Porn Industry Bailout: Joe Francis, Larry Flynt Ask Washington for "Sexual Rejuvenation"

Politics and sex are comfortable bedfellows, so to speak. And Larry Flynt of Hustler Publications and Joe Francis of the "Girls Gone Wild" franchise are willing to take full advantage of that fact and bank on it. They're asking for a portion of the bailout money.

That's right. Larry Flynt and Joe Francis are hitting up the government to give them part of the $700 billion bailout TARP money. Francis plans to take the appeal to Capitol Hill in person. (Wonder if he'll be bringing some of "Girls Gone Wild" girls?) TMZ has reported that the porn industry has been a little limp of late, that sales of DVDs are down 22%.

No word yet whether Hugh Hefner has put his hand in. Playboy's stock has fallen 81% in the past year and they sold their DVD division. Although she cited no actual reasons other than personal, Christie Hefner's resignation as CEO of the world's most famous men's magazine has been linked to the Playboy Enterprises' poor performance of late.

Flynt and Francis are asking for $5 billion of the bailout money.

Flynt said, "Congress must rejuvenate the sexual appetite of America."

The sad truth of the matter is that, whereas the money loaned to bail out financial giants AIG and automotive giants General Motors and Chrysler may never be recouped or take years to produce results, a loan to the porn industry, or sex industry, could show immediate returns.

According to Family Safe Media, the porn industry rakes in over $3000 every second. Over 28,000 people are watching pornography at any given second. And every 39 minutes, a new porn movie is made.

While DVD and print publication sales have shown a decline in recent years, internet usage has increased.

That is some serious money changing hands over looking at naked people. And since most people believe that Washington is populated with political prostitutes anyway, it's not as if the money will have to travel far. Besides, loaning the money to an industry that might actually have a decent chance at repaying the loan might be such a bad idea.

Some, like CNN's Anderson Cooper, have suggested that it might simply be a publicity stunt. And it might be.

Larry Flynt said in a statement: "People are too depressed to be sexually active. This is very unhealthy as a nation. Americans can do without cars and such but they cannot do without sex."

True enough. An argument can be made that the sex industry has just as much right to the bailout money as the Big 3 automakers.

In fact, Congress could make one of the stipulations to getting the loan would be for every porn movie made or shown would have to be prefaced with a safe sex public service announcement (some already follow this practice).

CNN also reports that there has been no Congressional reaction as yet. Playing hard to get, as it were.

It is doubtful whether anyone in Washington will acknowledge the request. But the adult entertainment industry is set to make it formal, even going so far as to give a copy of their request to Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson.

And you know Paulson isn't coming off of anything for the sex industry.

Henry Paulson didn't even want to give any up to the car companies.

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Sources:

CNN.com

FamilySafeMedia.com

TMZ.com

"Anderson Cooper 360," CNN Television