In another thread, RfM poster "lucky" observes:
"One thing is for sure: Porno MORmON Bill Marriott . . . is the MORmON expert on porn, making more profit off of porn via the Marriott Hotel chain (by far) than the top porn actors, and the top porn studios."
("Re" 'What Would a Mormon Porn Site Look Like?,'" posted by "lucky," on "Recovery from Mormonism" discussion board, 6 August 2013, at:
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,982502,982693#msg-982693)
As an aside, this same source also knows the founder and former head of the "Circle K" convenience store chain, Karl Eller. The source got the following information directly from Eller and then gave me explicit permission to share it here: Before the advent of the Internet, the top "Circle K" outlet in its worldwide chain for the sale of "Playboy" and "Penthouse" was (drumroll, please) the "Circle K" store in South Provo, Utah (so, there's already an obvious consumer base for Marriott-provided hotel porn among Mormons themselves).
Mormons, Marriotts and Money-Making Porn: Let's look at the cast of players.
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--Marriott Porn Profits in Full Frontal View (So to Speak) of the Prophet
I have a well-placed, influential, active Mormon friend who is a very good source--and who recounted to me a conversation he said he had with an LDS attorney working for the Mormon Marriott Corporation. (This hired gun for the Marriotts, I was told by my friend, was also the first counselor in a stake presidency).
The Marriott attorney stated that 50 to 70% of Marriott hotel rooms on any given night around the world were providing in-room pornography to their customers who had paid to view it, courtesy of Marriott.
My friend said that this attorney insisted to him that Marriott's porn-providing decision was a necessary business move, made in order for Marriott hotels to effectively compete in the global marketplace. My friend said the attorney further argued that no other major hotel chain could effectively compete unless they also provided in-room porn to their paying customers.
My friend said that he responded to the Marriott attorney by telling the him that a major global hotel chain that remains competitive even though it does not provide in-room porn to its customers is Disney.
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--The Relationship Between Mo-Mitt and the Porn-Moneyed Mo-Marriotts
Less than a month after losing his bid for the U.S. presidency, Mo-Mitt Romney rejoined Marriott's international board, with his statement of returned announced on the official Marriott website:
“It is an honor to once again be able to serve in the company of leaders like Bill Marriott . . . and to support the work of the tens of thousands of Marriott associates who make Marriott International the renowned success that it is."
Mo-Mitt had previously, in two separate stints, served on Marriott's international board for a combined tenure of 11 years. According to his official campaign expense records, in 2010 he earned almost $114,000 as a Marriott board member.
Mo-Mitt's ties to the Marriott family began at birth. He was named after the chain's founder, J. Willard Marriott, who was a friend of Mo-Mitt's father, George. During his run for the presidency, Marriott hotels were MoMitt's preferred lodging. Marriott family members have been longtime supporters of, and donors to, MoMitt's political activities.
Heralding Mitt's return, the Marriott Corp's executive chairman, J.W. Marriott, Jr., declared:
“We will benefit from his tremendous energy and capability to guide long-term success in an increasingly complex business environment."
("Mitt Romney Rejoins Marriott International Board," 3 December 2012, at:
http://news.marriott.com/2012/12/mitt-romney-rejoins-marriott-international-board.html; and "Mitt Romney Planning to Return to the Board at Marriott," by Matt Viser, "Boston Globe," 4 December 2012, at:
http://www.boston.com/politicalintelligence/2012/12/03/mitt-romney-planning-return-the-board-marriott/44KVUcMTfLu3EnmBgPsSLK/story.html)
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--Marriott's "Complex Business Environment" of Providing Porn to Its Customers
So, Mo-Mitt rejoins a company that has a history of providing porn to its paying customers--backed in that endeavor by a hypocritical Mormon Church establishment that has failed to criticize the Marriott Corporation's practice--although the LDS Church itself has a history of strongly denouncing what it regards as the evils of porn.
