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| American Pimp | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | The Hughes Brothers |
| Produced by | Albert Hughes Allen Hughes Kevin J. Messick |
| Cinematography | Albert Hughes |
| Edited by | Doug Pray |
| Distributed by | Seventh Art Releasing |
Release date |
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Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
American Pimp is a 1999documentary that examines thepimpsubculture in theUnited States. It was directed by theHughes Brothers, the filmmakers behindMenace II Society andDead Presidents.[1][2][3][4]
The documentary consists of first person interviews of people involved in the pimping lifestyle ("the game"). The interviews are separated by short clips from 1970sblaxploitation films such asWillie Dynamite,The Mack, andDolemite.
The first portion of the documentary focuses on pimps working illegally. The illegal pimps that are interviewed are from all over theUnited States, e.g., Charm fromHawaii,Fillmore Slim fromSan Francisco, and Payroll fromLas Vegas. These pimps, and many others, discuss their theories on the history of prostitution. The pimps go on to talk about their philosophy on pimping and how they live their daily lives.
The film also discusses the legal sector ofprostitution. The film also interviewedDennis Hof, the owner of theBunny Ranch inNevada. He feels that Nevada is much smarter than the other states because they have imposed the proper health and background checks on prostitution, instead of trying to suppress prostitution by making it illegal.
The majority of the documentary glorifies the pimping lifestyle. The pimps and prostitutes interviewed mainly discuss the perks of the lifestyle. They talk about the money they have made and the expensive suits and cars they were able to buy. However, near the end of the film, the interviews involve prostitutes who have died from the lifestyle as well as pimps who have retired and hold straight jobs or those who are now in jail.
In a 2009 HBO drama series calledGentlemen of Leisure,The Hughes brothers planned to revisit the themes ofAmerican Pimp. Gentlemen of Leisure[5] was to investigate the world of prostitution inOakland, California, with an emphasis on a 35-year-old notorious pimp and his attempts to leave the business.[6] However, before filming began, the show was slammed by then-Oakland MayorRon Dellums and other city leaders who were concerned about the show's impact on Oakland's image.
Dellums'Chief of Staff,David Chai, said, "It is the mayor's view that this project goes against our vision of Oakland as a 'model city' and does a disservice to residents and visitors alike", and "while the mayor understands that there are certain benefits to having a major film project in our city, he is not willing to support this project at this time. The people of Oakland have come too far to have our city's name trampled upon in the name of entertainment."[7]
