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AMY GOODMAN ALLOWED HUSTLER TO RUN HER INTERVIEW WITH JOHN PERKINS This page contains images from the July 2005 issue of Hustler where Amy Goodman, of Democracy Now, ran the interview she did with Economic Hit Man: John Perkins. A Mickey Z interview was also in this issue. Hustler uses the work and intellect of the Left to legitimize the hate speech found inside. We believe Democracy Now needs to explain its actions and offer time on its program that includes hard hitting analysis dedicated to exposing the harms done to women in the growing global sex industry. Democracy Now covers stories on racism, social justice and worker's rights but have ignored this prominent form of human rights abuse and have now stooped to legitimize the hate. According to Denis Moynihan of Democracy Now they will no longer contribute stories to Hustler. Moynihan defended their article with, "Who are we to pass judgement on the readers of Hustler as potential supporters of Democracy Now?" When asked what donation was offered, he claimed Democracy Now took no money for the article even though it was offered. According to Hustler editor, Bruce David, when Democracy Now refused payment he personally donated one thousand dollars to Democracy Now. Moynihan complained about the time he was spending with me on the phone. Moynihan was upset about the many calls they received about Goodman's lengthy interview with Larry Flynt in August 2004 because it took time away from their "important" work. Moynihan cited a New York magazine article on Andrea Dworkin and said --quoting from the article that --"it was the feminist's attack on pornography that brought down the feminist movement." Earth to Moynihan: the barrage of mainstream media slander and disinformation brought down the feminist movement and the feminist anti-pornography movement--so much for his expertise on corporate media control. We ask for an analysis of the sex industry woven into reportage on the anti-globalism, anti-corporate media movement. Democracy Now's byline is "The War and Peace Report." Please take the time to view the image of "Home Wrecker" (below) depicting a woman of color handcuffed to the wall, as a man in camouflage destroys her home with a jack hammer held like an uzi. The war in Iraq is foremost on the collective minds of Americans. The handcuffed woman becomes the sexual aggressor, begging for sex in the pages that follow. Also in this issue are photos of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan holding the free Hustler magazines they are given regularly. In the parody ad "We See" depicting a college gang rape complete with condoms and cigarette buts strewn on her body, the copy reads; "You inspire us to create a medium that helps you launch your potential." While Goodman claims her main goal is to "give voice to the voiceless"--the human rights abuses going on! inside the sex industry are being SILENCED by the most popular, independent, unembedded, alternative media news hour currently available in the United States. ---Ann Simonton On July 27, 2005 Denis Moynihan wrote Hustling the Left website and Ann Simonton replies. Subject: Denis Moynihan quote is incorrect Hi nice site I don't recall saying that about Hustler, so would appreciate it being taken down. Democracy Now! has forbidden Hustler from reprinting DN content, and rendered that prohibition immediately following the issue with which you have taken offense. Your website visitors would be better informed, no doubt, if they this information, which relates directly to your assertions. Thanks Denis Moynihan On July 28, 2005 Ann Simonton replied to Denis Moynihan. Subject: Quotes are absolutely ACCURATE Dear Denis Moynihan, You are claiming that you do not "recall" the quotes used on Hustling the Left Let me refresh your memory. I personally spoke with you at some length on June 6th, 2005. I had just seen the July issue that Ms. Goodman appeared in. I was upset and decided to call Democracy Now directly and a person who claimed to be you (if you are denying these quotes) answered the phone. It was the afternoon in California so it was late day in New York City maybe as late at 5pm your time. I gave you my name, Ann Simonton and asked you questions about the DN interview in Hustler's July 2005 issue. I took meticulous notes from our June 6th afternoon conversation. Dennis Moynihan answered the main Democracy Now phone line. I asked what the policy was for running articles in pornography? Moynihan claimed that at first they refused but then decided to allow Hustler to reprint Amy's interview with an Economic Hit Man. He said he didn't want to pass judgement on the readers of Hustler as potential supporters of Democracy Now.I asked what donation was offered, he claimed Democracy Now took no money for the article even though it was offered. Moynihan said we have already decided not to allow further reprinting of DN material there, because we did not allow LFP to run her name on the cover and to have her image used inside the magazine. Moynihan said they are very liberal with their interviews in general and want reprints published. He belabored the difficulty they have in reaching large numbers of people since they