Porn Magazine Chief Faces Ruin

News & City ^ | 8 April 2002 | James Langton

[Asmodeus]

Porn magazine chief faces ruin by James Langton Porn king Bob Guccioni has admitted he is facing financial ruin because of losses from his magazine, Penthouse. The publisher, 71, may have to sell his New York house - Manhattan's largest - and his art collection, which features works by Picasso, Degas and Renoir, to pay his debts. He founded Penthouse in 1965, but circulation has tumbled with competition from internet pornography. From a high of five million, it now sells 650,000 copies a month. General Media, the company that owns Penthouse, said last week that it would be unable to meet £10million debts this year. If it fails to keep up payments on a £40 million overdraft, the Bank of New York will take control and may well close the magazine. Guccioni has used his house and art collection as security for borrowing. Penthouse lost £7 million last year, and his two general interest magazines, Omni and Longevity, both failed.

[wheezer]

Wolves at the door, sharks in the water, and forced to sell masterpieces....I'm sure he'll get top dollar. ;o)

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

I'm sure there are a lot of us who feel bad about this. /sarcasm

[Mike Darancette]

LOL, I guess 'OL Bob will have to settle for ugly women.

[Magic Fingers]

Penthouse once did a series on alternative cancer therapies, one of which allowed my father to have two years of decent-quality life -- after the "medical establishment" had given him less than a month to live. For that I'll always be grateful to Guccione and Penthouse.

[Grendelgrey]

...all of which begs the question.."is the screwing you get really worth the screwing you get?"....

[shadowman99]

Penthouse=$7.00 per month

Internet=Free Porn

Gee, where's the flaw in this business model?

[Illbay]

I can't really get choked up about ANY Pornster hitting hard times, but O! How I wish this story was about Larry Flynt!

[Houmatt]

"Porn king Bob Guccioni has admitted he is facing financial ruin because of losses from his magazine, Penthouse. "The publisher, 71, may have to sell his New York house - Manhattan's largest - and his art collection, which features works by Picasso, Degas and Renoir, to pay his debts."

All together now.....

AWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Houmatt]

Pardon me, but this is the same Guccione who intentionally, and with a great amount of speed, published nude photographs of the first black Miss America, Vanessa Williams, forcing her to resign.

That bleep is nothing but a closet racist.

[trevorjohnson]

YOU QUOTED: "Pardon me, but this is the same Guccione who intentionally, and with a great amount of speed, published nude photographs of the first black Miss America, Vanessa Williams, forcing her to resign. That bleep is nothing but a closet racist." I am not sure with your reasoning. if her were racist, why would he want ugly (in his "racist" mind) African features in his skin mag? He is scrupleless, but seems that pretty naked women of every race are his target. Why do people always accuse people of racism? Are they brainwashed, like the Liberals, into thinking everything is a class or race warfare issue?

[Paulus Invictus]

Gee, that's too bad! Couldn't happen to a nastier guy. May he sink into the slime he emerged from and go straight to hell with the RATs that applauded him.

[LRS]

I can't really get choked up about ANY Pornster hitting hard times, but O! How I wish this story was about Larry Flynt!

When I first saw the headline, I was thinking the very same thoughts....

[Kermit]

One consequence of getting older, is wondering what happened to the "Youth of Today". At least you had a youth culture you like, I got stuck with the 70's.

[Houmatt]

"I am not sure with your reasoning."

Allow me to enlighten you, then.

Miss America is supposed to be an icon, representing goodness and morality. Everybody knows that. Everyone also knows women who have become Miss America are only human beings. They are not perfect.

Guccione moved at double speed to get these photos, taken well before Williams even got into the pageant business, into his magazine just after she was crowned. He knew it would tarnish the Miss America image. He knew it would hurt Williams personally. He did it anyway. And look what happened.

And, what is more, nobody, ever published nude photos of Miss America prior to Williams. Why her, then? Simple. Because she was the first black Miss America. All others that came before were white.

Don't tell me race was not involved. People with reason know better.