ES: Iceberg Slim could be violent, especially toward women. As somebody says in the movie, “His foot had no problem finding its way into a woman’s ass.”
IT: Yeah, but it’s a story about redemption. At the beginning of this movie, the way we did it, you hate Iceberg. He’s brutalizing women, he’s not a person that you want your kid to become. But then there’s a point where he changes. And he ends up humbling himself. He’s married, and he’s out trying to be an exterminator, trying to take care of his kids.
ES: But the movie still glamorizes something that’s pretty horrible. Even if you think prostitution is okay, and women should be able to sell their bodies if they want, it’s hard to justify pimps.
IT: I totally agree, yeah, yeah. That’s what this story is about — it’s about a guy who thought this was a cool thing, a method to get paid. But then he has that revelation. Pimpin’ is for young guys and suckers who don’t know. He comes out and tries to live a square life.
ES: So much has changed in our cultural morals. There have been big victories recently for gay marriage and marijuana. Do you think prostitution will ever get there?
IT: Will it ever become legal?
ES: Outside of Nevada anyway.
IT: I don’t think they’re going to legally allow prostitution. Because it’s a business that any woman can open and close any time, any hour, any corner, any market. Every woman is sitting on $20,000. It’s not something that needs legalization. Every woman is a prostitute.
ES: Um, okay. You may need to explain what you mean by that.
IT: Any time a woman goes out to dinner with a guy she doesn’t like, she’s doing a form of prostitution. Everyone knows a whore. You have a girlfriend who thinks she’s sexy and being like those chicks on Sex and the City, and she’s got something and this guy is going to pay for it. That’s whorin’.