Mantra Entertainment announced today that comedian, and “Man Show” co-host, Doug Stanhope will host the next “Girls Gone Wild (GGW) – Girls Gone Wild: America Uncovered with Doug Stanhope” – which is set for a Tuesday, April 6th, 2004 release. Stanhope is currently featured in the video and DVD’s brand new advertising campaign, which includes a broadcast blitz of the series’ infamous late night infomercials and commercials.
“Girls Gone Wild: America Uncovered” is a departure from all the previous “GGW” titles. This time the cameras are being turned over to someone other then “GGW” creator Joe Francis. In “America Uncovered” Doug Stanhope gladly takes the job, and all his triumphs and tragedies from Tucson, AZ to Athens, GA to Austin, TX and even to Anchorage, AL, are chronicled. The title’s infomercial, now being seen nationally, also chronicles Stanhope’s misadventures as he tries to get the hang of manning the “Girls Gone Wild” empire – much to the dismay of Francis. The mix of hot young women and Stanhope’s hilarious comedy is documented in the hilarious half-hour, which hit late-night airwaves yesterday.
The infomercial also includes music from Mantra Entertainment, ROAR and Jive Records’ “Girls Gone Wild” music compilation. Scheduled for release in early April, the CD will feature a mix of tracks by the hottest chart-topping artists, including Shaggy, Petey Pablo and Groove Armada. This unique marketing and distribution strategy taps into Mantra’s huge direct response marketing operation.
For the past seven years the “Girls Gone Wild” video and DVD series has captured real, adventurous young women going wild against settings such as Mardi Gras and Spring Break. Millions have purchased one of the 104 titles, and even more have seen one of the infomercials – making it a bona fide pop-culture phenomenon. In 2002, Mantra released its first celebrity hosted production – “Girls Gone Wild Doggystyle” with rap superstar Snoop Dogg.
“Taking control of this `Girls Gone Wild’ production was like being a gynecologist who could drink on the job,” said Doug Stanhope. “If the mammogram bus did as much business as the `Girls Gone Wild’ bus, breast cancer would be less common than leprosy.”
Doug Stanhope is vulgar, opinionated, brutally honest and shockingly uninhibited yet manages to remain truly, if not curiously, likeable. Before taking over as co-host of “The Man Show” on Comedy Central in 2003, his stand-up has been featured on several television shows. He also wrote, produced and starred in Fox’s “Invasion of the Hidden Cameras,” released three live CD’s, and appeared at numerous major comedy festivals. Last year he was named as one of the “Top Ten Comics To Watch” by both Variety and the Hollywood Reporter.
“After 7 years of shoots and travel I’m just plain exhausted. By turning over the cameras to Doug I get a break and he gets to chronicle the adventure of living out every man’s ultimate fantasy,” said “GGW” CEO Joe Francis. “There were some rough patches along the way, but I’m thrilled with the final result. It’s unlike any other `Girls Gone Wild’ title or infomercial we’ve ever done before.”