If all printers were determined to not print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed.
Benjamin Franklin
Showing posts with label Benjamin Franklin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Benjamin Franklin. Show all posts
7/16/23
3/24/12
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Quotation
"If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing."
- Benjamin Franklin
- Benjamin Franklin
12/12/11
BEN FRANKLIN : ONE NATION UNDER SEX BY LARRY FLYNT and DAVID EISENBACH
ONE NATION UNDER SEX
How The Private Lives of Presidents, First Ladies, and Their Lovers Changed the Course of American History.
By Larry Flynt and David Eisenbach C2011
Palgrave-Macmillan Publishers
page 7
"Ben Franklin was not the first American newsman to realize that sex sells, he he was a pioneer in pushing the envelope of what was acceptable in print. When he entered the newspaper business in 1729, he attacked Philadelphia's only other newspaper for printing an article on abortion. Under the penname "Martha Careful," the 23 year old Franklin condemned his rival publisher in the voice of an outraged woman. "If he proceeds farther to expose the secrets of our sex in that audacious manner we will run hazard of taking him by the beard in the next place we meet him." Thus Franklin manufactured the first recorded abortion debate in America. He did not really care about the issue; he just wanted to sell newspapers and undermine the competition. A few year later, Franklin eliminated the rival newspaper and took control of the news business in America's largest city."
"Franklin started America's first gossip column, which he called Busy-Body, in 1729. Although he admitted to his readers that Busy-Body's content was "nobody's business," he vowed that "If any are offended at my publicly exposing their private vices, I promise they shall have the satisfaction in a very little time, of seeing their good friends and neighbors in the same circumstances." Franklin reported in 1731 how one unfortunate husband discovered his wife in bed with a man named Stonecutter... '
Page 8
"One of Franklin's most famous stories featured Polly Baker, who was on trial for having her fifth illegitimate child...The judges were so moved by her speech (while on trial) that one of them married her the next day. Franklin later admitted to Thomas Jefferson that he made up Polly's story and many others: "When I was a printer and editor of a newspaper, we were sometimes slack of news, and to amuse our customers I used to fill up our vacant columns with anecdotes and fables, and fancies of my own." More than any other founding Father, Franklin had a great appreciation for strong, sexually liberated, sassy women like the fictitious Polly Baker."
page 8-9
"He also invented America's first sexual and moral advice column. In 1731 he published an anonymous letter (which he wrote) asking, "Suppose a person discovered that his wife was having an affair with a neighbor, and suppose he had reason to believe that if he revealed this to his neighbor's wife she would agree to have sex with him, is he justifiable in doing it?" In the voice of the editor, Franklin self- righteously replied to his own letter,"Return not evil for evil, but repay evil with good."
Page 9
By attracting readers with salacious stories and an open discussion of sex, Franklin became the first American printer to make a profit from his newspaper. Other printers used their newspapers to advertise their other businesses - job printing and often a general store. Franklin puished ad sales and advised businessmen on the best ways to market their products in print. While other colonial newspaper crammed their ads onto the back page, he sprinkled his ads throughout his paper, making them harder to skip over. He plowed his fortune into funding other printers in cities up and down the seaboard and in return got a share of their profits and their big scoops. By age 42, Ben Frankin was America's first media mogul, with his own news network, and so rich that he could retire in 1747 to concentrate on the passions that would make him famous: inventions, science experiments, politics, and women."
How The Private Lives of Presidents, First Ladies, and Their Lovers Changed the Course of American History.
By Larry Flynt and David Eisenbach C2011
Palgrave-Macmillan Publishers
page 7
"Ben Franklin was not the first American newsman to realize that sex sells, he he was a pioneer in pushing the envelope of what was acceptable in print. When he entered the newspaper business in 1729, he attacked Philadelphia's only other newspaper for printing an article on abortion. Under the penname "Martha Careful," the 23 year old Franklin condemned his rival publisher in the voice of an outraged woman. "If he proceeds farther to expose the secrets of our sex in that audacious manner we will run hazard of taking him by the beard in the next place we meet him." Thus Franklin manufactured the first recorded abortion debate in America. He did not really care about the issue; he just wanted to sell newspapers and undermine the competition. A few year later, Franklin eliminated the rival newspaper and took control of the news business in America's largest city."
