Of course Larry Flynt's new book has a subtitle with the word "naked" in it. He is what he is – and would be the last to pretend otherwise.
But anybody hoping for nudity will be disappointed. The only photo is on the cover, and it's of Flynt in a suit and tie in his gold-plated wheelchair, an American flag behind him.
Larry Flynt, patriot?
It takes a while for that image to sink in. Patriot is not the first word that comes to mind when most people think about the frequently outlandish Hustler publisher, but if being patriotic means being brave enough to raise questions about what the government is doing, especially in a time of war, the label applies.
His book, called "Sex, Lies & Politics: The Naked Truth," is a broadside aimed at the Bush administration in this election year, suitable for filing on the shelves next to works by Al Franken and Michael Moore. When he looks at the White House, Flynt sees corruption, dishonesty and above all else, hypocrisy.
"Hypocrisy is the biggest single threat to democracy that exists," he said in an interview during a recent book-promotion stop in San Diego. "The public officials who preach one thing and then do another – they just make my blood boil."
His pursuit of hypocrisy is part of history, relived prominently in the book. In the fall of 1998, with Republican congressional leaders talking about impeaching President Bill Clinton for his actions in the Monica Lewinsky affair, Flynt ran an ad in The Washington Post, offering up to $1 million for juicy information about adulterous legislators.
He got some, and political careers tumbled. "I've been Flynted!" thwarted House Speaker Bob Livingston fumed. Others accused Flynt of being a bottom feeder, to which he replied, "True, but look what I found down at the bottom." He gives himself credit for taking the wind out of the impeachment's sails.
"I'm not interested in exposing someone's sex life," he said. "But when they've taken a public position contrary to the way they are living their private lives, then I think they are fair game."
In his book, he also takes aim at those who claim they want to get government off the backs of the people, and then are first in line for government contracts or subsidies.
Government, writes this man who finished seventh in last year's gubernatorial recall election, is a necessary referee in the "blood sport" of capitalism.
"Don't get me wrong – capitalism ain't always pretty, but it's the only system that works," he writes. "It works because it's human nature. Some people's human nature, though, is to ride roughshod over everybody else. Some people are just plain greedy and mean, and they need adult supervision, and government happens to be the only 'adult' we have."
Flynt has long been a winner at the game of capitalism. His various enterprises – including magazines, Internet sites and adult stores in San Diego and elsewhere – have made him a wealthy man.
So if one of the central themes of his book is true – that Bush administration policies favor the rich – why is he complaining?
Even though recent income-tax cuts save him about $500,000 a year, Flynt said, he's opposed to them because he believes not enough of the money makes its way into the pockets of the poor and middle classes.
He has a theory about why many people in those classes support the tax cuts and other administration policies.
"I think it's because so many people in this country want to be millionaires, or think they can be, so they identify with the higher rungs on the economic ladder," he writes.
"The idea of being a blue-collar guy and proud of it, of taking care of your family and being part of your community and letting it go at that – that is way out of style."
He is critical of the press for not performing its traditional role as government watchdog – he said too many reporters have become "poodles" instead – and the resulting vacuum is why some people are willing to listen to a self-described smut peddler talk about politics and leadership.
Noting that he's regularly in demand as a speaker on college campuses, he writes, "I used to think people wanted to hear my opinions because they were outlandish. Now I'm convinced it's because I'm one of the few people speaking out who does not censor what's on his mind."
A controversial figure for almost three decades – derided by many as a purveyor of porn that degrades and objectifies women – Flynt said he's been called just about every name imaginable. Even the forward of his new book, written by the journalist Robert Scheer, says, "I know he's been a pig in his day."
But Flynt is hopeful his legacy will be as someone who spent millions of dollars and took a paralyzing bullet from a would-be assassin to expand the parameters of free speech in this country.
"I think history will be a lot kinder to me than the present day," he said.
But anybody hoping for nudity will be disappointed. The only photo is on the cover, and it's of Flynt in a suit and tie in his gold-plated wheelchair, an American flag behind him.
Larry Flynt, patriot?
It takes a while for that image to sink in. Patriot is not the first word that comes to mind when most people think about the frequently outlandish Hustler publisher, but if being patriotic means being brave enough to raise questions about what the government is doing, especially in a time of war, the label applies.
His book, called "Sex, Lies & Politics: The Naked Truth," is a broadside aimed at the Bush administration in this election year, suitable for filing on the shelves next to works by Al Franken and Michael Moore. When he looks at the White House, Flynt sees corruption, dishonesty and above all else, hypocrisy.
"Hypocrisy is the biggest single threat to democracy that exists," he said in an interview during a recent book-promotion stop in San Diego. "The public officials who preach one thing and then do another – they just make my blood boil."
His pursuit of hypocrisy is part of history, relived prominently in the book. In the fall of 1998, with Republican congressional leaders talking about impeaching President Bill Clinton for his actions in the Monica Lewinsky affair, Flynt ran an ad in The Washington Post, offering up to $1 million for juicy information about adulterous legislators.
He got some, and political careers tumbled. "I've been Flynted!" thwarted House Speaker Bob Livingston fumed. Others accused Flynt of being a bottom feeder, to which he replied, "True, but look what I found down at the bottom." He gives himself credit for taking the wind out of the impeachment's sails.
"I'm not interested in exposing someone's sex life," he said. "But when they've taken a public position contrary to the way they are living their private lives, then I think they are fair game."
In his book, he also takes aim at those who claim they want to get government off the backs of the people, and then are first in line for government contracts or subsidies.
Government, writes this man who finished seventh in last year's gubernatorial recall election, is a necessary referee in the "blood sport" of capitalism.
"Don't get me wrong – capitalism ain't always pretty, but it's the only system that works," he writes. "It works because it's human nature. Some people's human nature, though, is to ride roughshod over everybody else. Some people are just plain greedy and mean, and they need adult supervision, and government happens to be the only 'adult' we have."
Flynt has long been a winner at the game of capitalism. His various enterprises – including magazines, Internet sites and adult stores in San Diego and elsewhere – have made him a wealthy man.
So if one of the central themes of his book is true – that Bush administration policies favor the rich – why is he complaining?
Even though recent income-tax cuts save him about $500,000 a year, Flynt said, he's opposed to them because he believes not enough of the money makes its way into the pockets of the poor and middle classes.
He has a theory about why many people in those classes support the tax cuts and other administration policies.
"I think it's because so many people in this country want to be millionaires, or think they can be, so they identify with the higher rungs on the economic ladder," he writes.
"The idea of being a blue-collar guy and proud of it, of taking care of your family and being part of your community and letting it go at that – that is way out of style."
He is critical of the press for not performing its traditional role as government watchdog – he said too many reporters have become "poodles" instead – and the resulting vacuum is why some people are willing to listen to a self-described smut peddler talk about politics and leadership.
Noting that he's regularly in demand as a speaker on college campuses, he writes, "I used to think people wanted to hear my opinions because they were outlandish. Now I'm convinced it's because I'm one of the few people speaking out who does not censor what's on his mind."
A controversial figure for almost three decades – derided by many as a purveyor of porn that degrades and objectifies women – Flynt said he's been called just about every name imaginable. Even the forward of his new book, written by the journalist Robert Scheer, says, "I know he's been a pig in his day."
But Flynt is hopeful his legacy will be as someone who spent millions of dollars and took a paralyzing bullet from a would-be assassin to expand the parameters of free speech in this country.
"I think history will be a lot kinder to me than the present day," he said.