P.T. Barnum is generally associated with the quote, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” And Oscar Wilde stated that the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.
After this week, Peter Acworth of Kink.com might be thinking differently on the matter. Not to put too fine point on it, Acworth is an unrepentant media whore.
Go on the Twitter universe, and there’s a day after day link to an article Acworth wrote for The Huffington Post on how “Kink really matters.” Then, of course, there’s that James Franco documentary which spun Acworth’s planet of ego totally out of orbit.
Some, though, may have differing opinions on how much Kink really matters after Gawker and SF Weekly both unloaded on Acworth in separate articles that bear amazing similarities.
We’re reading stuff about how performers are chained and let out to pee like house pets. We’re reading about webcam girls being bamboozled out of their money, and how one girl, in particular, Nikki Blue, allegedly experienced Dr. Mengele-like practices involving her hymen.
My opinion about BDSM is that these people are nuts to begin with, yet it’s still a free country the last time I checked. But as Acworth continues to invite the world-at-large to have a peek at his dungeon spa, he’s going to discover that even way cool San Francisco might not be as liberal as he thought.
Acworth would have done best to shut his yap, been discreet, made money and resolved any issues internally. That was the old porn mogul business model, and it worked pretty well for the most part. Then along came Rob Black who opened up to PBS and told the Feds to come get him. I advised him against going on camera. Black told me, “What do you know old man?” [He wound up going to prison.]
Well, as an old man, I know one thing. You confide to the mainstream press long enough, you get in up to your neck in quicksand as Acworth has done. You think there would have been a cocaine bust had Acworth kept both the doors to Kink and his yap figuratively shut? I don’t think so.
If he hasn’t already, Acworth will soon discover that he’s living in interesting times. Which I think is an old Chinese proverb.
By the way, the second part of that proverb goes, “May you come to the attention of those in authority.”