOSE DAYS,

YOU HAD TO HAVE FIVE PEOPLE WHO
CONSPIRED TO VIOLATE THE LAW.

AND IF YOU HAD FIVE PEOPLE
IN A CONSPIRACY,

THAT WAS A RICO STATUTE--
THAT'S HOW WE PROSECUTED HIM.

- FIVE KIDS STEAL APPLES
FROM AN ORCHARD--

THAT'S ORGANIZED CRIME.

- THIS IS ACTION NEWS
FROM WTBN TV, COLUMBUS.

- GOOD EVENING.

HUSTLERMAGAZINE PUBLISHER
LARRY FLYNT

HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY
IN THAT CINCINNATI TRIAL

AND HAULED OFF TO JAIL
IN HANDCUFFS.

- CONVICTED
OF PANDERING OBSCENITY.

- FLYNT IS APPEALING
HIS SENTENCE

OF UP TO 25 YEARS
AND HIS $11,000 FINE.

- THIS COULD TURN OUT
TO BE A BIG CASE,

POSSIBLY LEADING
TO MORE COURT RULINGS

ON WHAT IS OBSCENE
AND WHAT IS NOT.

- I DIDN'T LIKE
ANYTHING ABOUT THE MAN.

I STILL DON'T LIKE
ANYTHING ABOUT THE MAN.

AND HAD I BEEN THE JUDGE...

I'M NOT SURE
I'D GIVE HIM 25 YEARS,

BUT I'D GIVE HIM
A HEFTY SENTENCE.

AND WHEN HE GAVE HIM 25 YEARS,
I KIND OF SMILED.

- HOW COULD ANYBODY
WHO JUST PUBLISHES A MAGAZINE

BE SENTENCED
TO 25 YEARS IN PRISON?

EVERYBODY WAS ACQUITTED
EXCEPT LARRY.

AND THEN ON APPEAL,

WE EVENTUALLY CONVINCED
THE APPELLATE COURT

TO VACATE THE CHARGES

AND DECLARE THE STATUTE
UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

- THE JURY WAS OUT, AND I'D SEE
THE BAILIFF COME IN.

I SAID, "YOUR HONOR,

"I KNOW THESE NOTES
ARE COMING OUT FROM THE JURY.

"AND YOU'RE READING 'EM
AND PUTTING THEM IN YOUR POCKET.

"I'VE NEVER HEARD
OF SUCH A THING.

I THINK WE HAVE A RIGHT
TO KNOW ABOUT THAT."

WELL, OF COURSE, WHAT THE JURY
WAS SENDING IN

WAS THAT THEY WERE SAYING.
"WE'RE DEADLOCKED."

YOU KNOW,
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT,

BECAUSE WHEN A JURY
IS DEADLOCKED,

THE LAWYER HAS A RIGHT TO SAY,
"I THINK THEY SHOULD CONTINUE,"

OR HE CAN SAY, "I THINK
THERE SHOULD BE A MISTRIAL."

YOU KNOW, SO WE IMMEDIATELY
MOVED FOR MISTRIAL.

THAT WAS THE BASIS OF THE HIGHER
COURT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT,

REVERSING HIS CONVICTION.

- AS FAR AS GETTING
THE ATTENTION

THAT GENERATED NEWSSTAND SALES,

SIMON LEIS PUT US ON THE MAP.

- I'M SURE EVERY ONE OF YOU
ARE JUST AS PROUD

OF BEING AN AMERICAN AS I AM.

WE'RE THE STRONGEST COUNTRY
IN THE WORLD TODAY...

ONLY BECAUSE
WE ARE THE FREEST COUNTRY

IN THE WORLD TODAY!

AND I DON'T WANT
ANY AMERICAN ANYWHERE

TO EVER FORGET
THAT THAT STRENGTH

LIES IN OUR PRINCIPLES
TO BE FREE.

- WHEN THEY HIRED YOU,
THEY WERE STILL COMING OFF

OF THE SUCCESS
OF THE JACKIE O. ISSUE.

WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS
ABOUT TAKING THIS JOB?

- WHEN I GOT THIS OFFER
FROM MY AGENT TO DO HUSTLER,

TO ME, IT WAS LIKE
GOING TO WORK AT PLAYBOY.

I WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.

I GOT THERE, AND WHAT I SAW

WAS A FREE-FOR-ALL
OF POLITICS.

EVERYBODY WAS BLAMING EVERYBODY
FOR BEING LATE,

EVERYBODY WAS YELLING
AT EVERYBODY.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE
AS TO A LOT OF SHORTCUTS

AND HOW TO DO THIS STUFF.

- YOUR DAD WAS BASICALLY
THE POWER OF HIS OWN PRESENCE.

AND ALSO THE FACT THAT,
YOU KNOW, HE HAD--

I THINK HE HAD A HUGE INFLUENCE
AND HUGE INPUT

ON THE TONE AND JUST
THE CREATIVE STANDARD

COMING THROUGH THESE MAGAZINES.

- I WAS THE OUTSIDER, 'CAUSE
I WAS COMING FROM NEW YORK,

AND I HAD TO STEP
ON A LOT OF FEET,

AND IT CAUSED
A LOT OF CONFLICT.

THERE WAS ALWAYS
A BATTLE IN MAGAZINES.

I DON'T CARE
WHAT MAGAZINE IT WAS.

IT WAS EDITORIAL VERSUS ART.

THE EDITORIAL
WOULD TAKE THEIR TIME,

AND THE ART WOULD PAY FOR IT.

THE ART DEPARTMENT WAS WORKING
TILL 1:00 IN THE MORNING

FOR ONE MAGAZINE.

THAT WAS CRAZY.

- YOU HAVE THESE
REALLY GREAT ISSUES LIKE THIS

THAT HAVE SO--
LIKE, 200-PAGE ISSUES,

WHICH, AT THE TIME,
WERE UNPRECEDENTED,

WITH NO ADVERTISING.

- HUSTLER'SBUSINESS MODEL
WAS ALWAYS NEWSSTAND SALES,

NOT ADVERTISING.

- THEY NEVER HAD
MAINSTREAM ADVERTISING.

LARRY DIDN'T BELIEVE
IN COKE AND LIQUOR ADS.

IT WAS JUST THE PORN PEOPLE
THAT WERE ADVERTISING.

- MAINSTREAM MADISON AVENUE
WOULDN'T ADVERTISE

IN AN OUTRAGEOUS MAGAZINE
LIKE HUSTLER.

WELL, THEN LARRY'S DECISION
WAS TO ATTACK THOSE ADVERTISERS.

"TOYOTA, FROM THE FINE PEOPLE
WHO BROUGHT YOU PEARL HARBOR."

OR SHOWING A CAMEL CIGARETTE AD

AND JOHN WAYNE LAID BACK
SMOKING A CAMEL.

HE DIED OF LUNG CANCER.

AND ONCE YOU RAN ONE OF THOSE,
FORGET ABOUT IT.

- LOOK AT LARRY FLYNT,
WHO STARTED RUNNING

AN ANTITOBACCO CAMPAIGN
ON HIS DIME

AND CHASED ALL THAT SHIT
OUT OF HIS MAGAZINE.

I MEAN, THAT'S CRAZY, RIGHT?
THAT'S NOT--THAT'S--

YOU KNOW, SOME WOULD SAY
THAT'S NOT GOOD BUSINESS,

BUT IT'S RESPONSIBLE.

THIS, LIKE, AWFUL PORNOGRAPHER,
YOU KNOW,

WHO'S DOING ANTITOBACCO STUFF,
AND HE'S DOING PRO-POLICE ADS.

- I USED TO KEEP
A COPY OF THAT AD

"SOME STILL CALL HIM PIG"
IN MY CAR.

I GOT OUT OF A TICKET WITH IT.

- THAT WAS THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHY
OUT THERE.

THEY WERE ALL VERY GOOD
AT WHAT THEY DID.

LARRY ONLY PICKED THE BEST.

LARRY SAID, "FUCK AIRBRUSHING."

WE'RE GONNA SHOW EVERY
PUBIC HAIR, EVERY BEAD OF SWEAT.

THE LAYOUTS ARE BRILLIANT.

- EACH PHOTOGRAPHER
HAD HIS OWN PERSONALITY AND EGO

THAT WAS THE SIZE
OF THE UNIVERSE.

- AFTER A WHILE,
LIKE, YOU CAN SPOT--

YOU DON'T NEED TO SEE
A NAME ON A PACKET

TO KNOW WHICH PHOTOGRAPHER
SHOT WHAT.

THERE'S CERTAIN SHOTS
THEY ALL DO,

CERTAIN SETUPS THEY DO
OVER AND OVER,

AND THEY BECOME
SIGNATURE SHOTS.

- WE SAW SOME OF THE WORK
THAT JAMES BAES WAS DOING.

HE DID SOME WORK FOR PENTHOUSE.

AND THEN MATTI KLATT,
HE CAME THROUGH JAMES.

AND THEN JAMES
BROUGHT CLIVE MCLEAN,

AND THEN CLIVE BROUGHT
SUZE RANDALL ABOARD.

- I MET LARRY AT HEFNER'S.

I WAS WORKING FOR HEFNER.

HE WAS KIND OF
BLACKMAILING HEFNER.

HE HAD SOME PICTURES OF HEF
WITH ANOTHER GIRL,

NOT HIS PRESENT GIRLFRIEND.

I'D JUST WRITTEN
A KISS-AND-TELL BOOK

ABOUT MY EXPERIENCES
OF PLAYBOY.

MET FLYNT, AND HE SAID,
"OH, SUZE, WHY DON'T YOU

SHOOT YOURSELF FOR HUSTLER
AND I'LL PUBLICIZE THE BOOK?"

LARRY PUT ON THE COVER
OF HUSTLER,

"PLAYBOYPHOTOGRAPHER
SHOWS PINK."

AND HEFNER THREW ME OUT.

THAT'S HOW I JUMPED INTO BED
WITH LARRY.

- YOU'RE NOT POINTING
YOUR TOES THERE.

- I KNOW. THAT'S SHOCKING.
- IT IS SHOCKING.

- THAT'S SHOCKING.
- IT'S TERRIBLE.

- THIS IS A TERRIBLE POSE.

BUT, ANYWAY, IT'S KIND OF GOOD.

I CERTAINLY DON'T LOOK
LIKE THAT NOW.

SO THAT'S ONE ADVANTAGE IN
SHOOTING YOURSELF FOR HUSTLER.

AND PEOPLE REMEMBER YOU
THE WAY YOU WERE,

NOT THE OLD GOAT
THAT YOU ARE NOW.

- I USED TO GO
AND SHOOT FOR SUZE

AND HER DAUGHTER,
WHO IS HOLLY RANDALL,

WHO IS, LIKE,
A FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHER.

I WAS JUST THIS LITTLE KID

WHO WAS KIND OF RUNNING AROUND
ON THE SET, YOU KNOW,

WHILE WE WERE DOING MAKEUP,
AND SHE'D BE OUT THERE

EATING HER PEANUT BUTTER
AND JELLY SANDWICHES.

