THE HORNY HUMANITARIANBrazil’s Political Pornographer Is Loved by (Almost) EveryoneINTERVIEW BY VICE STAFF PORTRAIT BY LAURA WRONA ALL OTHER IMAGES COURTESY OF OSCAR MARONI TRANSLATED BY PETER AZEN
 Oscar Maroni is, fairly or not, often thought of as the Larry Flynt of Brazil. While it’s true that Maroni publishes the Brazilian editions of Hustler and Penthouse, he also owns cattle ranches, a mixed-martial-arts fighting league, hotels, and some of the biggest and most notorious nightclubs in South America. He also made a serious run for councilman about a year ago and claims to have stuck his penis in over 1,500 vaginas. We think all these things prove that he’s immeasurably more interesting than a pervy rolling sack of lumps and skin who’s way past his prime, and the Flynt comparison is just lazy journalism. So we hung out with him for a day in São Paulo to set a good example. Vice: You’re an entrepreneur, a pornographer, and an aspiring politician. That’s quite a mixed bag of interests. Have you always had these types of expectations for your life and career?
Oscar Maroni: I started working at the age of 14 or 15 years old. One of my first business activities was buying friends’ comic books at a discounted rate and selling them for a profit to people who were passing by a local bus stop. It was sort of a revelation to me—that I could make money this way. When I was about 18, my dad and I were walking to my grandfather’s house one night and we found two packages: one with loads of cheap cotton shirts and another with cotton panties. The next day, I put the boxes in a cart and went to the street market to sell them. I would run around the market saying stuff like, “Lady, get sexier for your husband and buy some panties. Husband, put on this shirt and get sexier for your lady.” I like to think that the first sex shop in Brazil was me selling those panties and t-shirts on the street. Did you have a formal education?
I studied psychology at the university at Grupo Objetivo. There I met Ms. Marisa, my ex-wife and the mother of my children. I knew that I was going to marry Marisa, but we needed money to survive and the psychology degree just wasn’t going to cut it. So I had the idea of starting a snack trailer, and that’s where my life of entrepreneurship really started. We began selling croquettes. I used to work in the morning and study in the afternoons while Marisa did the opposite. 
| A spoof on the movie poster for The People vs. Larry Flynt, featuring Maroni as the Pied Piper of Brazilian porno. |
How did you go from hawking meat fried in bread crumbs to charging people to look at magazines full of tits and asses?
I was running the food cart in 1974 around the same time the Joelma Building caught fire in São Paulo. I don’t know if you remember this, but it was a great tragedy where almost 200 people died. The owner of the trailer needed it back to store some things he had been keeping in the Joelma Building, so I had to give it up. I knew this little Japanese guy who always used to buy food from me. He was really shy but once told me he suffered from premature ejaculation and was semi-impotent. At the time, a friend of his told us that there were some sex professionals who, together with the therapists, helped their clients overcome problems with sexuality. So I took my little friend to “relax” at one of the massage parlors, and instantly he became more confident. I joked that I wanted to start a business like this, and when I returned to the parlor I talked with the manager about buying the place. Unexpectedly, he said, “Look, we want to sell it. Your idea is good because a lot of psychologists and psychiatrists look for us to treat their patients.” So I bought it. I took out an ad in the newspaper that said something like, “Home Massages: Where your fantasies become reality. An establishment frequented by men, women, and couples.” I had clients instantly. 
| While campaigning for councilman, Maroni would take to the streets with a microphone, a soapbox, and half-naked ladies. Their outfits displayed “70.111,” which was the number used to vote for him on the ballots. |
Do you adhere to any type of philosophy to guide your endeavors?
My philosophy is the following: I don’t believe in anything that doesn’t have a soul. And I don’t mean a religious soul—it’s more a way of life and thinking. If someone doesn’t have a soul, then they’re just a body. A being needs an objective and ideology. I think that everyone should do a revolution every day—a revolution to use a hat, take off a bra, fuck five women, to stay the whole day in bed fucking Yoko and eating chocolate like the Beatles. I think that people should be always trying to change things to get out of their routines. You must search for new things.
