Claire Hoffman is brave. Joe Francis is gross. Either might be an oversimplification. Claire covers the adult entertainment industry for the LA Times, and as such might be a bit of a masochist, or perhaps at this point simply finds the wanton excesses of American society both trite and banal. Joe, the founder of the Girls Gone Wild empire, reveals himself as a young, frightened kid on a power-trip. In a way, being gross is an act. Sadly, that doesn't make it any less gross, and in a way all the more disturbing.
Claire's article covers Joe Francis, certainly, but it also covers a disturbing trend in our society. It's not that we're losing our inhibitions, necessarily, it's that we're selling them. Whether it's for a t-shirt and a trucker hat or for that elusive "fifteen minutes", people are becoming all too willing to do anything in front of a camera, for any reason. Ironically, even Joe has a problem with this. Like Dr. Frankenstein, and Girls Gone Wild his monster, it has inevitably turned against him and taken away that exposure of innocence he urgently sought and replaced it with a calculated exhibitionism.
But the women are changing, Francis tells me, and that makes him sad. In the beginning, when "Girls Gone Wild" cameramen first popped up in clubs, the women who revealed themselves seemed innocent—surprised, even, by their own spontaneity. Now that the brand is so pervasive, the women who participate increasingly appear to be calculating exhibitionists, hoping that an appearance on a video might catapult them to Paris Hilton-like fame.
The story is interesting, and it's difficult to stomach. But I think it's honest and it's necessary, because like it or not, this is our society.
Gross, innit?
Read the complete story: 'Baby, Give Me A Kiss', by Claire Hoffman: LATimes
Joe Francis, the founder of the "Girls Gone Wild" empire, is humiliating me. He has my face pressed against the hood of a car, my arms twisted hard behind my back. He's pushing himself against me, shouting: "This is what they did to me in Panama City!"
It's after 3 a.m. and we're in a parking lot on the outskirts of Chicago. Electronic music is buzzing from the nightclub across the street, mixing easily with the laughter of the guys who are watching this, this me-pinned-and-helpless thing.
Francis isn't laughing.
(via r.stevens)
9 replies on “Girls Gone Wild, Society Gone Astray”
That may be the sickest thing I have ever read. Wow, it’s strange to see money and power turning someone into a sexual predator right before your eyes and knowing that no one is doing a thing about it. Gross is not the right word.
The article contains so much horribly important information, yet, one must dig through the disgustingly long article in order to glean the truth here. Good points, bad writing.
The article may have been long, but I found it engrossing. I don’t know if I agree with your lambasting of Hoffman’s writing, but thanks for stopping in and leaving a comment!
Joe Francis should be behind bars imho. Teenagers everywhere should be ashamed to strive to be in his videos. Becoming famous for anything seems to be the most important thing right now. It’s sad.
As much as I enjoyed reading the article and as much as I dont liek this guy Joe Francis I have to say from a literary and journalistic point of view its a very clever tarnished crucification of the man.I see this kind of writing more and more – its like a new kind of intellectual yellow press journalism
Hi John.
I definately agree. Any defamation needs to be read critically these days, but then, doesn’t anything? Thanks for stopping by!
Eminem…
I am Karin, very interesting article that contained the information I was searching for in Google, thanks….
“Ironically, even Joe has a problem with this. Like Dr. Frankenstein, and Girls Gone Wild his monster, it has inevitably turned against him and taken away that exposure of innocence he urgently sought and replaced it with a calculated exhibitionism.”
I find this sentence of yours a bit disgusting. Francis isn’t missing any sort of “innocence,” he’s missing the chance to control and degrade. You may not be a fan of exhibitionism, but it is not a crime. Unlike, you know, rape. Which Francis commits during the course of the article.
I don’t think Francis’ dislike of “willing” participants is ironic- it’s pretty spot on for a rapist. Let’s stop judging girls who flash their tits, and start putting people like Francis in jail.
I thought the article- a magazine feature, by the way, not a piece of straight reporting- was nicely done, and I’m inclined to believe every word of it.
Hi Reina,
I didn’t mean to imply that Joe Francis is not the lowest form of life on the planet, because he pretty much is. My point was the our society actively propagates both the Joe Francis guys and the gone wild girls. We are all of us, to some extent, culpable.