AND THEN HER MOM
WOULD BE LIKE,

"OKAY, NOW,"
RUN 'EM OFF THE SET.

- "DARLING, GO ON UPSTAIRS.

I'M JUST SHOOTING THIS NAKED GUY
IN THE GARDEN FOR PLAYGIRL."

"ALL RIGHT, MUM."

- SO, YEAH, I MEAN,
IT WAS BECAUSE I THINK THAT

THERE WASN'T ANY, LIKE,
SECRECY SURROUNDING IT

OR, LIKE, SENSE OF SHAME
OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

IT WASN'T THAT BIG OF A DEAL.

- HER AND CLIVE MCLEAN
ALWAYS HAD KIND OF A--

KIND OF A LOVE/HATE
RELATIONSHIP.

YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD SORT OF
ALWAYS FEED OFF OF EACH OTHER.

- MY MOM AND CLIVE
ACTUALLY WERE COMPETITORS,

AND I THINK THAT THEY
DIDN'T LIKE EACH OTHER

FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

- CLIVE AND I MET IN THE '90s.
I WAS DOING MAKEUP.

AND WE, UM, GOT ALONG,
LIKE, REALLY WELL.

WHEN I MET HIM, HE WAS
KIND OF PRETTY WILD AND CRAZY.

WE WERE MARRIED FOR 12 YEARS.

CLIVE WAS
THE SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

FOR LARRY FOR MANY YEARS.

HE LOVED LARRY,
ABSOLUTELY LOVED LARRY.

AND HE WAS REALLY LOYAL TO HIM.

HE REALLY KNEW WHAT HE WANTED.
HE REALLY THOUGHT IT OUT.

HE BROUGHT
THE MAGAZINE TO LIFE.

- WE ACTUALLY HAD HIM
OVER HERE FOR NEW YEAR'S.

AND THAT WAS WHEN
I THINK HE FIRST STARTED

TO NOTICE SOMETHING
WAS WRONG WITH HIM

BEFORE HE ACTUALLY WAS
DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER,

'CAUSE HE WAS TRYING
TO SMOKE A CIGAR,

AND I THINK HIS HAND
WAS TREMBLING,

AND HE WAS KIND OF,
LIKE, YOU KNOW,

"I'M HAVING A HARD TIME
HOLDING ON TO THIS."

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY
WE FOUND OUT HE HAD CANCER.

AND THEN WHEN HE PASSED,
IT WAS JUST SO SAD.

- WE WERE REALLY STRUGGLING

HOW TO LIGHT THE NUDES
AND LIGHT THE PUSSY.

I MEAN, IT'S VERY HIDDEN
IN THERE.

IT'S VERY HARD.

SHIT.

- SHE ALWAYS HAD THAT SHOT
WITH THE MIRROR

WHERE SHE WOULD JUST THROW,
LIKE, ALL THIS LIGHT

AT THE VAGINA.

- IT WAS REALLY EARLY DAYS
ON THE PINK STUFF.

WE EVEN USED TO GLUE
THE LABIA BACK.

- REALLY?
- YEAH.

- WITH WHAT?
- OH, CHEWING GUM?

NO.

- KRAZY GLUE?
- KRAZY GLUE.

- WE USED TO COAT THE GIRL
WITH VASELINE

AND SPRINKLE WATER ON IT
LIKE SHE'S SWEATING.

WE WOULD TAKE THE VAGINA
AND PUT VASELINE THERE,

AND IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS--
LIKE SHE'D JUST HAD AN ORGASM.

- WHAT I FOUND BORING ABOUT
MOST OF THE MAGAZINE LAYOUTS

IS THE GIRLS ALL HAD
THE SAME EXPRESSION...

BLAND, EYES CLOSED,
SUPPOSED ECSTASY.

AND THE PHOTOGRAPHER SAID--
I HAD MY EYES CLOSED.

HE SAID, "NOW LOOK LIKE
YOU'RE ANGRY."

WHEN I SAW THE PHOTOGRAPHS,

IT WAS LIKE,
"OH, EXPRESSION, MOVEMENT."

IT'S INTENSE ENERGY.

- MY SECOND TIME BEING
IN A LAYOUT WITH HUSTLER,

ME AND DANA GRAY GO TO HAWAII
TO BE IN THIS BOY/GIRL LAYOUT--

ONE OF THE GREATEST EXPERIENCES
OF MY ENTIRE LIFE.

JAMES BAES IS THE PHOTOGRAPHER.

HE WANTED THE SUN TO BE
A CERTAIN WAY.

WE'D TAKE A HELICOPTER
TO A CERTAIN PART OF THE ISLAND,

WHICH WAS TOTALLY DESERTED.

EACH DAY, JAMES BAES
WOULD LOOK AT THE SUN AND GO,

"CLOUDS. IT JUST ISN'T--TODAY'S
NOT A GOOD DAY TO SHOOT."

I'D SAY, "GOOD.

ALTHEA, SAILING TODAY?
LET'S GO SAILING."

I'M IN LOVE WITH THESE GUYS.
THEY PAID FOR EVERYTHING.

AND I GET A SALARY BESIDES.

SECOND DAY, I'M LIKE THIS.

JAMES BAES LOOKS AT THE SKY.

"I'M SORRY, ALTHEA.
THIS ISN'T A GOOD DAY TO SHOOT."

"GREAT! SNORKELING."

AND GUESS WHAT WE HAD
FOR DINNER THAT NIGHT.

SURF AND TURF,
STEAK AND LOBSTER.

SO THE THIRD DAY
JAMES LOOKS AT THE SKY.

"OH, TODAY WE CAN SHOOT."
"FUCK!"

YOU KNOW,
SO WE TAKE A HELICOPTER

TO THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE ISLAND.

WE DO THIS NICE LAYOUT.

- LARRY FLYNT, A PORNOGRAPHER

WHO PUBLISHES A MAGAZINE
CALLED HUSTLER--

IT CONTAINS,
IN MY JUDGMENT, AT LEAST,

WELL, "SMUT" IS TOO KIND
A DESCRIPTION.

BUT HE SAYS ALL OF THAT
WILL CHANGE,

BECAUSE NOW CHRIST
HAS WALKED INTO HIS HEART.

HE SAYS THAT HE'S BEEN HELPED IN
THAT BY RUTH CARTER STAPLETON,

THE PRESIDENT'S
EVANGELIST SISTER.

- I'M LISTENING TO THE NEWS.

THE NEWSCASTER SAYS LARRY FLYNT
IS NOW BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN.

WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK.

- I GOT THIS CALL FROM HIM.

HE SAYS, "I'M UP IN THE AIR
WITH RUTH.

I'VE JUST SEEN JESUS."

AND I SAID, "WELL, YOU TELL HIM
I SAID HI, LARRY."

- A LOT OF PEOPLE
WHO GET INTO RELIGION

SUFFER FROM MANIC DEPRESSION.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME,

BEING THE PUBLISHER
OF HUSTLER

AND "BORNED-AGAIN"

GOT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT
OF PUBLICITY,

WHICH FED THAT NARCISSISM.

- IN RETROSPECT,
WE SHOULD'VE KNOWN LARRY

WAS GONNA DO SOMETHING
IN THE BORN-AGAIN VEIN,

BECAUSE
ABOUT THREE WEEKS PREVIOUS,

I GET A MEMO.

THE MEMO STATED THAT THE COMPANY
IS CLOSED TOMORROW.

EVERYBODY'S GONNA GO
TO THE LOCAL MOVIE THEATER.

AND WE WATCHED
THE MARJOEMOVIE.

MARJOE GORTNER WAS A CON MAN
RUNNING THESE RELIGIOUS REVIVALS

WHO WERE STEALING
EVERYBODY'S MONEY.

- HALLELUJAH!
- PRAISE JESUS!

- HALLELUJAH! THANK YOU, JESUS!
- THANK YOU, JESUS.

- JESUS IS SO GOOD
TO ME TONIGHT.

HALLELUJAH. THANK YOU, JESUS.
I PRAISE THE LORD.

- HE MADE HIS OWN DOCUMENTARY
CALLED MARJOE,

WHICH EXPOSES
THE PHONINESS OF IT ALL.

- THERE'S THE EXPERIENCE
WHERE YOU SAY YOU'RE SAVED,

THEN THERE'S THE FIRE BAPTISM
WHEN YOU GET THE HOLY GHOST,

AND THAT'S THE TONGUES THING.

AND THEY LOVE
TO WORK PEOPLE OVER.

YOU'VE GOT TO, LIKE,
SHOOT IN ON THIS.

- AND THEN I GOT A PHONE CALL

THAT I HAVE TO FLY OUT
TO COLORADO SPRINGS.

AND THERE ARE ALL THESE
RIGHT-WING CHRISTIAN PATRIOTS.

THEY WANTED TO CONVERT
ALL OF US,

MAKE ALL OF US BORN-AGAIN.

AND WHEN WE GOT THERE,
LARRY SAT US DOWN

AND READ US
THE LENNY BRUCE BOOK.

- LENNY BRUCE WENT THROUGH
A LOT OF THE SAME

CENSORSHIP ISSUES
THAT LARRY DID.

- HE HAD LEARNED
ABOUT ST. PAUL

AND KNEW I WAS THE CLOSEST TO
LENNY WHO HE CONSIDERED A SAINT,

AND SO, UNDER THE--IN THE
AFTERGLOW OF HIS CONVERSION,

HE HIRED ME ON A WHIM.

- HE AND LARRY JUST REALLY,
REALLY HIT IT OFF.

THIS PAUL KRASSNER WAS JUST
FEEDING OFF THIS MANIA,

YOU KNOW, AND I SAID, "PAUL,
MAN, WON'T YOU JUST DISAPPEAR?"

- PAUL KRASSNER,
IN MY OPINION,

WAS A FUNNY COMEDIAN,
AN IRREVERENT COMEDIAN,

BUT AS AN ACTUAL PUBLISHER,

FIGUREHEAD OF A MAGAZINE,

HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW IT WAS
PUT TOGETHER TOO WELL.

HE WASN'T CAPABLE
OF MAKING MANY DECISIONS.

HE LET US MAKE THE DECISIONS,

AND HE WOULD PRETTY MUCH
GO ALONG WITH IT.

AND...

THAT'S A TOUGH ONE FOR ME,
BECAUSE I HAD A PRO--

YOU KNOW, IT WAS A TOUGH ONE
FOR ME, BECAUSE...

I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS

WITH A LOT
OF THE CRAZINESS GOING ON.

THERE WAS A LOT OF POLITICAL
THINGS HAPPENING THEN,

AND I WASN'T VERY HAPPY
WITH HIM AS A PUBLISHER.

HE WAS NO LARRY FLYNT.

WE HAD A BIG JOB
IN FRONT OF US.

HOW DO WE PUT TOGETHER
A BORN-AGAIN MAGAZINE?

- I MEAN, I WASN'T
THE BRIGHTEST GUY IN THE WORLD,

BUT I KNEW THAT WOULDN'T WORK.

- THAT'S AN IMPOSSIBLE JOB.

AND I REMEMBER WE TRIED
TO PUT IT TOGETHER.

