Larry Flint Essays - Larry Flynt Publications, Free Speech Activists

Larry Flint Larry Flynt Infamous pornographer and free-speech activist Larry Flynt has brought about controversy for nearly 30 years. As the editor of Hustler magazine, Flynt has publicized pornographic obscenities in several manors. By doing this, he has challenged America's interpretation of the First Amendment, insisted that freedom of speech include obscenities and pornography, and made the anti-porn activists and feminists fight for constitutional protection from obscenity. Larry Flynt was born on November 1, 1942. Coming from a broken home, he later joined the military under false age. Flynt was discharged and after several unsuccessful jobs, went back to serve for five years on the U.S.S. Enterprise. After the Navy he moved to Dayton, Ohio where he bought a bar and turned it into a successful strip club. In the next year, Flynt opened similar clubs in 4 different Ohio cities and sent out newsletters to his clientele. Soon, Flynt set out to make his own men's magazine. In 1974 he released the first issue of Hustler magazine. Hustler was different from other pornographic magazines. It ?prided itself on hard core depictions of raw sex, which often included graphic nude photos of disabled, pregnant, and elderly women. One issue featured nude pictures of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, while another depicted a woman being feed into a meat grinder.?# Anti-porn activists and feminists started to speak out about the controversial issues behind the explicit Hustler magazine. ?This is a magazine bought by pubescent boys with untempered curiosity about sexual perversions, and by adults with insatiable curiosity about sexual perversions, ?adults' who would read monthlies serializing the Marquis de Sade, if they were more literate.?# Some people tend to disagree with the feminist views of such magazines as Hustler. ?Women have the right to be free from discrimination not only in the workplace and in the classroom but in the bedroom as well... Women should not be seen as victims in their own sexual rela tions with men but as equally assertive partners, just as capable of experiencing sexual pleasure.?# With this new hard-core, pornographic magazine out, much controversy came about on whether or not there should be any censorship to pornography. As soon as Hustler hit the stands, Flynt had been bombarded with lawsuits. He was charged with many counts of pandering obscenity and organized crime in May, 1976. ?The case was significant because it suggested that individual communities had the right to define obscenity.?# These court cases again questioned our First Amendment rights for both sides of the controversy. Should we be constitutionally protected from obscenities? Feminists and anti-porn activists would say yes. To them, pornography is a type of media which degrades women and throws it in the faces of the public. What they are fighting for is that freedom of speech and press allow protection from obscenity in favor of the women and of the innocent eyes. ?Without this exploitation, published for profit, the male writer feels censored. The woman lynched naked on a tree, or restrained with ropes and a ball gag in her mouth, has what? Freedom of what# Others would argue that freedom of speech and press should not have boundaries or limitations. They have a strong opposition to the censorship of pornography. Many feel pornography is portraying women as equals to men with their sexuality, while some feel pornography is an expression, like art. Larry Flynt, pornographers, and those who are anti-censorship feel as if their freedom of speech is being challenged. Flynt said, ?I realized that freedom of expression could never be taken for granted.?# Over the years, the controversy has still been debated, but Flynt has set his sights on a recent headline. Since the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Flynt has sided with Clinton. He has offered ?up to $1 million to anyone able to provide evidence of ?illicit sexual relations with a congressman, senator or other prominent officeholder.'# Flynt received over 2000 replies to his offer, in which two stories were of strong interest to him. His first story included Bob Livingston, a Republican in line for speaker of the house. Livingston resigned from his position, ?making a vague admission of ?marital infidelity,' Livingston complained about having been ?Larry Flynted,' but a full-on Flynting promises to