Hustler’s Biggest Boob Yet?

Has Larry Flynt shot himself in the foot?

Larry Flynt (Hustler) and Joe Francis (Girls gone wild) are petitioning congress for a $5 billion bail-out for the US adult industry. You can read the full story here.

The stunt could of course backfire on them and the rest of the US porn producers. There are those in congress who would quite happily see the adult industry destroyed and prodding them like this might do more than generate publicity for Flynt and Francis.

This is worrying, not because of the effect it could potentially have on the adult industry moguls, but what it might mean for the performers. At the moment the industry is at least visible, and its output governed by regulations that tries to ensure the safety of the performers and that they are not exploited.

There will always be a market for porn and should it ever become illegal to make legitimate adult content the industry would be driven underground thereby becoming unregulated and prone to being hijacked by organised crime.

All but the most right-wing, vote hungry politicians must recognise that this nightmare scenario can’t be allowed to happen. It’s one thing espousing family values and whiter-than-white morals, but encouraging the destruction of a tax paying industry and putting people at risk of being preyed on by criminals would be stupid.

Porn isn’t perfect, Flynt isn’t perfect, but porn, warts and all is at least visible; Make it illegal or restrict it too much and it becomes an unseen cancer. And that’s very dangerous.