Boy Gone Stupid

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.

The above is an excerpt from Claire Hoffman’s LA Times article entitled, “Baby, Give Me a Kiss.” I don’t know whose idea this was – whether Hoffman pitched it or whether her bosses asked her to do it – but one thing is for damn sure: She didn’t sign-up for that.

I never really paid much attention to the GGW franchise, or its spawn, “Guys Gone Wild.” I figure that everyone has different triggers, you know? If you’re a young woman who wants to show your tah-tahs…fine. If you’re a guy who wants to spend your hard earned cash on girl’s showing their tah-tahs…more power to you! Sex isn’t a new invention. It is embedded in all civilizations in one way or another. Today, we increasingly push the boundaries of how much sex is involved in our lives.

As they say, sex sells. And boy, do we buy what sex is selling!

So, while I don’t look down at any form of titillation (as long as it’s consensual and doesn’t involve death) that is sold by people like Joe Francis, I do worry about the people behind it. You see, it’s not the smut we should be worrying about – it’s the Smut Seller that worries me.

Hoffman’s article is a perfect illustration of why we should be worried. And to be very blunt – GGW should worry everyone more than the next Jenna Jameson gig! Why? The man behind the power is a hardcore misogynist who gives the good guys a bad name.

While most of the young male population would hail Francis as a hero, I fear that we have a sexual predator running loose. Francis is very seductive in that he has the power, the money, and the aura to talk the talk and walk the walk. But never far from the shadow of his success are the numerous lawsuits and charges of sexual offenses. The LAT piece even chronicles Hoffman’s interview with women who did participate in the GGW shoot she went to in Chicago.

For those of you who will not spend the time reading Hoffman’s article, I’ll sum it up for you: They thought it was a good idea at the time. But after being plied with alcohol and not being listened to when they said “no,” the idea and glamour behind participation quickly faded away.

Francis and his lawyers claim great excuses or point the finger at the legal documents that the girls signed away. But no matter how many legal documents you present in court – the ugly monster that is Francis’ behavior always manages to rear its head. He has an explanation for everything and an accusation for everyone. Hoffman’s editor asked Francis about the Chicago incident, and Francis was quick to blame Hoffman:

"I just felt that Claire may have had a little affinity for me," he says as she takes notes. "It may have come out when she had a few drinks." He describes my behavior as aggressively romantic. "Originally she hit on me. That's how I met her. I took her to a lunch. She called me all the time and it wasn't about work. It was about me. I know when a girl has a crush on me."

If Hoffman had a crush on Francis, that notion was probably quickly erased when she found herself face down on the hood of a car with an inebriated man pressing down upon her. I don’t know about you – but when you are on the receiving end of close fisted blow to the face – you may have been doing something wrong.

As George Michael once sang, “Sex is natural, sex is fun…” but with men like Joe Francis rampant in the adult entertainment industry, sex is still about exploiting power, money, and innocence. It’s not just about the end product, folks. What happens behind the camera is just as important as what happens in front of the camera.

And if what’s happening behind the GGW cameras is true – is it any surprise that sex still has a negative connotation in our society?