refuse NPR-like underwriters like Exxon, Mobile and WalMart--repeating how difficult it is for them to survive on so little money. My complaints about pornography and how Democracy Now is legitimizing this magazine-- were met with him stopping the conversation-- as he googled the number of readers of Hustler at 1.2 million. I asked if had seen the issue and the accompanying articles and images? He said no he hadn't seen it. I stated another concern was the amount of time given to Larry Flynt last year and the fact that it was "balanced" by giving Susie Bright a voice on the show who takes money from Larry Flynt Publications INC. Moynihan asked me what I thought of Flynt offering a million for a verifiable Right Wing sex scandal during the presidential campaign? I admitted Flynt is clever-- but his empire is built on the exploitation of women. Moynihan mentioned how he was disturbed by those who complained about Goodman interviewing Larry last year because it took time away from important work. He asked if I had seen the NY Mag article on Andrea Dworkin and quoted from the article that --"it was the feminist's attack on pornography that brought down the feminist movement." I had only heard about the article and thought it was a positive memorial to Andrea Dworkin, which it wasn't. Moynihan complained that about the time he was spending with me on the phone as being more than he gave in consideration of printing this article. Toward the end of the conversation I reiterated that if Democracy Now wants to be a VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS they must give airtime to the women who are hurt through the pornographic industry. Moynihan claimed he would discuss this idea with Amy. I was actually hopeful. Of course, no such program has been given any air time. While you claim that Democracy Now declined LFP, Inc.'s offer of compensation--according to a follow-up interview with Hustler editor Bruce David he said he personally made sure Democracy Now was given 1000 dollars for this article. Isn't this what good investigative journalists should do? I can only imagine the pile of cash you got for the long advertisement you ran for FLynt's book last year. Your tone when you spoke with me was of wanting to get me off the phone as soon as possible as any concern I had was far below you and not a topic of your concern. I will continue to implore you and others at Democracy NOW that if you claim to be a voice for the voiceless listen to the poor, drug addicted, sexually abused women whose exploitation in pornography alone is a 57 billion dollar a year global industry. You also need to educate your audience how pornography and prostitution are the same. Why not publicize the book Not For Sale: Feminists Fighting Prostitution and Pornography??? It is a great book written by a wide range of feminist academics and activists. Racism seems to concern you, prisoner abuse seems to concern you, injustice and corruption on distant shores concerns you, even animal rights has been covered more often on Democracy now than THE HARM the sex industry wages on ALL WOMEN ALL OVER THE GLOBE DAILY. THE blood of raped women is on your hands Mr. Moynihan-- for every single penny you have taken from LFP Inc. I know you don't give a damn about the harm these corporations do to women, children and men. This you made crystal clear in our short conversation June 6th, 2005. Would you like more reminders of your callousness? How about this excerpt? You are quoted below in an email to Gail Dines PhD Wheelock College:
If you want the original email I will find it for you. Sincerely, Ann Simonton |
AMY GOODMAN: But what if she is speaking for herself? What if she is speaking -- she is just voicing her opinion on, would you have something like this, a African American splayed out with degrading images, that -- I guess one of the questions is, you have taken on power your whole life, and the criticism of a number of feminists is that you reinforce the images of the powerful with these images of, for example, women being mutilated, like being put through a meat grinder. NIKKI CRAFT COMMENTS ON THE DEMOCRACY NOW INTERVIEW: Amy Goodman, during an interview, asks Larry Flynt if he would have the (racist) audacity to splay out an African American. This question, always good for its political mileage, in this instance only shows how dangerously uninformed she is about Larry Flynt, Hustler magazine, and the pornography industry. We want to know what sort of research she did about his sexist, racist empire before interviewing him. How could she not know that Flynt is extremely racist in Hustler, turning Black women (and men) into sexualized auction-block material for his white patrons? With what other notoriously racist political conservative would she enter a professional conversation, armed with so little knowledge? Her interview looks a lot more like shameless pandering than tough journalism, and we want to know how much money Larry Flynt has given to Democracy Now and Free Speech TV to maintain such a cozy relationship. Listening to Goodman's interview with Flynt is like listening to a Bush press conference. No one is aware of what's really going on, except the leader, who picks his interviewers carefully. |
