Girls Gone Wild (franchise)

Girls Gone Wild
Created by Joe Francis
Original work DVD
Films and television
Film(s) over 300 films
1997–2011

Girls Gone Wild (GGW) is a pornographic entertainment franchise created by Joe Francis in 1997.[1] The eponymous company "Girls Gone Wild" was known for its early use of direct-response marketing techniques, including its late-night infomercials that began airing in 1997.[2] The videos typically involve camera crews at party locations engaging young college-aged women who expose their bodies or act "wild".[1] Since 2008, the Girls Gone Wild products have been sold primarily through their website as streaming videos, downloads, and DVDs.

Instances of Girls Gone Wild in popular culture include the appearance of Eminem and Snoop Dogg in the company's videos,[1][2] MGM’s announcement in 2002 that it would release a feature-length film based on the Girls Gone Wild concept,[1][3] as well as various references and parodies of the show in popular television series and movies. In Season 4, Episode 8 of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" Wandering Bear, aired 29 Feb 2004, Larry and Jeff decide to buy a "Girls Gone Wild" video tape, and that lands them both in the hot seat with Larry's secretary and Jeff's wife after the dog leaves the house during the viewing of the tape.

Girls Gone Wild was created by Joe Francis, who occasionally appears as the host of the videos.

In February 2013, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Background

The first Girls Gone Wild film was released in 1997.[4] In 2001 the company sold 4.5 million videos and DVDs.[2][5] By the end of 2002, the company had produced 83 different titles and had begun airing 30-minute infomercials on E! Entertainment Television, Fox Sports Net, BET, Comedy Central, Tech TV, Style, and all other major U.S. networks.[2] The infomercials targeted a late-night channel-surfing demographic that Joe Francis had identified in the late 90s.[2] According to TNS Media Intelligence, Girls Gone Wild spent more than $21 million in advertising in 2003, becoming the largest advertiser for programs on the E! channel. In 2008, Francis' net worth was approximately $150 million.[6]

Content

Most Girls Gone Wild videos follow a common formula in which a film crew interacts with a large crowd of people either at a party, club, or other event.[5] Women willingly take off their clothes, engage in sexual activities, or participate in wet T-shirt contests.[2][5] Compensation for taking part in a Girls Gone Wild video often consists of a free hat, T-shirt, or money.[5] Occasionally, participants are invited to be filmed on a Girls Gone Wild tour bus.[1][2][7]

Distribution channels

At its inception, Girls Gone Wild marketed its product, namely videos, through direct-distribution channels such as infomercials, pay-per-view, and video on demand.[1][2][5][8][9] This distribution was followed in 2008 by the launch of a Girls Gone Wild magazine, a clothing line, and a compilation record released on Jive Records.[1][5][8]

Girls Gone Wild for Katrina

In September 2005, Girls Gone Wild announced that it would donate all proceeds of Mardi Gras–themed DVDs and videos to the Red Cross.[10] Proceeds from the video sales, which included a title featuring Snoop Dogg, were intended to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.[10]

Guys Gone Wild

In 2004, Girls Gone Wild began soliciting men for participation in their videos.[1] Guys Gone Wild was a video series and male analogue of Girls Gone Wild. These video tapes and DVDs featured much the same content as the Girls equivalent, only instead showing young men performing for the camera—e.g., in the shower, playing football naked, etc.[11]

In an article,[12] Bill Horn, spokesman for Mantra Entertainment which produced the videos, notes a gender-related double standard in these videos. In the Girls Gone Wild series, sometimes the young women kiss, while the guys' series does not have that feature. Horn explains: "Let's face it, there's a double standard when it comes to guy-on-guy as opposed to girl-on-girl. It's sexy to see two girls making out. It's not considered sexy to see two guys making out. That's just the reality, and, we were there to capture the reality."[13]

The hour-long Guys Gone Wild productions featured women camera operators who encouraged men to get naked and perform strip teases.[14]

The primary target audience for Guys Gone Wild is young women.[14]

In 2003, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint against Girls Gone Wild alleging that the company failed to notify customers when they purchased subscriptions under a continuity program, rather than single DVDs.[15] In 2004, GGW settled for $1.1 million and agreed to disclose all terms and get consent for recurring charges.[16]