The Marriott Corporation's business embrace of porn-peddling to its paying customers has not escaped the eye of Christian critics. A few years ago, a group of conservative Christians, concerned with what they regard as the Mormon Marriott family’s lack of moral decency in providing hard-core porn to its hotel room guests, asked the Marriott Corporation to stand down and remove the movies from their hotel room--or at least to make their porno material harder to view.
As the "Associated Press" reported:
“A coalition of Christian groups are asking the Marriott hotel chain to remove adult movies from their rooms or make it more difficult for guests to access them.
“The Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family is among the groups who made their case to Marriott International at a meeting in Washington, D.C., this week. . . . [T]he [hotel] company [has reportedly] promised to forward the groups' concerns to its franchise owners, who will respond in July.”
("'Focus on the Family' Asks Hotel Chain to Remove Porn Movies," by "Associated Press," in "Denver Post," 18 May 2008, at:
http://www.denverpost.com/commented/ci_9304244?source=commented-news)
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--High-Level Marriott Executive Privately Details the Marriott/Porn Connection
In the wake of the controversy, a highly-placed senior Marriott executive insider authored an e-mail examining what this executive privately admitted is the Marriott family’s rather strange views on, and application of, morality.
The text of the email was made available to me from a source wishing to remain anonymous who knows the executive personally.
Here is the Marriott insider’s view of the Marriott Corporation history of providing pornography in its hotel rooms (along with, ironically enough, copies of the Book of Mormon).
The email in question was penned in the context of the Marriott family’s seemingly conflicted moral stands on other issues, such as alcohol/caffeine consumption.
The long-time Marriott executive concluded that the Marriott family embrace of hotel room porn is based strictly on business considerations:
“You know this [providing of pornography] has been an issue with various interest groups with Marriott hotels since I can remember . . . . I know the idea is to make what some people consider unethical, morally reprehensible or plain unhealthy, more difficult to obtain so behavior will change. From pornography to smoking to guns.
“The Marriotts are an interesting family. [There was] an event at their home several years ago and they did not serve alcohol or caffeine. I think they are personally strong in their faith and beliefs but are business people nevertheless, and make business decisions. Do you know that there isn't a Marriott-owned hotel that has a casino in it? . . .
“Now if they ma[k]e [their guests] go to the front desk for [their] porn, I [will] not enjoy my business trips as much. :)”
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--I Know the Profit Numbers Are True: Why Marriott, Inc. Ended Up Dumping Its In-Room TV Porn Movies
As ”USA Today” reports:
“Marriott International, one of the nation's leading hotel groups, says it's pulling access to adult movies from new hotel rooms it will open in the next several years.
“Marriott says its decision coincides with a pending shift to new in-room entertainment technology for its new hotels. Traditional video systems, which included access to adult content displayed in the menu selection, will be replaced by Internet-based video-on-demand systems.
"But the decision also comes after years of discussing whether the availability of lucrative adult films in guest rooms is appropriate and whether safeguards exist to prevent children from seeing it.
“Hotels have seen revenue from providing pay-per-view movies in rooms shrink. Business travelers have been increasingly checking into hotels with their own entertainment, whether Netflix DVDs, iPod Touch, laptop or Slingbox.
"'Changing technology and how guests access entertainment has reduced the revenue hotels and their owners derive from in-room movies, including adult content,' Marriott says.
“According to Colliers PKF Hospitality Research, hotels now collect about 39% fewer dollars from all pay-per-view movie rentals than they did a decade ago. The average hotel collects about $175 per available room per year, down from $288 in 2000, says Robert Mandelbaum, the firm's research director. He estimates that industry-wide, movie-rental revenue in 2009 was roughly $380 million.
"'It's becoming a declining source of revenue,' he said of pay-per-view movies.
“As movies of all kinds become less of a moneymaker for hotels, more hotels may make similar decisions, says Joe McInerney, CEO of industry group American Hotel and Lodging Association.
"'It is a hotel's prerogative, as well as a business decision, regarding what services it provides to its guests, including those striving to enhance their family-friendly image,' he says.
