Penthouse and Censorship
Penthouse is a notable adult entertainment magazine founded by Robert (Bob) Guccione in the early 1960s, originally achieving swift success in Europe before launching in the United States in 1969. At its peak, the magazine garnered a worldwide circulation of 3.3 million copies, though this number declined significantly by the 1990s. Penthouse has been at the center of various legal controversies, often related to issues of censorship and libel. For instance, a lawsuit arising from a story in its August 1979 issue resulted in a significant punitive damages award that was later overturned. The magazine's legal challenges also included high-profile cases involving public figures such as Jerry Falwell and Cher. These incidents highlight the ongoing tension between adult content and societal standards, raising questions about freedom of expression versus censorship. The magazine's legacy continues to spark discussions about the cultural implications of adult media and its regulation.
Subject Terms
Penthouse and Censorship
Type of work: Magazine
Published: 1965- (England); 1969- (United States)
Publisher: Bob Guccione (1930- )
Subject matter: Men’s magazine that has used sexually explicit pictures and controversial fiction and journalism
Significance: This magazine’s outspokenness and explicitness has made it a battleground for many issues involving the First Amendment
Robert (Bob) Guccione founded Penthouse after traveling through Europe as a struggling artist and settling in London in the early 1960’s. He started the magazine with a bank loan equivalent to less than twelve hundred U.S. dollars. The magazine was an immediate success in Europe, and its first American edition sold 375,000 copies in 1969. By 1972 its worldwide circulation was 3.3 million copies, but by the 1990’s it was down to 1.5 million.
Through its relatively brief history, Penthouse has had a variety of legal troubles. For example, its August, 1979, issue included a short story that provoked a lawsuit by Wyoming’s candidate in the Miss America pageant. A jury awarded the beauty contestant twenty-five million dollars in punitive damages, but the award was overturned by an appeals court. The magazine was also involved in libel suits with the evangelist Jerry Falwell, singer-actress Cher, and the La Costa vacation resort. In 1976 the magazine’s vice chairperson, Kathy Keeton, sued Hustler magazine claiming that she had been libeled in a case that led to a U.S. Supreme Court decision on jurisdictional grounds.