IT WAS DIFFICULT.

- ME AND A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE

WERE TRYING TO HOLD
THIS THING TOGETHER.

AND IT WAS COMING--

THE WHEELS WERE COMING OFF
THIS THING.

- HE SAID, "I CAN MAKE THOSE
WALLS COME TUMBLING DOWN NOW,

JUST FROM SHEER WILLPOWER."

AND I SAID, "OH, BOY,
THIS IS GONNA BE A GREAT JOB."

HE SAID, "NO, NO."

HE SAID, "I DON'T WANT
TO MISUSE MY POWER."

I WAS LIKE,
"OH, COME ON, LARRY, PLEASE.

JUST THIS TI--
I WON'T TELL ANYBODY."

- THESE PREACHERS STARTED
COMING OUT OF THE WOODWORK.

"OH, LARRY, GOD BLESS YOU.

"I'M BUILDING THIS--

"I'M BUILDING THIS CHURCH
IN MARIETTA, GEORGIA.

I NEED THE MONEY."

WROTE HIM A CHECK
FOR $100,000.

- IT WAS A CON,

AND THAT WHOLE HEALING THING
WAS A CON.

WE JUST WEREN'T SURE
WHERE LARRY WAS GOING.

HE WAS--HE'S THAT GOOD
OF AN ACTOR...

THAT HE CONNED US.

HE WAS SO CONVINCING.

HE CONVINCED US,
AS WELL AS THE NEWS,

EVEN THOUGH
WE WERE TOLD PREVIOUSLY

TO WATCH THIS MARJOEMOVIE.

- THAT PUBLICITY MADE HUSTLER.

AND AS MUCH PUBLICITY
AS LARRY GOT,

THE CRAZIER HE GOT,
THE MORE PUBLICITY WE GOT,

THE BETTER
OUR MAGAZINE SALES GOT.

- WE'RE MAKING MANY CHANGES
IN HUSTLER,

AND I SAID I WILL NO LONGER

HANG THE WOMAN UP
LIKE A PIECE OF MEAT,

AND I WANT TO APOLOGIZE
TO EVERY WOMAN IN THE WORLD

FOR WHAT I'VE DONE,
AND WE WILL NO LONGER

PORTRAY THEM THE WAY
WE HAVE IN THE PAST.

- IF I HAVE TO THINK OF
ONE IMAGE THAT CHANGED MY LIFE,

I THINK IT WOULD HAVE TO BE
THE MEAT GRINDER.

NOTHING--NOTHING DELIVERED
THE MESSAGE OF MISOGYNY TO ME

IN SUCH A CRISP AND SUCCINCT
FORM AS THAT IMAGE.

- 30 YEARS LATER, THEY STILL

TALK ABOUT
THE MEAT GRINDER COVER,

WHICH EVERYONE MISINTERPRETED.

THAT WHOLE THING
WAS, YOU KNOW, SYMBOLISM,

AND THAT WE WERE ALMOST ACTUALLY

POINTING OUT THAT WOMEN
WERE TREATED LIKE MEAT,

AND MAYBE PERHAPS WE DIDN'T
WANT TO DO THAT ANYMORE.

- THIS WAS A BIG PRODUCTION,
AND IT HAD TO BE ON SCHEDULE.

SO I KIND OF WAS PUSHED
AGAINST THE WALL

TO APPROVE IT, SO I DID,

AND HAD TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
FOR SIGNING IT,

EVEN THOUGH I WAS AGAINST IT.

I HAD SAID TO THE EDITOR,
YOU KNOW,

"WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

"WE'RE NOT GONNA
HANG 'EM UP AS MEAT ANYMORE,

WE'RE JUST GONNA GRIND 'EM
TO PIECES INSTEAD?"

- I THINK IN MANY WAYS,
WOMEN ARE FORCED,

REALLY FORCED,

TO UNDERSTAND THE DEGREE
TO WHICH WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY

THAT DETESTS AND HATES
AND LOATHES WOMEN,

BECAUSE THAT PICTURE CAPTURES IT
LIKE NOTHING ELSE.

- IN THE MID-'80s,
THERE WAS SOMETHING CALLED

THE FEMINIST PORN WARS.

AND THAT WAS THE--

THE GIANT RENDING
OF THE FEMINIST COMMUNITY

BETWEEN THE PRO-
AND THE ANTICENSORSHIP FORCES.

NOW, PLENTY
OF ANTICENSORSHIP FEMINISTS

DO NOT LIKE PORNOGRAPHY, ARE
UNCOMFORTABLE WITH PORNOGRAPHY,

BUT UNDERSTAND THAT CENSORSHIP

IS A BIGGER PROBLEM FOR WOMEN
THAN DIRTY PICTURES.

AND THEN THERE ARE THE FEMINISTS
WHO THINK THAT DIRTY PICTURES

ARE THE MOST SERIOUS THING
FACING WOMEN IN THE WORLD TODAY.

SO THAT MEAT GRINDER COVER
WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A JOKE,

BUT THE IDEA THAT PORNOGRAPHY
TREATS WOMEN LIKE MEAT

IS A TROPE OF FEMINISM NOW

THAT NO ONE EVER...

EXAMINES
OR PUSHES BACK AGAINST.

- WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
CALLING IT REALLY WHAT IT IS,

WOMEN AS OBJECTIFIED,
SORT OF COMMODIFIED OBJECTS,

TO WHAT WE'RE DOING IN FASHION
ANYWAY OR TV ANYWAY?

YOU KNOW, SO, IN A WAY, HE JUST
PUSHED IT A LITTLE FURTHER.

- WE'RE ALL NEUROTICS RESPONDING
TO A NEUROTIC ENVIRONMENT.

AND I DON'T FEEL
THAT WE CAN EVER KNOW GOD

TILL WE KNOW OURSELF.

AND THE PERSON THAT HAS
A PROBLEM WITH THIS MAGAZINE

THAT HE THINKS BANNING IT
IS GONNA SOLVE,

HE'S GOT A PROBLEM.

- WE WENT TO TRIAL
IN LAWRENCEVILLE, GEORGIA.

WE WERE FINISHED
WITH JURY SELECTION,

WE WERE INTO THE CASE.

LARRY WAS ON THE STAND
FOR THE DEFENSE, TESTIFYING.

WE HAD A LOCAL LAWYER.
HIS NAME WAS GENE REEVES.

WE HAD HIRED GENE REEVES
FOR 500 HOURS A DAY

TO BE A CONSULTANT ON JURIES,

BECAUSE HE LIVED
IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO, WHEN WE WERE PICKING
A JURY,

WE NEEDED SOMEONE
WHO KNEW EVERYONE.

AT LUNCHTIME, REEVES SAID,

"LOOK, I'LL TAKE
LARRY TO LUNCH."

GREAT, BABYSIT HIM.

'CAUSE WE WERE STAYING
IN THE COURTROOM DOING OUR WORK.

- AND LARRY SAID,
"WELL, IT'S THE LAST DAY.

WHY DON'T YOU JOIN US?"

AND I SAID, "LARRY,
I'M GOING TO STAY HERE

AND WORK ON MY FINAL ARGUMENT
TO THE JURY."

- SO I WAS THINKING,
WHERE WOULD BE THE GOOD PLACE

TO SET UP THE AMBUSH?

SO I KEPT WALKING,
AND I SAW THAT OLD BUILDING.

AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT,
IT WAS VACANT.

I GOT THERE EARLY, AROUND--

I THINK IT WAS
AROUND 9:00 OR 10:00.

AND JUST WAITED FOR HIM.

YOU KNOW, I KNEW THE ROUTE
HE WAS TAKING.

I'D BEEN WALK--
YOU KNOW, CASING

THE WHOLE TOWN OF LAWRENCEVILLE
FOR SOME TIME.

YOU KNOW, KNEW WHERE
HE WOULD BE WALKING BY.

- THEY HAD A RED PHONE BOOTH
OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE.

I WAS ON THE PHONE
TALKING TO MY SECRETARY.

AND LARRY AND THE OTHERS

WERE COMING ACROSS THE LITTLE
SQUARE THAT'S THEIR TOWN SQUARE.

- FLYNT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE
COMING FROM ONE DIRECTION.

I WAS EXPECTING THEM
FROM THE RIGHT, THE COURTHOUSE.

AND THEY WERE COMING
FROM THE CAFETERIA.

WHEN I GOT
THE CROSSHAIRS ON HIM,

I RECOGNIZED LARRY
AS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WALKING.

SO I IMMEDIATELY
SQUEEZED OFF A ROUND.

- DOWN LARRY GOES.
DOWN GENE REEVES GOES.

- SO THE BULLET WENT THROUGH
LARRY AND WENT TO--

AND TO GENE REEVES.

I DIDN'T EVEN INTEND
AT ALL TO SHOOT HIM,

BUT THE BULLET IS SO POWERFUL,
THEY GO RIGHT THROUGH A PERSON.

- I RUSH OVER TO THEM,

AND REEVES IS ROLLING AROUND
HOLDING HIS SHOULDER.

- I TOOK OFF RUNNING
THROUGH THE BACK ALLEY

AFTER I SHOT LARRY TWICE.

- LARRY, BY THE WAY,
WAS LAYING THERE,

AND HE WAS JUST WIDE OPEN.

- LARRY FLYNT IS PROBABLY
THE ONLY PERSON IN HISTORY

WHO'S EVER BEEN SHOT WITH
A .44 MAGNUM TWICE AND LIVED.

- THE NEXT THING I REMEMBER
WAS I SAW ALL THESE TV PEOPLE

RUNNING WITH THE CAMERAS,
YOU KNOW.

AND I KNEW
SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED,

AND WHEN I GOT DOWN THERE,

AND I SAW WHEN THEY
OPENED UP HIS SHIRT,

AND THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT'S BURNED INTO MY MIND.

IT WAS LIKE A WAR SCENE.

- YOU KNOW, THEY GAVE LARRY,
LIKE, A 10% CHANCE OF SURVIVAL.

AS WE'RE SITTING THERE,

WAITING NOW FOR ALTHEA
TO FLY IN,

THE WHOLE MEDIA WORLD
IS CONVERGING ON THIS PLACE.

- I MEAN, THE PUBLICITY
WAS ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE--

TV, RADIO, THE TALK SHOWS.

- THEY FLEW ME TO ATLANTA

TO THE HOSPITAL
WHERE HE WAS STAYING.

HIS WIFE, ALTHEA, WAS THERE,
AND HE WAS BEING HELD TOGETHER

BY SCOTCH TAPE
AND MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY,

WITH HIS OXYGEN MASK.

AND JUST HELD HIS HAND,
AND I SAID,

"WELL, LARRY, YOU KNOW,
TOMORROW IS GOOD FRIDAY,

SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO
GO INTO WORK."

AND ALTHEA SAID,
"PAUL, LOOK AT HIM."

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT SHE'S SAYING.

HE WAS BLINKING
HIS EYES VERY FAST,

AND SHE SAID,
"HE'S LAUGHING."

AND SHE SAID, "I WANT TO TAKE
A PICTURE OF THIS

AND PUT IT IN HUSTLERAND SHOW
PEOPLE WHAT WAS DONE TO HIM."

