One of the biggest scumbags on the planet, pornographer Larry Flynt, who somehow became a beacon of "free speech" in a USSC case involving a parody of a liquor ad featuring the late televangelist Jerry Falwell, has died.
You can read about the case in the book, Larry Flynt v. Jerry Falwell, published in 1991 and written by attorney Rodney A. Smolla. Flynt successfully won his case because it was clear the "ad" was clearly parody, and that nobody seriously believed Falwell, who had sued Flynt for defamation or whatever, really did what the parody claimed. The USSC ruled unanimously in favor of Flynt.
Flynt was, however, was first and foremost a pornographer, and trafficking in women's bodies was his road to riches. He was like Hugh Hefner, only Hustler was way cruder. Because he felt women were commodities, Flynt ultimately was no hero at all.
He was shot in 1978 allegedly by serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin, leaving Flynt paralyzed. Franklin was a white supremacist convicted in the murders of eight people and suspected of killing many more. Flynt was opposed to Franklin's execution, but that didn't stop it. Franklin was executed in 2013. However, nobody was ever arrested, let alone tried, for the shooting.
For the record, here is the Falwell parody. It was based on a then-popular liquor ad:
Snip from the first link:
Flynt's corporate empire, consisting of Larry Flynt Publications and Flynt Management Group, had humble roots. In the 1960s he bought out a bar in Dayton, Ohio, where his mother worked and expanded it into a chain of adult clubs he called Hustler.
"Hustler" magazine initially began as a newsletter for his clubs, but grew in popularity and scope into a rival for Playboy magazine. Flynt attained national notoriety, however, after publishing nude photos of former first lady Jacqueline Onassis taken by the paparazzi.
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