Originally published at: Larry Flynt, Hustler publisher and First Amendment activist, RIP | Boing Boing
…
11 Likes
I not only thought he had already died, I thought that I’d previously read that he had died while thinking that he had already died. Is that like a double-Mandela or something?
31 Likes
In 1983, Hustler ran a liquor advertisement parody suggesting that Falwell had lost his virginity to his mother in an outhouse. Falwell sued, saying he suffered emotional distress.
I sure as hell remember Falwell freaking out on that, on live TV too.
32 Likes
RIP
15 Likes
The, uh, the headline may or may not be missing a coma.
7 Likes
Oh Flynt HATED Republicans. They had tons of satirical ads and cartoons that just eviscerated them.
17 Likes
Plus he published Nancy Reagan’s and Jesse Helms’s phone numbers like they were phone sex lines. Can’t condone that kind of thing, but yeah, he had no love for them.
8 Likes
I see what you did there…
5 Likes
That he took on that festering scumbag Jerry Falwell and won is enough to make him one of America’s greatest heroes. RIP.
21 Likes
6 Likes
On the linked article, the URL to Jerry Falwells death (died May 15, 2007, article date May 16, 2007) has been changed to:
2 Likes
11 Likes
The enemy of my enemy is not always my friend. As it seems the man is respected here I’ll not offer my opinion.
2 Likes
I’ll break the chain of eulogies to say Flynt described himself accurately. He was a scumbag. Illustrator friends worked for his publications, which back in the day were considered a break-in market for kids just out of art school. The rates were low to begin with, but they were often screwed out of even that little bit. Furthermore, first amendment or no first amendment, I can’t gather too much admiration for the man who gave us “Chester the Molester” and his ilk.
6 Likes
An editorially induced coma.
2 Likes
It is surprising there haven’t been more counterpoints offered. The man was a fine example of the reality that very few people exist at the poles of good/bad. I respect his courage on the free speech front while also thinking he was, quite likely, not a very nice person to be around. I imagine that’s especially true for women, though I don’t know for sure whether his objectification of women extended to direct mistreatment or abuse. I have my suspicions.
6 Likes
The problem was the speech he was protecting was horrific. He was vile, and while all of us would balk at the government censoring him, I doubt anyone here would approve of the ugliness he published, nor support any company that published it.
1 Like
The movie starring Woody Harrelson, The People vs. Larry Flynt, was really good and is well worth a watch.
As is often the case, the issue is complicated. Flynt was a scumbag, and his magazine was exploitative and despicable, but his free speech cause was good and worthwhile.
7 Likes
I don’t think there was anyone like him, for many reasons, but for me, mainly because he’s the only person that I both love and hate in such equal measure.
3 Likes