"Franklin started America's first gossip column, which he called Busy-Body, in 1729. Although he admitted to his readers that Busy-Body's content was "nobody's business," he vowed that "If any are offended at my publicly exposing their private vices, I promise they shall have the satisfaction in a very little time, of seeing their good friends and neighbors in the same circumstances." Franklin reported in 1731 how one unfortunate husband discovered his wife in bed with a man named Stonecutter... '
Page 8
"One of Franklin's most famous stories featured Polly Baker, who was on trial for having her fifth illegitimate child...The judges were so moved by her speech (while on trial) that one of them married her the next day. Franklin later admitted to Thomas Jefferson that he made up Polly's story and many others: "When I was a printer and editor of a newspaper, we were sometimes slack of news, and to amuse our customers I used to fill up our vacant columns with anecdotes and fables, and fancies of my own." More than any other founding Father, Franklin had a great appreciation for strong, sexually liberated, sassy women like the fictitious Polly Baker."
page 8-9
"He also invented America's first sexual and moral advice column. In 1731 he published an anonymous letter (which he wrote) asking, "Suppose a person discovered that his wife was having an affair with a neighbor, and suppose he had reason to believe that if he revealed this to his neighbor's wife she would agree to have sex with him, is he justifiable in doing it?" In the voice of the editor, Franklin self- righteously replied to his own letter,"Return not evil for evil, but repay evil with good."
Page 9
By attracting readers with salacious stories and an open discussion of sex, Franklin became the first American printer to make a profit from his newspaper. Other printers used their newspapers to advertise their other businesses - job printing and often a general store. Franklin puished ad sales and advised businessmen on the best ways to market their products in print. While other colonial newspaper crammed their ads onto the back page, he sprinkled his ads throughout his paper, making them harder to skip over. He plowed his fortune into funding other printers in cities up and down the seaboard and in return got a share of their profits and their big scoops. By age 42, Ben Frankin was America's first media mogul, with his own news network, and so rich that he could retire in 1747 to concentrate on the passions that would make him famous: inventions, science experiments, politics, and women."
11/28/11
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN : AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE. AN ELECTRIC MIND: CHRISTINE TRZYNA FILM REVIEW
LOVED this video about one of my favorite historical characters. Yes, if I had the opportunity to travel back in time it would be to Philadelphia, where I would, pre-American revolution, have some long coffee house discussions with Ben. This one showed how a person born to a candle maker, who had aspirations past his station in life, made that happen. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN was one of the FIRST NETWORKERS! Since he did not have associations due to station, he created clubs, joined clubs, and by working hard and clever, became a wealthy man, able to retire the publishing/ news business by 42 so he could be a gentleman of leisure and up to what he'd been interested in all along - science and invention. Ben also surpassed his religious upbringing mightily. This video/DVD came out in 2002 and was produced by PBS. Don't we just thrill to the PBS intro music, braced for yet another wonderful educational time?
12/7/10
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN INSTITUTE and the ARMONICA
So the other day I was in a public library in another city when I noticed a table of Christmas CD's and one of them featured songs performed on the ARMONICA... Turns out that my favorite Benjamin Franklin invented this instrument... Marie Antoinette was one of those who learned to play it. There were once 5000 in existance and now? ! maybe two or three players in the whole world... Linking to the site that explains it all...
William Zeitler is dedicated to bringing this instrument back from the endangered musical instruments list... The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies was originally written for the ARMONICA!
William Zeitler is dedicated to bringing this instrument back from the endangered musical instruments list... The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies was originally written for the ARMONICA!
4/25/08
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN - READ HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY ON LINE HERE FOR FREE!
As you may remember (or want to check by using the search feature of this blog) I listed Ben Franklin as the historical character I most admire in the Vanity Fair like interview I gave myself in the January 2008 article on this blogspot.
The link to his autobiography on line is hidden under his name above! (Click Click!)
"A year after Benjamin Franklin's death, his autobiography, entitled "Memoires De La Vie Privee," was published in Paris in March of 1791. The first English translation, "The Private Life of the Late Benjamin Franklin, LL.D. Originally Written By Himself, And Now Translated From The French," was published in London in 1793."
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
The link to his autobiography on line is hidden under his name above! (Click Click!)
"A year after Benjamin Franklin's death, his autobiography, entitled "Memoires De La Vie Privee," was published in Paris in March of 1791. The first English translation, "The Private Life of the Late Benjamin Franklin, LL.D. Originally Written By Himself, And Now Translated From The French," was published in London in 1793."
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN quote
“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.”
-Benjamin Franklin
-Benjamin Franklin
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