AS I WAS LEAVING,
SHE SAID, "OH, PAUL,

REMEMBER, GO HARD CORE."

- RUTH CARTER COMES IN,

AND SHE SAYS,

"WELL, NOW WE'RE ALL GONNA,

YOU KNOW, KNEEL IN PRAYER
FOR LARRY."

SO WE'RE ALL LIKE--FAHRINGER
AND I ARE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER

LIKE, WOW, YOU KNOW,

WE KIND OF NEVER EXPECTED
ALL OF THIS, RIGHT?

SO HERE WE ARE,
ALL IN THE HOSPITAL IN A CIRCLE,

KNEELING DOWN
AND BEING LED IN PRAYER

BY THE PRESIDENT'S SISTER.

- IF YOU CAN BELIEVE FRANKLIN
WAS THE SHOOTER,

THEN YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE
HIS COMMENTS

OF WHEN LARRY CHOSE TO RUN

THE INTERRACIAL PHOTOGRAPH
OF BUTCH AND PEACHES.

AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT
FRANKLIN SAYS

IS THE REASON THAT HE SHOT HIM.

- CAN YOU TELL US WHY YOU SHOT
FLYNT IN THE FIRST PLACE?

- IT WAS
THE INTERRACIAL PUBLI--

PICTURES AND STUFF
IN THE MAGAZINE.

I WAS SITTING ON THE COUCH,
AND I PICKED IT UP,

SAW THE PICTURE OF THE STUD FROM
OHIO OR SOME CRAP LIKE THAT,

YOU KNOW, THE PICTURE

OF THE BLONDE-HAIRED BROAD
FROM OHIO

HAVING SEX WITH A BLACK MAN.

I BECAME OUTRAGED,
SLAMMED IT DOWN,

SAID,
"I'M GONNA KILL THIS GUY."

- WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN
TO LARRY FLYNT NOW?

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS HAPPENING
FROM THIS POINT ON?

- WELL, THAT DEPENDS ON WHETHER
I'M ABLE TO WALK OR NOT.

AND I'VE GOT THE DETERMINATION
THAT I'M GOING TO.

IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF WHETHER
I WALK ON LAND OR WATER.

- WHERE IS THIS THING GOING?

LARRY WAS GETTING
INTO THIS BORN-AGAIN TOO MUCH.

PART OF MY MIND SAID,
"WHY AM I MOVING TO L.A.?"

- COLUMBUS WAS GETTING
KIND OF ANNOYING.

I GUESS HE JUST GOT TIRED
OF BEING HASSLED THERE.

IT JUST SEEMED LIKE
HE COULDN'T DO HIS THING.

HE HAD A MAGAZINE
OUT HERE CALLED CHIC

THAT WAS ALREADY
IN LOS ANGELES.

HE NEVER GOT TO ENJOY THAT
WHOLE, UH, CALIFORNIA THING

'CAUSE HE JUST GOT SHOT
SIX WEEKS LATER.

- MRS. ALTHEA FLYNT
IS JUST 24 YEARS OLD,

BUT SHE'S RUNNING
A PUBLISHING EMPIRE

WORTH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

SHE SPENDS LONG DAYS SHEPHERDING
NEARLY A DOZEN MAGAZINES,

NEWSPAPERS, AND COMPANIES

FOR DISTRIBUTION, ADVERTISING,
AND MAIL ORDERS.

SHE MONITORS
HER HUSBAND'S CARE.

- SHE WOULD HAVE GOOD IDEAS.

I WOULD HAVE A MEETING
WITH HER IN HER OFFICE,

AND--WITH MY LITTLE PAD AND PEN,
AND SHE WOULD SAY,

"I WANT TO HAVE AN ARTICLE

ON THE POOR QUALITY
OF SCHOOL LUNCHES."

AND I SAID, "SURE,"
BECAUSE IT WAS EXPANDING.

I MEAN, I GOT ARTICLES IN ABOUT
THE ASSASSINATION OF MALCOLM X.

I GOT A FEMINIST FRIEND TO WRITE
A PIECE ABOUT ABORTION RIGHTS.

- I LEFT, UM...

A COUPLE OF MONTHS
AFTER LARRY GOT SHOT.

UM...

- WHY?

- PLACE WAS JUST POLITICAL.
IT WAS CRAZY.

AND WE WERE
IN LOS ANGELES BY NOW.

AND I GOT A BETTER OFFER.
IT WAS SIMPLE AS THAT.

AND WE JUST HAD YOU,

AND I NEEDED A STEADY INCOME.

AND THINGS WERE JUST
TOO CRAZY OVER AT HUSTLER.

- AFTER LARRY GOT SHOT,

THERE WAS
A TERRIBLE CASH-FLOW PROBLEM.

THE PEOPLE THAT HUSTLEROWED
MONEY TO WANTED IT RIGHT AWAY,

AND THE PEOPLE
THAT OWED HUSTLERMONEY

DIDN'T PAY IT,
'CAUSE THEY FIGURED, YOU KNOW,

IT'S GONNA GO DOWN THE TOILET
IF, UM...

IF HE'S NOT ABLE TO COME BACK.

- LARRY BELIEVED IN SPENDING
MONEY TO MAKE MONEY,

AND ALTHEA THOUGHT
MORE LIKE A REPUBLICAN,

WHICH IS CUTTING COSTS
IS THE WAY THAT YOU MAKE MONEY.

- SO ONE DAY SHE CALLED ME IN,

AND I HAD MY PEN AND PAD READY,
AND SHE SAID,

"PAUL, I HAVE TO FIRE YOU."
AND I WROTE DOWN, "FIRED."

- PAUL WAS MAKING THE MOST MONEY
OF ANYBODY AT HUSTLER.

- I WAS KIND OF RELIEVED.

YOU KNOW, I WENT INTO MY OFFICE,
CLOSED THE DOOR,

PUT THE MUSIC ON MY RADIO,
AND STARTED DANCING.

- SHE DECIDED
TO ELIMINATE HIS POSITION

AND ACT AS PUBLISHER HERSELF.

A LOT OF THE EDITORS WHO WORKED
FOR HER DIDN'T LIKE HER

BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T COME OUT

OF THE WRITING,
EDITING END OF THE BUSINESS.

SHE CAME
OUT OF THE DANCING-NAKED END

OF THE BUSINESS.

- SHE TOOK THE REINS
OF THE COMPANY

DURING THAT TIME
WHEN LARRY WAS NOT,

YOU KNOW,
WELL ENOUGH TO DO THAT,

AND SHE REALLY USHERED
THE COMPANY

THROUGH SOME HARD TIMES THERE,

AND SHE DID IT
WITH HER OWN STYLE

AND SENSE OF HUMOR.

- SHE KNEW WHAT SHE WAS DOING,

I MEAN, SHE REALLY STOOD UP
FOR HERSELF,

AND SHE KNEW THE MAGAZINE,
SHE KNEW THE READERSHIP.

- WHAT SHE REALLY DID WAS
JUST KEEP TRYING TO COPY

WHAT HAD BEEN SUCCESSFUL
SEVERAL ISSUES AGO.

- YOU CAN SEE IT. LIKE,
THE COVERS ARE REALLY STALE.

EVERYTHING'S REALLY FLAT.

IT'S GOT
NO REAL POINT OF VIEW.

- THIS WAS A TIME
WHEN BOTH LARRY AND ALTHEA

STARTED TO USE HEAVY DRUGS.

WHEN LARRY WOULD ORDER SOMETHING
FROM HIS HOSPITAL BED

THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO
OR WAS TOO WACKY TO DO,

ALL OF US, INCLUDING ALTHEA,
WOULD SAY,

"OH, LARRY
MUST'VE BEEN CONFUSED,"

MEANING LARRY WAS
OUT OF HIS FUCKING MIND

WHEN HE MADE THAT DECISION.

- WE USED TO HANG OUT AT
THIS CLUB CALLED THE RAINBOW,

AND ONE NIGHT
UP PULLS THIS BIG, BLACK LIMO,

AND ON THE SIDE OF THE LIMO
WAS THIS NAKED LADY.

IT SAID, "THINK PINK"
ON THE LICENSE PLATE.

AND OUT POPS THIS WOMAN
WITH LEATHER PANTS ON

AND THIS SHOCK-BLACK HAIR.

AND IT WAS ALTHEA FLYNT.
SHE WAS AWESOME.

SHE WAS THIS BRASH WOMAN

WHO WOULD JUST GET RIGHT DOWN
TO BUSINESS.

"HEY, I'M GONNA SHOOT YOU
FOR HUSTLER."

AND, "COME ON OUT WITH ME.
WE'RE GONNA GO PARTY."

AND YOU GET
IN THE BACK OF THE LIMO,

AND THEY BREAK OUT
THIS BIG BAG OF COKE.

AND I WAS, LIKE,
SITTING THERE GOING--

NOW, I'M THIS KID
FROM ORANGE COUNTY,

LIKE, I HAD NEVER EVEN SEEN
A BAG OF COKE THAT BIG.

- YOU WOULD BE WORKING
ALL THESE HOURS,

NOT REALLY GETTING
PAID OVERTIME,

BUT THEY GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT
OF EXTRA MONEY HERE OR THERE,

BUT THEN EVERYTHING YOU WOULD
EARN YOU'D SPEND ON COKE

SO YOU COULD STAY
AT WORK AND WORK MORE.

SO IT WASN'T REALLY LIKE A--
THERE WAS NOT--

R.O.I.,
THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT,

WAS MAYBE NOT SO FANTASTIC
IN A MONETARY WAY,

BUT IT WAS KIND OF EXCITING.

IT WAS VERY EXCITING.

- THAT WAS PRETTY--
A PRETTY HIGH-ON-COKE TIME.

LARRY WASN'T THERE

AND THE PARANOIA

AND THE FEAR
GOING ON IN THAT COMPANY...

- PEOPLE KIND OF JUST
WENT CRAZY.

YOU KNOW, THERE WAS
A LOT OF DRUG USE.

THERE WAS A LOT OF PARTIES.

- I GOT BACK TO HUSTLER
IN THE EARLY '80s.

AND I DIDN'T SEE MUCH OF LARRY.
ALTHEA WAS IN CHARGE.

AND I WANTED TO GO
BACK TO HUSTLER

AND FINISH
WHAT I'D STARTED YEARS AGO.

- LARRY HAD THIS REAL NEED
TO HAVE QUALITY WORK.

HE WAS VERY CONSCIOUS
OF THE FACT

THAT HE CAME FROM THE HILLS.

HE WAS VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE
FACT THAT HE WAS SELF-TAUGHT.

AND SO HE WANTED
HIS MAGAZINE TO REFLECT

NOT HILLBILLIES FROM KENTUCKY,
BUT HE WANTED IT TO BE,

YOU KNOW, A REALLY STRONG
MAGAZINE WITH HIGH STANDARDS.

- THERE WERE A COUPLE
OF EMBARRASSING MOMENTS.

I MEAN, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN
LARRY ASSIGNED AN ARTICLE

THAT K-Y JELLY CAUSED AIDS.