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| greeksalot, on Jun 5, 2009 wrote:
He reminds me of Fred Thompson. Speaking of which, if Fred Thompson ever allowed himself to be photographed semi naked chillin with his dog, piloting a toy chopper, he would so get the vice/hipster vote. | | |
| greeksalot, on Jun 5, 2009 wrote:
That dining room photo with the dog really needs to be converted into an oil painting and hung up in every home in Brazil, e.g. Saddam Hussein and Mao | | Anonymous, on May 29, 2009 wrote:
regardless of the nature of his business endeavors, it’s cool that brazil has another person to look to for inspiration. the barrios are full of kids who think the only way to provide is by joining up with the rifle-toting gangs, but here is a very successful entrepreneur embodying the opportunity to do more. | | Anonymous, on May 28, 2009 wrote:
@two down
also, if you look closely, where the spoof poster takes away the american actors’ names makes the girl look like she has a tanline. | | Anonymous, on May 27, 2009 wrote:
I wonder what some of his campaign promises were?! i bet they were great. | | Anonymous, on May 27, 2009 wrote:
the spoof on larry flynt photoshop job is funny. they literally kept the body, threw on some chest hair and slapped oscars head right on. | | Anonymous, on May 27, 2009 wrote:
Although many of us would argue the wrong behind being a public advocate and having this side-profession, a culture who is able to try to make an honest living in whatever the hell they want is interesting. Im not sure if its productive but interesting and liberating for sure. I would love to be a republican think-tank theorist slash dominatrix slash pop sensation. | | Anonymous, on May 27, 2009 wrote:
that dog has been places no dog should ever be. and he definitely still has his balls. | | Anonymous, on May 27, 2009 wrote:
dope mural in the dining room. lush. | |
| boggle_brains, on May 26, 2009 wrote:
Im really curious about his ex-wife. I wonder what their story was...im betting it was pretty dysfunctional though. I dont see him has the marrying type | | Anonymous, on May 26, 2009 wrote:
haha is campaign poster is a picture of him in his underwear playing with a toy helicopter. He is just a natural politician. | | Anonymous, on May 26, 2009 wrote:
I am assuming he did not get elected councilman? or did he? | | Anonymous, on May 26, 2009 wrote:
damnn I really like his pinstripe suit. he looks pretty fly | | Anonymous, on May 22, 2009 wrote:
aww. his dog is pretty cute. no wonder he’s obsessed with it | | Anonymous, on May 22, 2009 wrote:
hahaha love the larry flynt spoof. | | Anonymous, on May 22, 2009 wrote:
the picture of him as the ruler of the cosmos is pretty classic. | | Anonymous, on May 22, 2009 wrote:
such a dirty man. such a cute dog. | | Anonymous, on May 21, 2009 wrote:
http:www.yousayyouarefrombrooklyn.com | | Anonymous, on May 21, 2009 wrote:
what the hell kind of poll number is that??? do they expect people to remember that? | | Anonymous, on May 21, 2009 wrote:
oh i thought that dog was a fucking poodle from the videos | | Anonymous, on May 21, 2009 wrote:
oh for sure, i wouldn’t doubt that a bit of rub n tug will immediately change your perspective on things | | Anonymous, on May 21, 2009 wrote:
im sure he sees his campaign poster as keeping it real. but to others, they see a overgrown baby trying to use a psychological tactic trying to go to the "all the others are hypocrites, but look at me i’ve got all my cards on the table" | | Anonymous, on May 21, 2009 wrote:
political campaigns in the US are fucking boring. everybody else in the world is having fun with it, why can’t we? | |
| joey carrera, on May 21, 2009 wrote:
I think that people should be always trying to change things to get out of their routines.
this is one line coming out of his mouth that i agree with. | |
| special ed, on May 21, 2009 wrote:
this guy’s a natural born business man. when you’re a kid out in the streets peddling stuff from a cart, chances are you’re gonna be selling shit for the rest of your life. in his case, he’s not selling sex...and beef | |
| bird is the word, on May 21, 2009 wrote:
of course, if it’s an asian in brazil, it’s definitely gonna be a japanese person. | |
| zerotransfat, on May 21, 2009 wrote:
i wonder if all the brazilian fighters in UFC and Pride go through oscar’s showfight | | Anonymous, on May 21, 2009 wrote:
agreed. the grasp of reality part is essential when making money. sometimes one can lose themselves once money starts rolling in. | | Anonymous, on May 21, 2009 wrote:
this man has vision, and a terrific grasp of reality, and making money. and fucking over 1500 women, im surprised his dck hasnt fallen off, although he clearly can afford a replacement operation | | |
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