Joe Francis's Kevo

Joseph R. (Joe) Francis (born April 1, 1973) [1] is the founder of Mantra Films, Inc.,² which produces the Girls Gone Wild and Guys Gone Wild DVD series. Francis, who grew up in Laguna Beach, California,³ graduated from the University of Southern California in 1995 with a degree in Business Administration.⁴ He founded Mantra at the age of 24. He has appeared on Howard Stern's radio show, and as a guest on The Man Show and other television programs. He has been in conflict with the law on frequent occasions with charges including rape and sexual assault.

Francis has been criticized by social commentators and third wave feminists such as Ariel Levy for perpetuating "the new double standard" which equates the objectification of women with sexual liberation.⁵ Francis built his empire upon the premise that he could capture, on video, college age women "going wild," including baring their breasts for the cameras at spring breaks and other locales. As a result, Mantra recorded sales in excess of $100 million per year.⁶[7]

In the world of pop culture, Francis' Girls Gone Wild was recently cited as an example of "sexualization," number 23 on USA Today's list of the "25 Trends that Changed America"