IT WAS RIDICULOUS.
THERE WAS NO PROOF.

BUT IT WAS SOMETHING WE DID.

YOU GOT TO OWN UP
TO YOUR MISTAKES ALSO.

- EVERY ARTICLE
WAS FACT-CHECKED COMPLETELY,

PARTIALLY BECAUSE WE'D GET SUED
AND WOULD HAVE TO SHOW

THAT YOU ACTUALLY
FACT-CHECKED AN ARTICLE

TO AVOID LOSING A LIBEL SUIT.

- WE HAD A PHRASE THAT WE USED
AT THE TIME CALLED,

"WE WANT TO DO
LAWSUIT-QUALITY WORK."

IF WE DON'T GET SUED,
THEN WE'RE NOT DOING OUR JOB.

- THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF
THAT WE DID

THAT WE WERE
PRETTY MUCH FIRST AT.

I THINK WE WERE
ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE

TO TALK ABOUT
THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT.

I CAN STILL REMEMBER

THE ILLUSTRATION
OF THE FLOODED CITY.

THAT WAS PRETTY SPECTACULAR
AT THE TIME.

THIS WAS BACK WHEN ILLUSTRATION
WAS THE ONLY WAY TO GO.

I WAS ALWAYS INTO SUPERREALISM

BEFORE I EVER
TOOK THE JOB AT HUSTLER.

I LOVED THAT LOOK, AND THAT WAS
THE LOOK OF HUSTLER,

WHICH WAS
A PERFECT MATCH FOR ME.

ILLUSTRATORS LIKE REN WICKS
AND ALEX EBEL.

- LARRY LIKES CARTOONS.

AND HE USED TO SAY,
"IT'S A POUND OF PAPER.

IT'S GIRLS, CARTOONS,
AND THE ARTICLES."

HE FELT THAT'S WHAT SOMEBODY

WHO BOUGHT THE MAGAZINE
WOULD BE LOOKING AT...

IN THAT ORDER.

- WE CAME
FROM EASTERN KENTUCKY,

NO EDUCATION,

AND THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THAT
BARNYARD HUMOR CAME FROM.

- LARRY REALLY DIDN'T BREAK
NEW GROUNDS WITH HUMOR.

HE JUST EXTENDED A LINE
THAT'S BEEN GOING

SINCE THE RENAISSANCE,
SINCE BEFORE THE RENAISSANCE,

SINCE MEDIEVAL ERA.

YOU KNOW, JUST A LINE
OF ANTIAUTHORITY,

SEXUALLY CHARGED HUMOR.

AND I THINK HUMOR UPSETS
THE POWER STRUCTURE

MORE THAN ANYTHING.

- DWAINE TINSLEY BROUGHT
A CRAZY IRREVERENT HUMOR

TO HUSTLER.

DWAINE BROUGHT THAT
CHESTER THE MOLESTER CHARACTER.

WHETHER HE WAS DEALING
WITH JESUS ON A CROSS,

OR FECES,

AS SICK AS YOU COULD DO IT,
THE BETTER FOR HIM.

- IF THERE ARE LEVELS
OF BAD TASTE,

DWAINE WAS AT THE LOWEST
POSSIBLE LEVEL.

BUT HE WAS A VERY TALENTED GUY,

AND HE WOULD GO AFTER
ANYBODY AND EVERYTHING

FOR A LAUGH.

AND HE TOOK LARRY
FIVE STEPS FURTHER

FROM ANYTHING THAT WOULD
COME OUT OF LARRY'S MOUTH.

HE WANTED TO OFFEND, AND HE
WANTED TO OFFEND SERIOUSLY,

BECAUSE THAT WAS
THE FIRST AMENDMENT BATTLE.

- THERE WAS NO RULES,
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

IT WAS A NEW WORLD WHEN YOU LOOK
AT THIS WHEN YOU'RE A KID,

COMPARED TO, YOU KNOW,
MARVEL COMICS OR SOMETHING.

HERE'S ANOTHER
DWAINE TINSLEY PIECE.

THESE ARE DONE WITH PEN
AND WATERCOLOR, I BELIEVE.

AND, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH
LITTLE DETAIL IN THERE.

NOTICE A LITTLE PISS STAIN
ON THE UNDERWEAR.

I MEAN, THAT'S COMEDIC
AS ALL HELL.

- NO MATTER
HOW OUTRAGEOUS IT IS,

IT'S NEVER OUTRAGEOUS
ENOUGH FOR LARRY.

HE ALWAYS WANTS TO PUSH IT
A LITTLE FURTHER.

- FIRST I START OUT
WITH A ROUGH TISSUE DRAWING.

AND I WORK EVERYTHING OUT

THE WAY I'M GONNA INK IT.

AND THEN I USE MY LIGHT BOARD

TO PUT A NICE, CLEAN PIECE
OF PAPER ON TOP OF THAT,

AND I INK IT
FROM MY ROUGH TISSUE,

AND THIS IS ACTUALLY
WHAT I SUBMIT TO HUSTLER.

AND IF LARRY LIKES IT AND PICKS
IT FOR A FULL-PAGE COLOR,

THEN I DRAW IT AGAIN.

AND HERE IS THE FINISHED
FULL-PAGE COLOR

OF THAT SAME CARTOON.

THIS WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITES,

WHERE A GUY'S CLEANING PUBIC
HAIR OFF A MEN'S ROOM FLOOR

AND SEES WHAT HE WILL LOOK LIKE
WITH HAIR.

- I MEAN, YOU GOT TO BE A SICKO

USING THE AGE-LONG TRADITION

OF MR. AND MRS. SANTA CLAUS

AND USING THEM
IN THAT TYPE OF...

CONFRONTATION.

I THINK IT'S...

ABSURDLY WRONG.

- HUSTLERPRIDED ITSELF
ON BAD TASTE.

THAT WAS KIND OF
ITS BADGE OF HONOR.

AND PEOPLE OFTEN SAY TO ME,

"WASN'T HUSTLER
AN EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY OFFENDER?

YOU KNOW, DIDN'T IT
MAKE FUN OF EVERYBODY?"

THE ANSWER TO THAT,
ACTUALLY, IS NO.

THEY WERE NOT
AN EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY OFFENDER.

THEY KEPT RACISM ALIVE
IN THE MAINSTREAM

IN A WAY THAT--

I CAN'T THINK OF ANY OTHER
MEDIA GENRE THAT DID THAT.

- THERE ARE JUST
AS MANY JOKES ABOUT WHITES

AS THERE ARE ABOUT BLACKS,
ABOUT EVERYONE.

ALL THAT GROSS-OUT HUMOR,
WEIRD STUFF,

THAT WAS JUST SORT OF THROWN
IN THIS "BITS & PIECES" SECTION.

"BITS & PIECES"
WAS INSPIRED BY HUMOR.

IT WAS REALLY NATIONAL LAMPOON
WITH MORE TITS.

YOU COULD GET VULGAR
AND DISGUSTING AND GROSS.

- MY FIRST DAY I WAS TAKEN
TO DO AN EDITORIAL-CARTOON SHOOT

IN WHICH THERE WERE TWO GUYS

WHO WERE ROUGHLY THE SAME SIZE
AS REAGAN AND KISSINGER

WEARING SUITS,

A NUDE MODEL,
WHO WAS STANDING ON HER HEAD,

AND THE KISSINGER
AND REAGAN CHARACTERS

APPEAR TO BE PULLING
THEIR FISTS OUT OF THIS CHICK,

AND THE LINE ON IT WAS,
"I DON'T KNOW, HENRY,

WE KEEP SENDING IN ARMS,
AND ALL WE GET BACK IS SHIT."

SHE HAD "NICARAGUA"
OR "EL SALVADOR"

PAINTED ON HER STOMACH.

AND...

THAT WAS MY INTRODUCTION
TO WORKING AT HUSTLER.

- I WOULD GO IN, AND THEY'D
GIVE ME IDIOTIC THINGS TO DO,

AND I WOULD REVEL IN THEM.

THERE'S ONE WHERE I'M ROLLING
A ROLLING PIN ON MY DICK,

FLATTENING IT OUT.

I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT
THE PHYSICAL TORTURE TO IT

BECAUSE I JUST FIGURED NOBODY
ELSE WANTED TO DO THAT STUFF.

- THEY USED TO USE ME
A LOT FOR THOSE,

AND THOSE WERE ALWAYS
A LOT OF FUN--

SOMETIMES INSULTING,
BUT REALLY FUN.

- I DID ONE CALLED
"MARS NEEDS PUSSY,"

WHERE IT WAS ALIENS
WHO CAME DOWN IN THE SPACESHIP

AND GRABBED THIS BLONDE CHICK,

AND IT TURNED
INTO HENTAI TENTACLE PORN,

FOR THOSE
THAT ARE THE UNINITIATED.

- ONE OF MY MOST
CONTROVERSIAL ONES

IS WHERE I'M FUCKING THE SKULL
OF SHAUNA GRANT,

WHICH WAS SORT OF EERIE.

- I WOULD COME IN
TO ALLAN MACDONELL ON A MONDAY,

PITCH HIM IDEAS.

HE WOULD APPROVE THE IDEAS

OR SAY, "THESE SUCK.
GIVE ME SOME NEW ONES."

THOSE WOULD BE SKETCHED OUT.

THEN AFTER THAT,
I WOULD HAVE A MEETING

WITH THE TALENT DEPARTMENT
WHO WOULD BOOK THE MODELS.

THEN I WOULD MEET WITH PEOPLE
LIKE KENNY DEMARTINES,

WHO BUILT A LOT OF THE SETS,
IN TERMS OF PROPS AND WHATNOT.

- WE MADE A LOT OF SHIT
IN DIFFERENT FORMS,

AND I BECAME KIND OF AN EXPERT
AT DOING THAT.

WE MADE THEM OUT OF CLAY.

WE MADE THEM OUT OF STYROFOAM.

WE MADE THEM
OUT OF FOAM INSULATION.

IT ALL DEPENDED
ON WHAT THE CONCEPT CALLED FOR.

THERE WAS MANY TIMES
THEY HAD TO FLOAT

AND LOOK LIKE
A SPECIFIC SHAPE

WHEN THEY WERE
ACTUALLY IN A TOILET.

THERE WAS A COUPLE CONCEPTS
WHERE THEY WANTED...

UH...

SWASTIKAS, CROSSES, STARS

TO LOOK LIKE EXCREMENT.

- AT TIMES, I ASPIRED
FOR IT TO BE SMART,

JUST ADDRESS POLITICAL ISSUES
AS WELL.

BUT REALLY, IT JUST CAME DOWN
TO, HOW CAN WE SHOEHORN IN

A NAKED CHICK INTO A PARODY
OF EVIL DEADOR SOMETHING?

- ALL OF A SUDDEN ONE DAY,
LARRY CAME IN,

TOLD US ALL HE WAS BACK.

AND HE SAID,
"THINGS ARE GONNA CHANGE NOW,

"AND THINGS ARE GONNA
GO BACK TO THE WAY THEY WERE

BEFORE HE WAS
UNDER THE INFLUENCE."