In 2006, Girls Gone Wild marketer MRA Holdings pleaded guilty to charges for failing to record filmed subject's ages in 2002 and 2003.[17] The parties agreed to pay $2.1 million in restitution and fines.[17]

In 2008, Ashley Dupré filed against Joe Francis and other defendants claiming that they filmed her without consent.[18][19] Dupré dropped the suit after Francis released footage of her consent.[20]

In 2008, a Missouri woman claimed that she was filmed without consent when a Girls Gone Wild contractor removed her halter top at a St. Louis bar.[21] A jury found that she consented. On re-trial, a judge awarded the woman $5.77 million after the defense failed to show at court.[22] On appeal, the judge upheld the verdict.[23]

In March 2008, four women claimed that they suffered emotional distress by being shown in Girls Gone Wild film.[24] In April 2011, an all-female jury declined to award damages to the plaintiffs.[24]

Bankruptcy

In 2013, GGW Brands LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.[25][26]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Mireya Navarro (4 April 2004). "The Very Long Legs of 'Girls Gone Wild'". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Michael Schneider (8 December 2002). "'Wild' infomercial struts its stuff". Variety. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  3. ↑ "MGM plans Girls Gone Wild Film". The Guardian. London. 2 October 2002. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  4. ↑ Claire Hoffman (6 August 2006). "Joe Francis: 'Baby, give me a kiss'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ariel Levy (22 March 2004). "Dispatches from Girls Gone Wild". Slate. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  6. ↑ Bruce Spotleson (24 September 2012). "Wynn sets the precedent". Vegas Inc. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  7. ↑ Keith Falkiner (12 June 2011). "Girls Gone Wild in Ireland; US sex show eyes up Irish venues for tour". Sunday Mirror (London). Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  8. 1 2 "Media: Analysis- Girls Gone Wild tries tamer approach". PR Week (US). 3 March 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  9. ↑ "This Guy's Gone Wild". Newsweek. 28 September 2003. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  10. 1 2 "'Girls Gone Wild' for Katrina". CNN Money. 20 September 2005. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  11. ↑ Swaim, Michael. "Guys Gone Wild: A Comparative Study for the Well Versed Pornographist". College Humor. Archived from the original on 4 March 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  12. ↑ "The world's gone mad for wild guys and girls". Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  13. ↑ ""Guys Go Wild" in New Video Series". Fox News. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  14. 1 2 Daniel J. Vargas (12 July 2004). "Ok, girls, now it's your turn for a 'Wild' video". The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  15. ↑ "Sellers of ‘Girls Gone Wild’ Videos Charged with Deceptive Practices". Federal Trade Commission. 17 December 2003. Archived from the original on 14 February 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  16. ↑ "Sellers of ‘Girls Gone Wild’ Videos to Pay $1.1 Million to Settle Charges of Unauthorized Shipping and Billing". Federal Trade Commission. 30 July 2004. Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  17. 1 2 "Deferred Prosecution Agreement, Stipulation of Fact, Public Statement of Joseph Francis, and Films Subject to the Agreement". FindLaw. 12 September 2006. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  18. ↑ "Ashley Dupre Gone "Wild" -- Legal or Jailbait?". TMZ. 19 March 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  19. ↑ "Ashley Alexandra Dupre, the Former Prostitute Who Had a Paid Liaison With Ex-N.Y. Governor Eliot Spitzer Files a $10M Lawsuit Against Girls Gone Wild". FindLaw. 28 April 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  20. ↑ "Call girl in Spitzer case drops "Gone Wild" suit". Reuters. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  21. ↑ Jim Salter (27 April 2012). "Mo. woman wins $5.8M in 'Girls Gone Wild' case". FindLaw. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  22. ↑ Robert Patrick (26 April 2012). "'Girls Gone Wild' ordered to pay $5.77 million to woman filmed in St. Louis". The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  23. ↑ Donna Walter (20 June 2012). "$5.77M judgment stands in Girls Gone Wild case". Missouri Lawyers Media. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  24. 1 2 "All-Female Jury Throws Out "Girls Gone Wild" Lawsuit". CBS Miami. 7 April 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  25. ↑ "‘Girls Gone Wild’ Files Bankruptcy to Fight Vegas Debt". Bloomberg. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  26. ↑ Egan, Matt. "Legal Headaches Force 'Girls Gone Wild' Into Bankruptcy". Fox Business. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
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