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Revisiting “The People vs. Larry Flynt” from the Clinton Years
The Conservatarians Podcast brought up this film, so I thought I’d post here what I recently wrote about it at my blog about Movies and Churches.
In 1996, a major Hollywood film celebrated a man who described himself as a “smut peddler” and a “pervert.” In the film, he brags about sleeping with every woman working in the business he owns. He also publishes a magazine that objectifies women in degrading stories, cartoons, and especially photos. The film shows him hitting his girlfriend Althea (played by Courtney Love). Some might argue that the film wasn’t made to celebrate Larry Flynt, it was merely telling his story. If that was the case, I doubt Flynt would have been willing to play a judge in the film.
This film was celebrated by the Academy, earning Oscar nominations for Best Director (Milos Forman) and Best Actor (Woody Harrelson as Flynt). It also Golden Globes (awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association) for direction and writing. So maybe we shouldn’t be surprised by the headlines about Harvey Weinstein — this is the industry that celebrated the founder of Hustler magazine and “Barely Legal” strip clubs.
