LARRY FLYNT: THE RIGHT TO BE LEFT ALONE (DOCUMENTARY FILM)

Summary

This documentary is about Larry Flynt, the Hustler men’s magazine publisher, and his crusade for first-amendment rights.

The program begins with footage of Flynt in prison in 1976, and he speaks about his fight for freedom of the press and his love of America. Footage of his obscenity trial is also shown, with the various prosecutors denouncing the “unnatural sex acts” and other content in the magazine and declaring that it is not, in fact, “good, dirty fun” and leads to criminal activity. The magazine’s emphasis on social and political satire is also examined, particularly its use of political cartoons. It is explained that Flynt’s 1976 trial, which included charges of organized crime, resulted in his sentence of seven to twenty-five years being overturned as unconstitutional after he served six days in prison, and he was released on bail. In an interview, he explains his opinion that people take their civil rights for granted, as they have never known a time without them, and do not appreciate the ramifications of a lack of freedom of speech.

When asked, Flynt argues that sex and religion are related in the sense that sexuality is natural and that those who believe that God created man should not reject the natural human form as obscene. He adds that pornography dates back thousands of years, and that censorship is just an attempt to control the people. A staff meeting at Hustler is shown in which the employees discuss ideas for articles, and scenes from a photoshoot are interspersed throughout the film. Althea, Flynt’s fourth wife and co-publisher of the magazine, is then discussed, with her explaining that she has an interest in pleasing her readers. She states that she is unafraid of the controversy surrounding the magazine and is a stronger person for having survived a traumatic childhood; she recounts the story of her meeting with Flynt at age seventeen. Flynt then discusses a particular satirical cartoon in the magazine, that of a woman being fed into a meat grinder, that did not have the intended comical impact. He explains how Hustler differs from other popular men’s magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse, saying that those publications do not feature photographs of female genitalia, whereas his magazine does, as he believes it to be what the readers want.

His brief religious conversion in 1977 is then explored, when he became a born-again Christian under the influence of Ruth Carter Stapleton, sister of President Jimmy Carter. He continued to publish his magazine during the time, however, stating that he was now “hustlin’ for the Lord.” The experience did not last, however, and he explains that he “got over that” and abandoned religion. In a public speech, he points out that religion causes far more harm that pornography, citing the many religion-based wars of the world. In 1978, Flynt was shot by a white supremacist and serial killer, Joseph Paul Franklin, who was angered at an interracial photograph in Hustler. He survived despite a very grim prognosis, but was paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair.

The film then focuses on politics and Flynt’s opinion that “apathy is the biggest threat to democracy,” stating that a very low percentage of eligible voters cast a ballot in 2004, and suggesting that there should be a fine for not voting in order to motivate people to get involved. His personal investment in political justice led him to leak tapes of the FBI unfairly entrapping and threatening automobile executive John DeLorean and arresting him on drug trafficking charges. When Flynt was arrested for leaking the tapes, he refused to name his source, and was charged $10,000 a day in fines, which he defiantly paid in one-dollar bills and pennies. He continued to challenge the judge and attempted to make himself seem insane, a strategy which he admits he does not recommend. In a panel interview, he offers his disparaging opinions on Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, as well as President George W. Bush, stating that they harmed the country greatly and that “the American people got what they deserved” for electing him into office. He then discusses his own bid for the presidency in 1984, and footage is shown of his very unorthodox campaign commercial. It is explained that Althea had no wish to be First Lady; Flynt himself admits a former addiction to pain medication, and Althea became hooked on heroin and contracted AIDS, eventually drowning in the bathtub in 1987.

A satirical liquor ad featuring televangelist Jerry Falwell led to a well-publicized court case in 1983, with Flynt arguing that it was too absurd to be taken seriously, and Falwell demanding a monetary settlement. Surprisingly, the two became friends after the case, despite their differences of opinion. Flynt recalls another conservative pastor, Jimmy Swaggart, who decried pornography and then was caught in the company of a prostitute and with an issue of Hustler magazine. He then discusses the issue of feminism, saying that he supports women’s rights and does not believe the extremist feminists speak for everyone. He notes that there are many high-powered women on staff at Hustler. He states his dislike for hypocrisy, citing “The Flynt Report,” which he published in 1998 to expose the adulterous affairs of various politicians, including Speaker-elect Bob Livingston, who withdrew from the office as a result.

Flynt then details his involvement with the recall of California governor Gray Davis and how he ran for the office himself, promoting the idea that private casinos would bring revenue to the depressed area, but eventually lost to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Turning to the war in Afghanistan, he states that he had to sue the Department of Defense to allow a reporter on the battlefield so they could report honestly about the status of the war, rather than parroting a falsely positive message. He purchased nude photographs of Private Jessica Lynch at one point. He opted not to publish them, feeling that she was a “victim” of propaganda and of being exploited by the government, with her rescue in 2003 being a purposeful “Hollywood-type escape.” He denounces the corporate, entertainment-focused, unreliable news media, saying that it began to go downhill with the “demise of the Bill Paley empire” and that it is very difficult to find reliable sources without an agenda. In closing, he repeats his message of the importance of free speech and “the right to be left alone” and not unduly monitored by the government.

Details

• NETWORK: N/A
• DATE: 2007
• RUNNING TIME: 1:21:00
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: B:91754
• GENRE: Documentary
• SUBJECT HEADING: Documentary; Free speech; Pornography
• SERIES RUN: N/A
• COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

• Joan Brooker-Marks … Producer, Director
• Walter Marks … Producer, Music by
• George W. Bush
• Jimmy Carter
• Dick Cheney
• Gray Davis
• John DeLorean
• Jerry Falwell
• Althea Flynt
• Larry Flynt
• Joseph Paul Franklin
• Bob Livingston
• Jessica Lynch
• William S. Paley
• Donald Rumsfeld
• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Ruth Carter Stapleton
• Jimmy Swaggart