Girls Gone Wild!

A fascinating profile of Joe Francis, creator of the Girls Gone Wild series, from the L.A. Times.

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.

The article is a fascinating, excellent read, even while it tells you exactly what you expect to hear if you believe that Girls Gone Wild is garbage and possible only in a culture that is deeply misogynistic despite appearing to be liberated.

It reminded me of the things I hated most about highschool, spousal abuse I have witnessed, frat jocks I have endured, and the girls who mistook popularity for personal worth and tried to fuck their way to glory.

Anyway, read it.
(via boingboing)