Flynt and Francis: Flaccid Porn Biz Needs Gov't Pumping

It's hard times for everyone these days, and that doesn't exclude those whose paychecks rely on people, well, getting hard. Thanks to the "limp" economy, porn pioneer Larry Flynt and his modern-era incarnate Joe Francis (of "Girls Gone Wild" fame), have teamed up to take on Congress in the hopes the Fed can act as a sort of Viagra.According to TMZ, this Batman-and-Robin pairing of adult entertainment avengers are "asking the government for a $5 billion bailout, claiming the adult entertainment industry has taken a huge shot to the face because of the downturn -- citing the fact that XXX DVD sales are down 22% from a year ago." Fortunately they were not more explicit as to the exact nature of the "shot" to the face. Ahem.

What can the government do? Well, for starters, they can (turn their heads and) cough...up the money in the hopes of "rejuvenat[ing] the sexual appetite of America," claims Flynt. After all, it's only fair to give dirty movies the same attention we're giving the country's struggling automakers, right? Says Francis: "Congress seems willing to help shore up our nation's most important businesses; we feel we deserve the same consideration." In fact, Mr. Francis himself will be going to Washington to plead the case of his livelihood. Let's see if he gets as good as he gives.