[posted by Justin Levine]

This post is by guest blogger Justin Levine, and not by Patterico.

Due to the nature of my job, I get bombarded by various phone call inquiries and e-mails from PR firms trying to pitch guests for the show. I just got a notable pitch request that came across my in-box that I felt I had to share with you dear readers. I am omitting the name, phone number and e-mail of the contact person in order to protect the guilty (and to ensure that PR people can still feel comfortable pitching me submissions in the future – no matter what their perspective might be).

Text of e-mail [all links contained therein were provided in the original message that was sent to me]:

Subject: Story Idea Federal Judge Thinks Porn is Funny

Good Morning,

I was writing to let you know of an immediate media guest availability. Michael Leahy is an author and leading vocal critic of the porn industry and its effect on our country. Last week, a federal appellate judge was found to have uploaded explicit content on his website. He reportedly considers the content to be “funny.” A Nashville based action group is calling for Alex Kozinski’s resignation or impeachment. Michael Leahy weighs in on the controversy.

If you would like more information about Michael Leahy, or would like to schedule him for an interview, please do not hesitate to contact me.

***MEDIA AVAILABILITY***

FEDERAL JUDGE THINKS PORN IS FUNNY?

Author and former porn addict says porn’s no joke.

WHO: Michael Leahy is the author of Porn Nation: Conquering America’s #1
Addiction and a nationally recognized speaker about the dangers of pornography and the tech revolution that puts young people at risk.

WHAT: Girls Against Porn, an on-line resource and action coalition for women with a loved one involved in porn, is calling for impeachment proceedings against appellate court judge, Alex Kozinski, if he does not offer resignation.

Girls Against Porn insist that this is representative of what we are seeing in a pornified culture; harmful materials laden into the lives of some of the nation’s highest levels of judicial and governmental authority.

Chief Judge of the U.S.9th Circuit Court of Appeals, Alex Kozinski, admitted to the Los Angeles Times, that his website contains sexually explicit material. Judge Kozinski, while presiding over an obscenity trial involving a pornographer, has defended the material as “funny.”

Pornography is far from funny. Over 20 million Americans are addicted to porn and their families and loved ones suffer. Pornography destroys homes, marriages and careers. Porn is America’s #1 Addiction and people must understand it’s harmful effects NOW

WHEN: Immediately

CONTACT: [redacted by blog poster]

Thank you and have a great day,

[redacted by blog poster]

[End of e-mail text]

Please note that author Michael Leahy did not send me the above e-mail. An independent PR firm did. Leahy might have a valuable perspective to share on the subject of genuine porn addiction and the exploitative nature of the porn industry – but any attempt to try and hitch that message on to the Kozinski affair is ridiculous. The two subjects are apples and xylophones.

It is also unclear from the e-mail if Leahy specifically endorses the views of ‘Girls Against Porn’ or not, or has any specific association with them.

But as for ‘Girls Against Porn’ themselves – Admittedly not all pornography is funny. The extreme underground stuff can be nauseating. But what was on Kozinski’s site most certainly is funny. And so is their group…

If this non-story continues to have any more legs, it should give new meaning to the phrase “Daily Koz” within the blogosphere.

God Bless The Great Kozinski!

[posted by Justin Levine]