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Q: How did you come up with the idea for "Girls Gone Wild"?
A: Just after graduating from USC, I was working as a production assistant for a TV show called "Real TV," which featured video clips of disasters, wrecks and other sensational material. I noticed that the show’s editors and staffers enjoyed sharing a compilation tape of video clips that were deemed too violent or outrageous for the broadcast show. Because this footage was going unused despite its popularity in the office, I decided to acquire the rights to the clips and market a tape called "Banned From Television." It was a successful product, and I solicited more material from various sources. But a lot of the footage was so disturbing that I had trouble watching it straight through, and I thought that the customers would feel the same way. I asked my various sources if they had any material of a lighter nature. Something funny or sexy. Someone sent me a VHS tape of a bunch of revelers getting arrested for public nudity at Lake Havasu, Calif., during spring break. The footage they were trying to sell me wasn’t especially compelling, but I discovered that the tape also included some random footage of college girls flashing their breasts on spring break and at Mardi Gras. That got my attention. Because it wasn’t porn; it was something better. Real college girls obviously having fun - and showing their breasts! It really turned me on, and I lived with the tape for a couple of weeks; it was my primary source of entertainment. I began to wonder if other guys would enjoy this kind of material as much as I did. I licensed the footage and put together a tape that I eventually called "Girls Gone Wild.” It was a big risk, and it took some convincing to get any TV stations to air the commercial. But once the commercials began to air, the orders started coming in. And instead of buying more footage, I decided it made more business sense to create my own footage. And a phenomenon was born.
Q: How did you come up with the name "Girls Gone Wild"?
A: Once I had the first tape edited together, I knew I needed a catchy name. During a cross-country flight, I took out a legal pad and just started brainstorming. I love being creative, so I spent hours writing and scratching out hundreds of names. I finally settled on "College Girls Gone Wild" - and then, at the last minute, I crossed out the word "College" and circled the words "Girls Gone Wild." I had my brand.
Q: Why do you think all those girls are willing to flash for your cameras?
A: I think it’s a couple of things. First, girls enjoy attention. It’s a simple female trait that the average girl needs and deserves a healthy amount of attention. Second, it’s a form of expression. College-age girls are beginning to enjoy their independence, and flashing is a way of saying, "This is my body, I’m proud of it and I don’t mind giving you a chance to admire it." It’s as simple as that, really. I don’t think it’s a sexual act. I honestly think it’s just an expression of fun and freedom. Girls see the "Girls Gone Wild" infomercials, see that it looks fun, and decide there’s nothing wrong with showing off their assets at that one time in their lives when their bodies will probably look their best (God bless them).
Q: How do you get girls to flash?
A: I ask! And we offer her a T-shirt. It’s as simple as that. A girl is going to flash or she isn’t. The T-shirt is just a kind of justification - it helps her feel as if she’s received something in return - just like those cheap plastic beads that serve the same purpose at Mardi Gras. But a "Girls Gone Wild" T-shirt has considerably more value: It’s clothing. And the shirts are cute. Girls love them. As an added bonus, they have to take off the shirt they’re wearing in order to put on the "Girls Gone Wild" shirt. Genius.
Q: Do you see yourself ever settling down and getting married?
A: Absolutely. I’m a romantic guy, and I am really looking forward to starting a family.
Q: Does your job allow you to have sex with a lot of girls?
A: Well, it’s not because of my job; I don’t use my job in that way. I guess the correct answer is "as many as possible." I’m not always successful, but I probably deserve an "A" for effort. My philosophy is that it never hurts to ask. But as the brother of three sisters, I know very well that "No" means "No."
Q: Do you really have a private jet?
A: Yes. I took my first ride in a private jet about six years ago, and found the freedom of the whole experience so amazing that I bought a Falcon jet three weeks later. The first trip I took on my plane was to Lake Tahoe. I was 27, and my buddy Mark and I laughed the whole way like a couple of giddy frat guys. It truly is the only way to fly. Nine months later, I upgraded to a Gulfstream.
Q: What part of the country has the hottest girls?
A: My experience has been that anytime you go south of the Mason Dixon line, the girls seem to get more attractive. But I don’t think it really matters where you go because how many 19-year-old girls are ugly?
Q: Have you always been so into girls?
