Screw (magazine)

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Screw is a US pornographic magazine and online publication aimed at heterosexual men. It began in 1968 as a weekly underground tabloid in New York, founded by Al Goldstein and Jim Buckley. The magazine was known for its raunchy, blunt style and even political commentary, and it helped bring hardcore pornography into the American mainstream. At its peak, Screw sold about 140,000 copies a week.

The publication often pushed boundaries. In 1973 it published nude photos of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, which caused a major scandal. Screw also played a role in LGBT reporting through its sister tabloid Gay, started in 1969 by Buckley. The magazine featured work by notable cartoonists and artists, and a number of cultural and legal moments connected to its outspoken stance.

Screw published controversial material and frequently challenged obscenity laws. It was involved in landmark legal cases, including a 1978 fair-use ruling (Pillsbury Co. v. Milky Way Productions) that protected parody imagery in sexually explicit material. The magazine also faced lawsuits, such as a claim from Alabama governor George Wallace.

Over the years, Screw expanded briefly with Screw West (1979–1980) and published dozens of issues, attracting contributions from famous writers and artists. It also spawned a long-running public-access TV show, Midnight Blue. Despite its influence, the print edition went through financial difficulties and folded in 2003, with only a few hundred copies of the final issue sold. The parent company later went bankrupt in 2004.

In 2004, former employees revived Screw under Kevin Hein, with Mike Edison as editor. Edison left in 2006, and the print edition faded out around 2007. Founder Al Goldstein died in 2013.

Screw later returned as a digital venture. In 2019, it launched SCREW TV, a subscription-based channel on Roku. In 2020, Screw began publishing again in a digital-only format, led by Phil Autelitano and Autelitano Media Group of Miami. Today Screw continues to publish reviews of adult films and other adult-entertainment content online.