“Omni, with 50 hotels, is the biggest chain that doesn't offer adult entertainment on TVs. Omni went porn-free in 1999, says spokeswoman Caryn Kboudi. 'The ownership decided that it was not a way that we wanted to make money,' she says.”
(“Marriott Says No to Adult Movies in New Hotels," by Barbara DeLollis," in “USA Today,” 21 January 2011, at:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/travel/2011-01-21-hotelporn21_ST_N.htm)
And now for the rest of the Marriott-Omni story . . .
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--Marriott vs. Omni: The Morality vs. the Money
Marriott's hotel-chain competitor, Omni, says its own decision to dump in-room porn services was driven not by profit motive but by family values, while noting Marriott's decision was centered on devotion to the Almighty dollar.
As the “USA Today” reporter who provided the above news report has subsequently revealed:
“Now that Marriott is starting to phase out porn in its new hotels, 'Hotel Check-In' checked in with Omni Hotels to see what being porn-free has meant to the Dallas-based luxury hotel chain.
“Omni's ownership, led by Texas billionaire Robert Rowling, in 1999 decided to eliminate all adult entertainment offerings from Omni's in-room TV systems back in the days when adult entertainment was still a bigger money-maker.
“It was a moral decision, said Omni spokesperson Caryn Kboudi. It had nothing to do with changing in-room-entertainment platforms or declining movie-rental sales related to an uptick in the number of travelers who carry their own entertainment-- the primary factors that drove Marriott's decision.”
(”Omni Hotels: Porn-Free TVs Helped Us Win New Customers,” by Barbara DeLollis, in “USA Today,” posted at “Hotel Check-In with Barbara DeLollis, 26 January 2011, at:
http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2011/01/marriott-omni-hotels-porn-free/140143/1)
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--Confessions of a Powerful Mormon Politician; Marriott Inc. Gets a Porn-Pass from Mormon Inc. Because of . . . Money (Ya Think?)
When it comes to the Mormon Marriott's selective application of family values, this is nothing new.
Back in the 1980s, I had a telling conversation with a promiment Utah Mormon politician who let slip in a rather bizarre phone call to me his "just-between-you-and-me" attitude toward the Marriott Hotels open promotion of pornography to their overnight guests in (of all places) Zion.
That politician was former Utah Attorney General David L. Wilkinson, son of the former, now-dead head of BYU, Ernest L. Wilkinson.
The younger Wilkinson, who I did not know and had never heard from before, telephoned me out of the blue one day to congratulate me on an editorial cartoon that I had done criticizing cable pornography (drawn back in my straight-laced, conservative Mormon days). The cartoon had been published in Salt Lake City's Mormon-owned newspaper, the "Deseret News," prompting Wilkinson's phone call of praise, support and political glad-handing.
During our conversation, Wilkinson went to great lengths to enthusiastically inform me of his plans for purging Utah of the scourge of cable TV porn. At the time, Wilkinson was running for election and concentrating lots of campaign time on his sacred vow to clean up the state's cable TV industry for, and in behalf of, Utah's families.
As Utah's Mormon-owned attorney general, Wilkinson eventually became embroiled in some highly-publicized anti-cable porn lawsuits (including "Community Television, Inc. of Utah v. Wilkinson" and "Home Box Office, Inc. v. Wilkinson").
With Wilkinson's support, the Utah State Legislature also passed the Cable Television Programming Decency Act. Such high-handed, moralistic efforts to dictate, regulate and formulate cable TV content against the wishes of adult consumers were eventually struck down by the federal courts for, among other reasons, being overly broad, as well as for unconstitutionallly targeting viewing audiences in homes and other environments in which there happened to be no children.
Oh well, as they say, facts can be inconvenient things.
During Wilkinson's unsolicited phone call to me, he also tried to elicit my support in his cable-cleansing efforts. Wilkinson's missionary zeal to baptize the airwaves for the remission of their transmission sins raised a question in my mind.