- HE COMES ROLLING UP
TO MY OFFICE,

AND I'M STANDING IN THE HALLWAY
IN FRONT OF MY OFFICE,

AND HE STOPS,

AND HE LOOKS UP AT ME,
AND HE PUTS HIS HAND OUT,

AND I SHAKE IT.

HE GOES, "YOU HOLDING DOWN
THE FORT HERE, LONN?"

I SAID, "YES, SIR."

"GOOD,
'CAUSE I'M COMING BACK."

"RIGHT ON.
GOOD TO SEE YOU, BOSS."

AND HE KEPT ROLLING.

HE ALWAYS CAME BACK, MAN.

YOU COULD NOT KEEP
THAT MAN DOWN.

- HE'S HAD A COUPLE DIFFERENT
SURGERIES TO LESSEN THE PAIN

FROM--HE'S GOT BULLET FRAGMENTS
IN HIS SPINE.

AND THIS IS, I BELIEVE,
AFTER THE FIRST SURGERY,

THE FIRST TIME WHEN
ALL OF A SUDDEN HE DIDN'T HAVE

ALL THIS OVERWHELMING PAIN
THAT JUST--

THAT WOULD JUST DICTATE,
YOU KNOW,

WHAT HE THOUGHT ABOUT ALL DAY,
WHAT HE DID ALL DAY.

- FROM THEN ON,
WE HAD TO KEEP UP WITH HIM.

- THAT RUN IS WHAT LED TO
THE NUMEROUS LAWSUITS

AND THE TANGLEMENT
OF LAYERS OF LEGAL PROBLEMS,

WHICH LED TO HIM GOING--
- HE MADE UP FOR LOST TIME.

- THE FIRST ISSUES I WAS WORKING
ON WERE PROBABLY THE END OF '83,

AND THEN RIGHT AT THE START
OF '84, HE RAN FOR PRESIDENT.

HE BECAME
A VERY HIGH-PROFILE FIGURE.

- HE WAS ON THE NIGHTLY NEWS.
HE WAS IN THE NEWSPAPER.

ANYTHING THAT HE WAS
INVOLVED IN AT THE TIME,

HIS NAME WAS ALWAYS OUT THERE.

- I HAVE MORE MONEY

THAN ALL THE OTHER CANDIDATES
PUT TOGETHER,

AND I INTEND TO OUTSPEND
EVERY ONE OF THEM.

I AM GOING TO ENTER
EVERY SINGLE PRIMARY,

AND I AM GOING TO WIN
EVERY PRIMARY,

AND I AM GOING TO BE THE NEXT
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

- I MEAN, THE GREATEST ISSUE,
I THINK,

IS THE "LARRY FLYNT
FOR PRESIDENT."

AND IT HAD THE BUMPER STICKER
INSIDE OF IT.

WHERE IT WAS LIKE,
THIS GUY HAD THE MONEY

TO INDULGE HIS WILDEST STUFF
IN THE PAGES

OF THE WILDEST MAGAZINE
THAT HAD EVER BEEN PUBLISHED.

- ARE YOU GONNA PAINT
THE WHITE HOUSE BLACK?

- NO.

- WILL YOU DECLARE HOMOSEXUALS
AN ENDANGERED SPECIES

BECAUSE OF AIDS?
- YES.

- WILL YOU APPOINT ANDY WARHOL

AS THE OFFICIAL
WHITE HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHER?

- YES.

AND I'LL PAINT
THE WHITE HOUSE PINK...

BECAUSE PINK
IS WHAT PUT ME THERE.

- OH, NO!

- NOW I HAD THE PRESSURE
OF LARRY RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT,

AS WELL AS GETTING
THE MAGAZINE OUT.

IT WAS A 24-HOUR-A-DAY JOB.
IT WAS GREAT. IT WAS EXCITING.

- WHO WOULD YOU VOTE FOR?
- LARRY FLYNT.

- WHY WOULD YOU VOTE
FOR LARRY FLYNT?

- HE AIN'T GOT NO BULLSHIT.
HE JUST TELLS YOU THE WAY IT IS.

- HE WAS RUNNING
ON THE REPUBLICAN TICKET

JUST TO PISS THEM OFF.

AND RUSSELL MEANS,
THE AMERICAN INDIAN ACTIVIST,

WAS HIS RUNNING MATE.

- ONE OF YOUR COLLEAGUES
SAID ON THE FLOOR

THAT NO DECENT MEMBER OF
CONGRESS WOULD ACCEPT HUSTLER.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I SENT IT
TO YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE.

YOU'RE ALL A BUNCH OF LOW-LIFE,
INDECENT, PUKE-INFESTED MAGGOTS

THAT SHOULD BE HOUNDED
FROM OFFICE

FOR BEING POLITICAL,
INEPT QUACKS,

SPELLED Q-U-A-C-K-S.

FUCK YOU, MOTHERFUCKERS.

- LARRY HAD INCREDIBLE ACCESS TO
PEOPLES' PRIVATE PHONE NUMBERS.

AND HE MANAGED TO GET
NANCY REAGAN'S PERSONAL PHONE.

WE RAN THAT AS THE PHONE NUMBER
IN THAT AD.

VERY SHORTLY THEREAFTER RECEIVED

A COMMUNICATION
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE

REQUESTING THAT THAT
PHONE NUMBER NO LONGER BE USED.

JESSE HELMS WAS THE SENATOR
FROM NORTH CAROLINA--

RACIST SENATOR.

LARRY PROVIDED US WITH
JESSE HELMS'S HOME PHONE NUMBER

AND HIS WIFE'S PERSONAL NUMBER,

AND THE AD SAID SOMETHING LIKE,

"I LIKE 'EM BIG AND BLACK."

"CALL ME AT THIS NUMBER,
AND IF I'M NOT THERE,

CALL THIS NUMBER
AND ASK FOR MY WIFE."

TO THIS DAY, THAT'S THE--

I THINK MY SINGLE
GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT THERE.

- HE CALLED ME
IN HIS OFFICE ONE NIGHT

WHEN WE WERE WORKING LATE,

HAD TO BE 7:00, 8:00 AT NIGHT.

HE SAID, "BILL, BILL, I GOT IT."

AND HE REACHED UP.
"I GOT IT."

I SAID,
"LARRY, WHAT DO YOU HAVE?"

HE GOES, "JESUS CHRIST.

I'M GONNA PUT JESUS CHRIST
ON THE MASTHEAD."

I WAS WORRIED HE WOULD
END UP GETTING SHOT AGAIN.

I DIDN'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.

AND I MADE A VERY BIG MISTAKE
BY GOING TO ALTHEA,

AND THAT'S THE ONLY TIME
HE EVER THREATENED MY JOB.

HE WAS FURIOUS WITH ME.

- F.B.I. SURVEILLANCE TAPE
SHOWED JOHN DELOREAN

VIEWING A SUITCASE
FULL OF COCAINE,

THEN TOASTING HIS FUTURE.

- GOLD WEIGHS
MORE THAN THAT, FOR GOD SAKES.

- MOMENTS LATER,
DELOREAN WAS ARRESTED.

BY LAW, DELOREAN'S DEFENSE TEAM

HAD TO BE GIVEN COPIES
OF THESE TAPES BY PROSECUTORS.

BUT PUBLISHER LARRY FLYNT
ALSO GOT COPIES.

HE GAVE THEM TO THE MEDIA.
BUT WHO GAVE THEM TO FLYNT?

- I GOT 'EM
FROM THE GOVERNMENT.

WHO ELSE COULD I HAVE
GOT 'EM FROM?

THE GOVERNMENT TAPED 'EM.

- THE GOVERNMENT
SAYS FLYNT IS LYING.

THE F.B.I. HAS BEGUN
AN INVESTIGATION.

- I WAS SITTING
OUTSIDE HIS OFFICE

WHEN A FELLA THAT LOOKED
VERY FAMILIAR DASHED BY ME.

THEN I WENT INTO LARRY'S OFFICE,
AND HE SAID TO ME,

"YOU KNOW WHO THAT WAS?
THAT GUY?"

AND I GO, "NO."

"THAT'S DON HEWITT,
PRODUCER OF 60 MINUTES.

"HE'S ALL PISSED OFF 'CAUSE
I'M GIVING THE DELOREAN TAPE

TO THAT HOT BLONDE
LAUREL ERICKSON FROM KNBC."

OH, MY GOD.

MY MENTOR.

- SURROUNDED BY ARMED GUARDS,

FLYNT WAS WHEELED OUT TO A NEWS
CONFERENCE AT HIS BEL AIR HOME.

AND HE PLAYED
AN AUDIO TAPE RECORDING

WHICH HE SAYS IS A CONVERSATION
BETWEEN DELOREAN

AND GOVERNMENT INFORMANT
JAMES TIMOTHY HOFFMAN.

THE AUDIO IS POOR QUALITY.

THE CONVERSATION
SUPPOSEDLY TOOK PLACE

SEPTEMBER 15, 1982.

EARLIER IN THE TAPE,
THE MAN IDENTIFIED AS DELOREAN

SAYS HE DOES NOT WANT
ANY PART OF NARCOTICS.

FLYNT SAYS
HE PAID FOR THE TAPE.

- WHO WAS YOUR SOURCE
FOR THIS TAPE?

- NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.

- SOMEBODY ASKED
TO HEAR THE TAPE AGAIN,

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,
IT WAS MISSING.

AND LARRY'S GOING,

"YOU MOTHERFUCKERS,
YOU TOOK MY TAPE."

HE WAS SUBPOENAED TO COME
TO JUDGE TAKASUGI'S COURT,

WHERE THE DELOREAN CASE
WAS BEING HELD,

AND PRODUCE THAT AUDIOTAPE.

- THAT'S WHEN HE CAME
TO THE COURTHOUSE

DRESSED IN THE FLAG
WITH THE HELMET ON.

- THIS IS WHEN THE COURT
WAS FINING HIM $10,000 A DAY...

- YES.

- 'CAUSE HE WAS
IN CONTEMPT OF COURT

FOR NOT REVEALING HIS SOURCE...
- YES.

- ABOUT THE DELOREAN TAPE?
- YES.

- "I WANT YOU TO GO TO THE BANK

AND GET THAT $10,000
IN PENNIES."

"OKAY."

"AND THEN I WANT YOU
TO GET TEN HOOKERS

"TO DELIVER IT
TO THE COURTHOUSE.

THEY GOT TO BE HOOKERS."

SOMEONE, LIKE,
DEFENDED ME AND SAID,

"LARRY, IT'S REALLY HARD
FOR LONN TO FIND PROSTITUTES."

"WELL, THEN GET PORN STARS

"THAT LOOK LIKE HOOKERS.

"AND THAT'S HOW
I WANT THE MONEY DELIVERED.

CAN YOU DO THAT?"
"YES, SIR."

- THEY LOADED EVERYBODY ON A BUS
AND TOOK 'EM DOWN THERE,

AND THE MONEY WASN'T ACCEPTED.

AND IT JUST ADDED A LITTLE BIT
MORE FUEL TO THE FLAME.