A: Absolutely. I remember getting in trouble in the first grade for playing “Show Me Yours and I’ll Show You Mine” with the cutest girl in class. I lost my virginity at 15. I wasn’t much of a player in high school because I wore braces. I didn’t learn 'til later that girls aren’t necessarily turned off by braces if you have any charm at all. I love girls. In a lot of ways, girls are like cats (and I love cats, too): They’re clever, they’re independent and they come to you on their own terms. Girls are smarter than guys. They have us fooled into believing that it’s a man’s world, when actually women pull all the strings. I can honestly say that for every truly successful guy I know, there is a woman who is quietly feeding his ego and making him feel as if he’s in control and making his own decisions. The downside of this is that we men are notoriously bad at knowing when girls are lying to us.
Q: Have you ever had your heart broken?
A: Sure, but it helps ease the pain when you get as much as I’ve gotten in my life.
Q: What’s next? Do you have any major goals?
A: My primary goal is to have a family. I see that as my next big challenge. I will always have business goals - it's part of the game - but there isn’t one overriding accomplishment I am aiming for. In my view, a man who raises a happy and healthy family is far more successful than a man who has only managed to acquire wealth. So, in that sense, I hope my greatest legacy will be my family.
Q: How can I get a job as a "Girls Gone Wild" cameraman?
A: You have to be willing to travel for much of the year. That means being on a tour bus with three or four other guys for months at a time. You have to have some working knowledge of video cameras and know how to shoot. And, finally, you’ve got to have game. What makes a "Girls Gone Wild" cameraman special is his ability to approach girls, make them feel comfortable and make them feel good about themselves so that they’ll actually enjoy flashing for the camera. If you think you can do all that, just send a résumé, personal history and a photo of yourself to producers@mantraent.com.
Q: Do angry dads, brothers or boyfriends come after you?
A: It’s only happened once. In our second year of business, a gentleman called our offices. When I answered, he said, "Who is this?" I told him, and he said, "Did my daughter flash for your cameras?" I looked up the paperwork on his daughter and said, "Yes. I’m looking at her signed release. How can I help you?" There was a long silence, and finally he said, "Well, I guess she wanted to do it, or she wouldn’t have done it." I agreed, and he said, "Long as I have you on the phone, do you think you could send me some free videos?"
Q: Do you consider yourself the new Hugh Hefner?
A: No. I don’t consider myself as anyone but Joe Francis. Hef was an innovator and was instrumental in the sexual revolution that is still evolving. It is an honor to be compared to Hef, but Hef is one of a kind and so am I. And while the Playboy Mansion is a justifiably legendary place, I’m not the kind of guy to spend my days and nights at home. I enjoy being out in the world, traveling and meeting new people. There isn’t anyone I won't to talk to or raise a glass with.
Q: What is something that most people would be surprised to know about you?
A: Judging from the kind of comments I get, I think the main misconception about me is that I somehow “got lucky” by stumbling upon a clever idea. The fact is, what I’ve been able to achieve – that is, building a multimillion-dollar company out of nothing, and creating what others have called a cultural phenomenon – had nothing to do with luck. More to the point, I would submit that there is no such thing as luck. We all create our own luck. The comment that drives me nuts is when people walk up and say to me, "All you do is film naked girls and make all this money," usually followed by "I wish I’d thought of that idea." To me, that’s like going up to Tiger Woods and saying, “All you do is hit a ball into a hole and you make all this money.” I should have taken golf lessons!
The point is, people don’t see the years and years of hard work that leads up to that kind of success. It’s common for people to look at a modern painting, for example, and say, “I could have done that; why is that worth $20 million?” My answer would be, “If you could have really done that, you would have!” “That” may mean painting the actual painting or “that” could mean you successfully marketed yourself as an artist whose paintings are worth millions. I didn’t invent naked girls. I didn’t create the idea that men like to look at women’s breasts. In fact, it kind of bothers me when people call "Girls Gone Wild" an “idea.” Because it’s not the idea that became such a successful business, it’s the execution of that idea. And that takes sacrifice, risk and a lot of business acumen. So I think the thing that would surprise most people is how hard I’ve worked, and continue to work. I love to work. And, by the way, it’s never been about the money. If you are just out to make money, most likely you never will. Money is only the scorecard. My passion is being creative, productive and successful.
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