Formaldehyde
Both Fair And Balanced
I finally took the time to watch The People vs Larry Flynt in its entirety. I encourage anybody who is interested in First Amendment issues to do the same. Woody Harrelson was nominated for an Oscar, Golden Globe, and SAG award for his amazing performance.
Link to video.
It chronicles the life of Larry Flynt, who I think is one of the most controversial men who has ever lived. He lived in abject poverty as a child in the back hills of Kentucky. Flynt had a knack for running bars, created a chain of them, and eventually opened a stripper bar called The Hustler. That developed into a chain of stripper clubs.
Flynt then had the resources to start Hustler Magazine. It developed national notoriety for being the first mass-marketed magazine to show women's vaginas. Prior to that, you had to purchase a magazine in a sex shop which were limited strictly to adults. Larry eventually was sentenced to 7 to 25 years in prison. It was overturned on appeal.
Larry Flynt became such a controversial person that he and his and his attorney were shot exiting the courtroom after one of his many appearances on various charges stemming from his magazine. The shooter was never identified at the time. Flynt was paralyzed from the waist down. It turned out the assailant is a mass murderer. Flynt made news recently by trying to save him from impending execution.
One issue of Hustler Magazine had a fake Campari ad featuring Jerry Falwell talking about his first sexual encounter. According to the parody, it occurred in an outhouse with his mother. This so incensed Falwell that he sued for slander and emotional distress. The slander charge was overthrown because it was clearly a parody that nobody believed. But Falwell was awarded $200K for emotional distress.
Larry Flynt's lifetime attorney successfully argued against the verdict in the Supreme Court. It was overturned by a 9-0 decision.
Link to video.
Here are few of the my favorite Larry Flynt quotes, which there are many:
"If the First Amendment will protect a scumbag like me, then it'll protect all of you -- 'cause I'm the worst."
"If you're not going to offend somebody you don't need the First Amendment."
"You know, everybody believes in free speech until you start questioning them about it."
So what do you think about this highly controversial figure?
Link to video.
It chronicles the life of Larry Flynt, who I think is one of the most controversial men who has ever lived. He lived in abject poverty as a child in the back hills of Kentucky. Flynt had a knack for running bars, created a chain of them, and eventually opened a stripper bar called The Hustler. That developed into a chain of stripper clubs.
Flynt then had the resources to start Hustler Magazine. It developed national notoriety for being the first mass-marketed magazine to show women's vaginas. Prior to that, you had to purchase a magazine in a sex shop which were limited strictly to adults. Larry eventually was sentenced to 7 to 25 years in prison. It was overturned on appeal.
Larry Flynt became such a controversial person that he and his and his attorney were shot exiting the courtroom after one of his many appearances on various charges stemming from his magazine. The shooter was never identified at the time. Flynt was paralyzed from the waist down. It turned out the assailant is a mass murderer. Flynt made news recently by trying to save him from impending execution.
One issue of Hustler Magazine had a fake Campari ad featuring Jerry Falwell talking about his first sexual encounter. According to the parody, it occurred in an outhouse with his mother. This so incensed Falwell that he sued for slander and emotional distress. The slander charge was overthrown because it was clearly a parody that nobody believed. But Falwell was awarded $200K for emotional distress.
Larry Flynt's lifetime attorney successfully argued against the verdict in the Supreme Court. It was overturned by a 9-0 decision.
Link to video.
Here are few of the my favorite Larry Flynt quotes, which there are many:
"If the First Amendment will protect a scumbag like me, then it'll protect all of you -- 'cause I'm the worst."
"If you're not going to offend somebody you don't need the First Amendment."
"You know, everybody believes in free speech until you start questioning them about it."
So what do you think about this highly controversial figure?
