LOS ANGELES — Vivid Entertainment chief Steven Hirsch fired back at Morality in Media President Patrick A. Trueman today after the conservative anti-porn zealot criticized Hirsch’s recent statement that the GOP should back off of the adult industry.
Hirsch blasted Trueman for making “inflammatory and ridiculous assertions” about the impact of pornography on society.
Particularly incensed by Trueman’s remark that Hirsch was a “man whose business is sexually exploiting young girls for profit,” Hirsch demanded that Trueman immediately cease making defamatory and untrue personal attacks on him or face legal consequences.
“We do not sexually exploit or coerce anyone,” Hirsch said. “All of the people with whom we work are consenting adults and they perform in our productions according to strict standards regarding age, health tests and other legal criteria.”
Trueman also claimed there is an “untreated pandemic of harm from pornography” and “according to many studies, children and adults are developing life-long addictions to pornography,” according to Hirsch. “Contrary to Mr. Trueman’s claims, there are no reputable facts or studies to back up his assertions,” Hirsch said in a response to the allegations.
“Mr. Trueman makes his living trying to control the legal choices adults have in the kind of entertainment they can enjoy. It is obviously in his economic interest to make inflammatory and ridiculous assertions about the so-called detrimental effects of adult entertainment, since that is what he is paid to do. He preys upon weak politicians, eager for votes from people who drink his anti-free speech Kool-Aid,” Hirsch said.
Hirsch further stated that instead of advising people who don’t like porn to simply not watch it, Trueman wants to control what consumers view, essentially ignoring their First Amendment rights.
“But I think people like Mr. Trueman don’t intimidate anyone, any more. They reject the nonsensical diatribes of a man who wants to rob them of their right to make their own decisions about what they view and read,” Hirsch said.