- I'LL BE BACK
AS LONG AS I HAVE MONEY,

AND THEN WHEN I RUN
OUT OF MONEY,

THEY CAN PUT ME IN JAIL.

AND I'LL STAY THERE TILL I ROT

OR HELL FREEZES OVER,
WHICHEVER HAPPENS FIRST.

BUT I WILL NOT GIVE UP
MY SOURCE.

- HE WAS HELD IN CONTEMPT.

THAT'S WHEN THINGS
WERE KIND OF BECOMING UNGLUED.

- HE WOULD BE IN JAIL,

AND HE'D HAVE PHONE CALLS,
AND WE'D GO INTO HIS OFFICE.

HE'D CALL 'EM "CODE PINKS."

- HE WAS JUST PILING LAWSUIT
ON TOP OF LAWSUIT.

- AND HE DIDN'T LISTEN
TO ANY OF HIS LAWYERS.

LARRY HAD BALLS, BIG BALLS.

HE WASN'T AFRAID OF VERY MUCH,
EVEN AFTER HE GOT SHOT.

- LARRY WOULD CURSE
AT THESE SUPREME COURT JUSTICES

AND NOT BACK DOWN.

I MEAN, THAT'S GUTS.

- I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD
LIKE TO TELL THE SUPREME COURT,

BUT HE ACTUALLY DID IT

AND WASN'T PROSECUTED FOR IT.

HE WAS ORIGINALLY PROSECUTED,
AND THEN WE SAID,

"WELL, WE'RE GONNA
HAVE TO SUBPOENA

ALL THE JUSTICES
AND SO ON AND SO FORTH,"

AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW,
NO MORE CASE.

- TO SOME, IT'S THE CLASH
OF THE TITANS--

KING OF SLEAZE LARRY FLYNT

VERSUS SUPER PREACHER
JERRY FALWELL.

- HE WAS PROFILED
AS LOSING HIS VIRGINITY

WITH HIS MOTHER IN AN OUTHOUSE.

- WELL, MY LATE MOTHER
WAS IN THE AD

AND GODLIEST SAINT--

I DECIDED SOMEBODY NEEDS TO RING
THAT FELLA'S BELL,

AND I THINK I'LL BE THE GUY
TO DO IT.

- HE SUED BECAUSE
HIS FEELINGS WERE HURT.

- LARRY MADE IT POSSIBLE
TO INSULT ANYBODY FAMOUS.

THEY'RE FAIR GAME.

- I MEAN, THIS WHOLE THING
WITH FALWELL--LIKE, YOU KNOW,

THEY WERE TWO GUYS THAT WERE
MAKING MONEY OFF OF EACH OTHER

BY THREATENING TO TAKE MONEY
AWAY FROM EACH OTHER.

BUT I LIKED THAT THAT'S PART
OF THE KENTUCKY HUCKSTERISM.

- HE BECAME FRIENDS
WITH MADALYN MURRAY O'HAIR,

WHO HEADED UP
THE ATHEIST MOVEMENT BACK THEN--

HER AND HER SON.

AND LARRY BECAME--
AFTER HIS RELIGIOUS CONVERSION--

BECAME AN ATHEIST.

AND LARRY IS GOING TO PUT

ALL HIS ASSETS
IN MADALYN'S NAME.

AND I SAID, "HO!
NO, WE CAN'T DO THAT," YOU KNOW.

- I MEAN,
LARRY WAS AROUND FOR A--

IN AND OUT, FOR A LOT OF IT.

THERE WERE ONLY CERTAIN ISSUES
THAT WERE TOTALLY WITHOUT HIM.

LARRY SENT OUT
PROBABLY HUNDREDS

OF INVITATIONS FOR CELEBRITIES
TO DIRECT THESE SHOOTS.

AND I THINK ONE
OF THE FIRST PEOPLE

I SPOKE TO WAS DENNIS HOPPER.

HE DID A TERRIFIC JOB,
BUT IT WAS QUITE AN ORDEAL.

HIS DESIGN WAS THAT IT WAS GOING
TO BE AN ART GALLERY.

AND THE PAINTINGS
THAT WERE ON THE WALL

WERE HIS PAINTINGS.

IT WAS A LONG SHOOT
BECAUSE HE DISAPPEARED A LOT.

AND THEN HE'D SHOW BACK UP
AGAIN, AND--

IT WAS A LITTLE BIT DISJOINTED
AT TIMES.

- DENNIS AND I SEARCHED
FOR HIS MODELS FOR TWO WEEKS.

EVERY NIGHT, HE AND I WENT
TO A DOMINATRIX BAR TO FIND

THE PERFECT DOMINATRIX TO DO
THAT SHOOT.

- TIMOTHY LEARY,
DENNIS HOPPER...

- I'M LOOKING LIKE
THE BEE GEES.

YEAH.

WHAT'S WITH THE OPEN SHIRT?

WHAT WAS I FUCKING THINKING?

- WELL, THAT'S WHAT YOU DID
BACK THEN.

- ONE OF MY FAVORITES,
BECAUSE HE WAS

A CHILDHOOD KIND OF IDOL
OF MINE, WAS FRANK ZAPPA.

HE DID A SHOOT THAT
WAS ENTITLED THE THING-FISH.

THERE WAS A LOT
OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

AND PROSTHETICS.

- AND FRANK ZAPPA
WAS GOING OVER BUDGET.

NOW, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT LARRY
TOLD FRANK ZAPPA

THAT HE HAD CARTE BLANCHE.

LARRY TOLD ME TO WATCH
THE BUDGET.

SO I SORT OF BECAME
THE BAD GUY IN THAT ONE.

- AND THE HOURS WERE CRAZY.

YOUR DAD COST ME MY MARRIAGE.

YOU WORK 18 HOURS A DAY,
SOMETIMES 20.

AND MY WIFE ASSUMED
THAT I WAS HAVING AN AFFAIR.

AND SINCE I'M COMING HOME
AFTER ALL THESE HOURS,

SHE THOUGHT, "WELL,
HE MUST BE FUCKING SOMEONE

AT WORK OR WHATEVER."

SO SHE GOT UPSET
AND ENDED UP DIVORCING ME.

- LARRY INVITED AL GOLDSTEIN
TO DIRECT HIS SHOOT,

AN ANTIFEMINIST RANT,
AND IT WAS PHENOMENAL.

- I WOULD FUCK THEM
ALL THE TIME.

I GOT $10,000 TO DO
A PHOTO SHOOT.

BUT AT LEAST I RAISED HELL.

- I WAS ON THAT FAMOUS
MARJOE GORTNER SHOOT

THAT WAS THE LAST SUPPER.

- HE HAD A PLEXIGLAS CROSS

THAT WE ACTUALLY HUNG
A MODEL ON.

YOU COULD PRODUCE
SEVERAL VIDEOS TODAY

WITH THE MONEY
THAT WAS SPENT ON THESE SHOOTS,

AND, YOU KNOW,
IT WASN'T UNCOMMON

FOR SOME OF THEM
TO COST $25,000, ALL TOLD.

AND IN THE '80s,
THAT WAS A LOT OF MONEY

FOR AN ADULT SHOOT--

STILL-PHOTOGRAPHY SHOOT
IN A MAGAZINE.

- LARRY CALLED A CODE PINK.

AND HE WANTED US TO STOP MAKING
THE MAGAZINE.

EVERYBODY SHOULD GO
TO THE FEDERAL BUILDING

TO PICKET, TO GET HIM
OUT OF PRISON.

AND I OPTED TO GET
THE MAGAZINE OUT.

AND HE HAD SOMEBODY
SPYING ON US.

AND THIS GUY GOT BEAT UP
AT THE MANSION.

THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW,
LARRY'S ASKING ME

IF I HAD SOMETHING TO DO
WITH IT.

AND I TOLD HIM NO,

AND THEN HE WANTED ME TO TAKE
A POLYGRAPH TEST.

AND THAT'S HOW I WAS FIRED.

- THERE'S NO WAY YOU COULD
SUSTAIN THAT KIND OF CRAZINESS.

NO ONE COULD WORK LIKE THAT.
- NO. NO.

- GEORGE AND MARTHA WOULD NEVER
BELIEVE THIS,

BUT ALTHEA HAS REFUSED
TO BE FIRST LADY.

SHE SAYS SHE'LL SLEEP WITH ME,

BUT SHE WON'T HAVE ANYTHING
TO DO WITH POLITICS.

- WE WENT IN HER LIMOUSINE
TO THE COMEDY STORE.

ANDREW DICE CLAY
STARTS DOING HIS OLD MATERIAL

ABOUT GAYS AND H.I.V.

AND SO ALTHEA WALKED OUT.

SHE GOES, "YOU KNOW,
HE'S INSULTING GAYS.

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THIS
RIGHT NOW.

HE'S ALSO INSULTING H.I.V.
YOU KNOW, I AM H.I.V. POSITIVE."

THAT'S WHEN SHE FIRST BROKE IT
TO ME.

I'M GOING, "WHAT?"

IT WAS INCURABLE AT THAT TIME.

AND IT WAS
A GUARANTEED DEATH SENTENCE.

- AND I ALWAYS CONSIDERED HER
A FRIEND ALSO.

SHE WAS A REAL SWEETHEART.

- LARRY LOVED HER VERY MUCH.

- I STARTED WORKING FOR LARRY
IN 1991.

WE WERE MARRIED AT OUR HOME

IN LOS ANGELES IN '98.

I ALWAYS STAYED LOYAL
TO MY PROFESSION, NURSING,

AND ALWAYS FELT THAT HE SHOULD
ALWAYS HAVE THE BEST CARE.

- HE WENT TO DUKE
WITH HIS WIFE, LIZ,

AT THE MEDICAL CENTER THERE.

AND THEY PERFORMED, LIKE, SOME
KIND OF ADVANCED NEUROSURGERY

AND LIZ WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL
IN THIS WORKING OUT.

- HE HAD A TOTAL
OF FIVE SURGERIES.

AND THAT'S WHEN HIS HEALTH,
YOU KNOW, TURNED,

AND HE WAS PAIN-FREE.

- HE CALLED US ALL INTO A ROOM

AND ANNOUNCED
THAT HE WAS BACK.

HE WAS GONNA REALLY KICK
THE SUPER NARCOTICS

THAT HE WAS ON
AND TAKE OVER THE COMPANY AGAIN.

IN THE '90s, THE MAGAZINE
WAS LACKING

IN, YOU KNOW,
THAT LARGER-THAN-LUST VIBRANCE

OF THE PAST.

BUT ALLAN HAD BEEN PUSHING IT
IN AN INTERESTING DIRECTION.

- SO I BECAME
EXECUTIVE EDITOR,

AND LARRY WAS VERY MUCH
IN THE BACKGROUND

BECAUSE OF THE MEDICATION
HE WAS ON.

- ALLAN WAS HIRING A LOT
OF UNDERGROUND PUBLISHERS,

AND FOR ILLUSTRATORS,
HE WAS USING, LIKE,

ALL THESE GREAT
UNDERGROUND CARTOONISTS.