I wanted to know his position regarding the availability of printed pornography in Utah. So, I asked him what he planned to do in combating those "soft porn" magazines which the Mormon-owned Marriott Hotel chain made available to paying patrons in its gift shops.
Wilkinson's response was swift and blunt. He said he would not be going after the Marriotts for porn-pedaling "because they give so much money to the Church."
We all know, of course, what Church Brother Wilkinson was referring to. Apparently for Wilkinson, while wickedness never is happiness, porn-produced profits are.
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**Oh, and while this isn't pornography, the Marriotts (contrary to true-believing Mormon mythology) are deeply involved in the business of peddling casino gambling.
As a couple of RfM posters with first-hand observation and/or experience note:
" . . . [I]f you've ever stayed in the a Las Vegas Marriott, it's comical how they give the casino a separate name and give the appearance that is is not affiliated with the hotel by renting the space rather than taking gaming winnings. Even though the casino is connected to the hotel."
("Re: 'We Need Porn in Our Hotel Rooms in Order to Compete: New Information on Marriott Corp and Its History of Porn Peddling,'" posted by "Albinolamanite," on "Recovery from Mormonism" bulletin board, 14 December 2012, at:
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,733074,733137#msg-733137)
"I stayed at the Prague Marriot in 2007. The hotel room had a Book of Mormon, a refrigerator stocked with Budvar & Urquell [ . . . ,] porn in a few different languages and a full-blown casino one floor below the lobby (played there for 4 hours). More lies from good Mormons."
("Re: 'With MoMitt's Return to the Marriott Corp.'s History of Pornography vs. Morality . . .' (cussing)," posted by "StillANon," on "Recovery from Mormonism" discussion board," 4 December 2012, at:
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,723713,723725#msg-723725)
Plus, this little jackpot of information from Marriott's own website, openly touting its "Casino Hotels," located both at home and abroad:
"Set your sights on a winning meeting with Lady Luck and ensure you get a great payout of quality accommodations and service when you stay at a Marriott hotel during your casino resort vacation.
"You can play blackjack in Prague or test the slots at Louisiana Downs while staying just moments from your hotel. And you can relax after a night of gaming and entertainment by visiting our Las Vegas casino resort and spa. These are just a few of the many destinations we serve, and each provides the first-rate services you’ve come to trust from our hotels.
"Your casino vacation deserves the most comfortable, well-appointed accommodations. Our guest rooms and suites feature luxurious bedding and high-speed Internet access for researching other sights in the area. As well, you can enjoy a delicious meal at our on-site restaurants before a night of revelry. And state-of-the-art health and recreational facilities are perfect for a workout or relaxing swim.
"With locations near the best casinos around the globe, we provide the ideal casino resort vacation. From Aruba to India, our properties offer unmatched hospitality and dedication to customer satisfaction, ensuring your trip is memorable and enjoyable. For additional savings, explore our special deals and packages before booking your stay."
(see Marriott's stateside and international "Casino Hotels"/"Choose from 30 Hotels Across 9 Brands--That's Your Right When You Book Today on Marriott.com.," at:
http://www.marriott.com/hotel-search/casino.hotels/; see also, more Marriott casino hotels, as follows--"Louisiana Casino Hotel," at:
http://www.marriott.com/hotel-search/louisiana.hotels.united-states.casino/; "Nevada Casino Hotels," at;
http://www.marriott.com/hotel-search/nevada.hotels.united-states.casino/; and "South Dakota Casino Hotel," at:
http://www.marriott.com/hotel-search/south-dakota.hotels.united-states.casino/)
*****
Marriotts, Mormons, Movies, Money, and Morality: Obviously, a very convenient marriage mixed in Mormon heaven.
Damn That Hotel-Room Book of Mormon! Full Porn and Gambling Ahead!
(Just ask at the Marriott front desk, and thank you for your business).
Edited 30 time(s). Last edit at 08/06/2013 10:58PM by steve benson.