Spring Break
'Girls Gone Wild' a menace to Denton
Derek Kerl
Issue date: 2/8/07 Section: OPINION
We could have done anything with our time that evening. So why did we protest? The answer is simple: "Girls Gone Wild," Mantra Films and founder Joe Francis promote the exploitation and objectification of young women.
Francis claims that he is giving women the chance to empower themselves. They contend that they are doing young women a favor. This couldn't be further from the truth. How does GGW operate? First of all, many club owners actually pay GGW to come to their club. Mantra producers and cameramen often follow girls around clubs, handing them free drinks and cash in an effort to 'persuade' them into their bus to perform sexual acts. If the girls say 'no,' they follow them around until they are drunk enough to say 'yes' and they film these intoxicated girls signing consent.
Once they enter the bus, girls are given more alcohol until they are drunk enough to be coerced into performing on film. Is this truly consent? If you cannot sign on a loan or drive a car while intoxicated, signing a legal document while intoxicated should be out of the question. This is bad business and incredibly dangerous for women.
In 2006, GGW was fined $2.1 million by a federal court for failing to keep age records of the girls who appeared in their videos. The original charge was filed under a law designed to prevent sexual exploitation of children. The company recently admitted to featuring underage girls in several films. Francis has been accused of rape several times and other crimes. Once again, I think we have done enough 'research' to realize that Francis and his producers run a bad business.
The men who buy these films are being sold a fantasy. The problem is that, for women, rape and violence can be a life-long reality. These films give men the idea that there are 'normal' young women roaming around bars just waiting for the chance to 'go wild' and have sex with them. It does not matter how many times they say no because (according to the video) they want to say yes. Men attend these events expecting sex; a few guys walking into Rockin' Rodeo told us that rather bluntly. It is not only about sex, it is about domination. GGW is feeding a rape culture; they are creating an unsafe environment and unrealistic expectations for women and encouraging negative roles and behaviors for both women and men.
While we don't have the power to shut GGW down, we have the power to keep them out of Denton. We do not want them to come back and we suspect that most other people don't want them here either. They are creating an unsafe environment for women and feeding destructive behavior. This is something that people from all parts of the Denton community can agree on. This debate is not about liberal, conservative or about whether or not some guy has a problem with FMLA. This is about keeping Denton safe.
Men are fueling all of this and supporting Mantra by allowing them to film in Denton when we could easily keep them out. My question is this: what are we going to do about it?
Derek Kerl is a social work senior from Beaumont. He can be reached at dkerl@unt.edu.
Francis claims that he is giving women the chance to empower themselves. They contend that they are doing young women a favor. This couldn't be further from the truth. How does GGW operate? First of all, many club owners actually pay GGW to come to their club. Mantra producers and cameramen often follow girls around clubs, handing them free drinks and cash in an effort to 'persuade' them into their bus to perform sexual acts. If the girls say 'no,' they follow them around until they are drunk enough to say 'yes' and they film these intoxicated girls signing consent.
Once they enter the bus, girls are given more alcohol until they are drunk enough to be coerced into performing on film. Is this truly consent? If you cannot sign on a loan or drive a car while intoxicated, signing a legal document while intoxicated should be out of the question. This is bad business and incredibly dangerous for women.
In 2006, GGW was fined $2.1 million by a federal court for failing to keep age records of the girls who appeared in their videos. The original charge was filed under a law designed to prevent sexual exploitation of children. The company recently admitted to featuring underage girls in several films. Francis has been accused of rape several times and other crimes. Once again, I think we have done enough 'research' to realize that Francis and his producers run a bad business.
The men who buy these films are being sold a fantasy. The problem is that, for women, rape and violence can be a life-long reality. These films give men the idea that there are 'normal' young women roaming around bars just waiting for the chance to 'go wild' and have sex with them. It does not matter how many times they say no because (according to the video) they want to say yes. Men attend these events expecting sex; a few guys walking into Rockin' Rodeo told us that rather bluntly. It is not only about sex, it is about domination. GGW is feeding a rape culture; they are creating an unsafe environment and unrealistic expectations for women and encouraging negative roles and behaviors for both women and men.
While we don't have the power to shut GGW down, we have the power to keep them out of Denton. We do not want them to come back and we suspect that most other people don't want them here either. They are creating an unsafe environment for women and feeding destructive behavior. This is something that people from all parts of the Denton community can agree on. This debate is not about liberal, conservative or about whether or not some guy has a problem with FMLA. This is about keeping Denton safe.
Men are fueling all of this and supporting Mantra by allowing them to film in Denton when we could easily keep them out. My question is this: what are we going to do about it?
Derek Kerl is a social work senior from Beaumont. He can be reached at dkerl@unt.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 13
Leigh Ann Faires
posted 2/08/07 @ 6:17 AM CST
Derek,
If only more people in more cities would protest against this company in order to bring attention to these practices and make a change.
It is so important to get the word out to all woman not to drink around the workers of this company but also not to drink out of control around the men in thier lives. (Continued…)
Ben Golfn
posted 2/08/07 @ 4:22 PM CST
So how is this different than Mardi Gras?
That is how this guy got started - he was a cameraman working Mardi Gras and had footage he could not show on TV so he made the first GGW video with that footage and it has evolved. (Continued…)
Eric
posted 2/08/07 @ 5:27 PM CST
Protesting is good. Not supporting the social behavior is even better. Perhaps we should villainize not only the men that create the demand, but also the women who provide the supply. (Continued…)
RayAnne
posted 6/05/07 @ 10:54 PM CST
That is so great that you all did that. I am part of Student Association of Social Work at TWU, if you all need help with something like this then I am sure we would be happy to partner up with you all! That is really great!
Chanel
posted 9/24/08 @ 1:18 AM CST
As a female giving my opinion on the subject.... SO WHAT....Let those other chicks degrade themselves if they want....Joe Francis and Mantra don't make those girls do it. (Continued…)
Andy
posted 9/24/08 @ 12:30 PM CST
Good. Let's go after the Vagina Monologues, next.
James Watson
posted 9/26/08 @ 4:39 AM CST
Quit being a pansy Derek. You self-important scheming matters little.
People will be people.
And bad things do happen, all the time.
It's called life. (Continued…)
Joe Francis
posted 9/26/08 @ 1:03 PM CST
Derrick quit being a Fag. Its easy to blame the wolf but its the sheep that are leaving the shepheard.
Go watch 28 Days are some other faggy movie and get a life. (Continued…)
Megan Carroll
posted 9/28/08 @ 12:29 PM CST
Joe: some day you and the hate that you represent will be gone, and the world will be a better place.
Derek: Thank you for this article! When explaining the rape culture argument, I think it's extremely important to note that they *film the coercion* and *leave it in the release*. (Continued…)
Joe Francis
posted 9/28/08 @ 10:03 PM CST
Megan, its not hate when its true. Fags are an abomination. It's in the Bible give it a read. But i digress.
Its easy to denounce GGW but you fail to recognize that institutions like that wouldnt exist if girls werent whores. (Continued…)
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