- I STARTED WORKING
AT HUSTLER

AFTER ALLAN MACDONELL
OFFERED ME A JOB

BASICALLY AFTER READING ISSUES
OF FILM THREATMAGAZINE.

I WOULD SEND HIM ISSUES
OF FILM THREAT.

HE WOULD SEND ME BOXES
OF FREE PORN.

IT WAS A GREAT DEAL.

- ALLAN, I'LL TELL YOU,
WAS A HORRENDOUS BOSS.

ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS,
ONE OF THE WORST PEOPLE

YOU COULD EVER POSSIBLY
WORK FOR.

AND HE HAS
THIS LEGENDARY REPUTATION.

AND IF THERE WAS AN OBJECT
ON HIS DESK,

IT WAS THROWN AT ME.

- I COMPLAINED
TO HUMAN RESOURCES ABOUT HIM.

BUT I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAINED
AT HUMAN RESOURCES ABOUT ALLAN.

- YEAH, I WANTED
THE MAGAZINE TO BE

AS GOOD
AS IT COULD POSSIBLY BE.

EVEN IF IT WAS JUST
A JERK-OFF MAGAZINE.

- DURING CLINTON'S IMPEACHMENT,

LARRY HAD
HIS INVESTIGATORS DETERMINE

THAT THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE,
WHO WAS A CRITIC OF CLINTON,

WAS HAVING THIS AFFAIR
FOR ALL THESE YEARS.

- HE'S THIRD IN LINE
FOR PRESIDENT

OF THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA,

AND WE MADE HIM QUIT HIS JOB.

- OBVIOUSLY THAT HAD
A BIG IMPACT

ON TAKING THE STING

OUT OF WHAT THEY WERE TRYING
TO DO TO CLINTON.

- EVERY CONCEIVABLE SEX ACT
IS AVAILABLE

FOR YOU RIGHT NOW FOR FREE

ANYWHERE YOU ARE,
IF YOU HAVE A SMARTPHONE.

- THE INTERNET,
WHICH I ALWAYS PREDICTED

WAS A BIG PIECE OF SHIT,
YOU KNOW, A LONG TIME AGO

IS CAUSING A LOT OF PROBLEMS.

IN THE BEGINNING,
IT WAS YOUR FRIEND--

VIVID.COM, HUSTLER.COM.

NOW IT'S THE TOTAL ENEMY
OF THE BUSINESS.

- CAN YOU IMAGINE
THE ACT OF MASTURBATING

TO A STILL PHOTOGRAPH
IN A MAGAZINE?

IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.

- WE'RE RAISING
A GENERATION OF KIDS

WHO FEEL YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY
FOR NUDE PHOTOGRAPHS.

SO THEY GO, "WHY ARE YOU GONNA
NEED TO EVER BUY ANYTHING?"

- YOU DON'T NEED TO BUY ANYTHING
TO JERK OFF

EXCEPT FOR ONE COMPUTER ONCE.

SO THAT'S THE END
OF PORNO-MAGAZINE PUBLISHING,

EXCEPT FOR, I THINK,
VERY SPECIALIZED MARKETS,

AND THOSE WILL CONTINUE
TO SHRINK.

AND THAT'S JUST FOR PEOPLE
THAT DON'T HAVE COMPUTERS

OR ARE TOO OLD OR TOO WEIRD
OR HAVE A SPECIAL FETISH

FOR PAPER OR SOMETHING.

- THE QUALITY OF JOURNALISM
HAS REALLY BEEN HURT

BY THIS WILD WEST SENSE
OF JUST PUT MORE, PUT ANYTHING,

TRY TO GRAB
PEOPLE'S ATTENTIONS.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT IT IS.
JUST GET CLICKS.

- IT'S STILL PUBLISHING.
YOU STILL HAVE TO WRITE WORDS.

YOU STILL HAVE TO TAKE
PHOTOGRAPHS.

YOU STILL HAVE TO HAVE
A POINT OF VIEW AND PERSPECTIVE.

I DON'T THINK THE INTERNET
AND iPADS AND ALL THAT STUFF

IS THE DEATH OF PUBLISHING.

IN A GIVEN DAY,
SOMETHING CAN HAPPEN,

AND FIVE MINUTES LATER,
SOMEONE CAN READ THAT STORY,

AND IT GETS TWEETED OUT
AND SPREAD AROUND,

AND NEWS TRAVELS FAST.
IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.

- THERE WAS A TIME
THAT THE MAGAZINES

WERE ABLE TO PAY YOU
SO MUCH MONEY.

YOU'D BE ABLE TO FLY OUT
TO MEXICO,

AND YOU WOULD SPEND THREE DAYS
SHOOTING ONE LAYOUT.

NOW YOU GOT TO SHOOT,
LIKE, FIVE LAYOUTS IN ONE DAY.

AND THAT WON'T EVEN COVER
YOUR PRODUCTION COSTS.

THEN YOU GOT TO PUT IT
ON YOUR WEBSITE.

THEN YOU GOT TO TRY TO SELL IT,
YOU KNOW, MAYBE TO V.O.D.,

AND THEN YOU GOT TO TRY
TO SELL IT MAYBE TO MOBILE.

- IT TURNS OUT EVERYONE ON EARTH
IS A PORN STAR.

EVERYONE POSTS NAKED THINGS
OF THEMSELVES ON XTUBE,

AND SOME OF THEM ARE DAMN GOOD,
AND THEY'RE REAL.

THEY'RE NOT DOING IT
FOR THE MONEY.

THEY'RE DOING IT 'CAUSE THEY
REALLY HAVE THIS SEXUAL URGENCY.

SO THERE'S SOMETHING HOT
ABOUT IT

THAT CAN'T BE RE-CREATED
WITH ACTORS

PRETENDING TO BE
INTO EACH OTHER.

THAT SEEMS
VERY OLD SCHOOL NOW.

- LARRY IS IN THE PART
OF THE BUSINESS NOW

THAT IS SURVIVING

BECAUSE HE WAS SMART ENOUGH
TO KNOW HOW TO DIVERSIFY

AND TO GO INTO THE AREAS
THAT ARE STILL STRONG.

- GOOD AFTERNOON.
LFP.

- HE'S PRESIDENT

OF THE LARGEST
ADULT-ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY

IN THE WORLD.

SO, YEAH, DEFINITELY,
BUSINESS IS ALWAYS ON HIS MIND--

ALWAYS, 24-7.

HE'S GOT THE MARKET CORNERED.

- HE WENT INTO VIDEO,

AND THEN HE STARTED OPENING UP
RETAIL STORES

ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

IN 2000, HE OPENED UP
THE HUSTLER CASINO

20 MINUTES SOUTH
OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES.

- THIS IS
THE FIRST HUSTLER STORE.

I BELIEVE THERE ARE 13 NOW
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

THIS IS THE PREMIER ONE.

IT'S THE ONE I THINK MR. FLYNT
TAKES THE MOST PRIDE IN.

HE CERTAINLY STOPS BY HERE
VERY OFTEN.

WE DO SIGNINGS FROM A LOT
OF THE MAJOR PORN STARS,

PUTTING THEIR HANDPRINTS
IN THE CEMENT OUTSIDE OUR STORE.

WE'VE GOT SEVERAL DOZEN OF THEM
OUT THERE NOW,

AND THEY JUST KEEP GROWING,
YOU KNOW.

- WORK IT, BABY.
PERFECT.

YES. YES. YES.

GOOD JOB.

THERE'S MY BABY.

THAT'S EXCELLENT.

- WE'RE AT THE LARRY FLYNT
PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO.

WE SHOOT PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING
THAT YOU SEE ON VIDEO,

ALL OF OUR BIG FEATURES.

EVEN SOME OF THE SMALLER STUFF
THAT YOU'LL CATCH

ON YOUR MOBILE PHONES.

A LOT OF THE PHOTOGRAPHY
IS DONE HERE,

AND CERTAINLY EVERYTHING
THAT WE SHOOT

WINDS UP ON HUSTLER TV.

THE LARGEST, IF NOT
NEXT-TO-THE-LARGEST, BROADCASTER

OF HARD-CORE CONTENT
IN THE WORLD.

- LARRY IS JUST A BUSINESS.

YOU KNOW, I MEAN,
MAYBE HE'S IN THE SEX BUSINESS,

BUT, REALLY, HE'S IN THE MONEY
BUSINESS, AND HE GETS IT.

YOU KNOW,
GUCCIONE DIED PENNILESS.

HE SPENT IT ALL.

IT'S A CRAZY RICHES-TO-RAGS
STORY, YOU KNOW.

AND HEFNER'S, LIKE, YOU KNOW,
JUST FLOATING IN THE AIR,

YOU KNOW, SORT OF THIS CRAZY,
OLD QUEEN LOCKED UP.

IT'S, LIKE, SUNSET BOULEVARD
OR SOMETHING OVER THERE.

YOU KNOW,
AND POOR AL GOLDSTEIN,

WHO'S SUCH A VISIONARY
AND SUCH AN AVATAR,

YOU KNOW, BUT ALSO A VICTIM
OF HIS OWN INSANITY...

- I'M TELLING YOU, YOU'LL STAY
UP TO GO SUCK MY DICK.

- YOU KNOW,
IS IN THIS NURSING HOME.

BUT LARRY'S GOT A BUILDING
ON WILSHIRE FUCKING BOULEVARD

WITH HIS NAME ON IT STILL.

HE'S ON TOP
OF THE FUCKING WORLD.

- YOU KNOW,
THE '70s AND '80s WAS--

IT WAS DIFFERENT.
I MEAN, THIS WAS THE ONLY PLACE

THAT YOU REALLY GOT
SLEAZY KIND OF STUFF.

- GOD, IT'S SO BORING NOW,
ALL THOSE FLOPPING VAGINAS,

BUT...

AND HOW DO YOU TOP IT?

I MEAN, IT'S SO NICE

WHEN THINGS ARE NOT ALLOWED
AND THINGS--

- NO, BUT THAT'S
THE INEVITABLE--

- I KNOW, BUT--
- INEVITABLE HISTORY IS FULL--

HOW DO YOU HAVE BRINKSMANSHIP?
YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A BRINK.

- WE WERE LUCKY TO BE THERE,

YOU KNOW, TO HAVE SOME TABOOS
TO BREAK.

- THAT'S RIGHT.
- WE WERE REALLY LUCKY.

- I THINK THESE ISSUES
ARE ACTUALLY UNDER RECOGNIZED.

THEY'RE IMPORTANT
CULTURAL DOCUMENTS

OF THE TIME AND A PLACE.

- THERE WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT

BETWEEN
THE PAGES OF HUSTLER.

IT WAS A LOT OF UN.

IT WAS A LOT OF PRESSURE.

I HAD ANOTHER,
YOU KNOW, 20 YEARS MORE...

OF MAGAZINE EXPERIENCE, BUT
NOTHING WAS AS EXCITING AS THAT.

I WAS A KID.
I WAS YOUNGER THAN YOU ARE.

I WAS JUST DOING MY JOB,
YOU KNOW, HAVING FUN.

- IT'S A WRAP.
WE'RE GOOD.