Porn site’s charity donations too hot to handle
PORN site Pornhub is flush with funds and just wants to do the right thing, but it can’t find anyone willing to take its money.
PORNHUB is getting its halo on, but most charities see devil horns.
The eight-year-old pornographic website, which on Thursday will ironically unveil its first-ever apparel line, has oodles of money to give away to charity — but is having trouble finding takers to accept its largesse.
“It’s an obstacle for us,” said spokesman Mike Williams. “The more prestigious charities won’t take our money.”
A couple of years ago, for example, Susan G. Komen turned down a $106,000 donation that Pornhub raised for breast cancer research.
Instead, three smaller nonprofits — including Eileen Stein Jacoby Fund and Cancer Sucks! — accepted cheques for $35,000 each.
The adult entertainment site, which attracts 60 million visitors a day, launched a “Pornhub Cares” initiative in which it’s giving away money to organisations championing testicular cancer awareness and Arbor Day. It also just announced a $35,000 Pornhub college scholarship. The applicants must write essays and have good high school marks to qualify.
An Arbor Day group accepted a donation but did not want Pornhub to identify it publicly.
That hasn’t stopped Pornhub from shelling out big bucks.
“This is one way we have expanded our brand,” Williams said.
The new apparel line is also meant to give the brand more mainstream legitimacy. Pornhub, in fact, launched NYC Capsule Collection during New York Fashion Week, though it’s not officially part of the event.
“We assumed NYFW wouldn’t align with us, because it’s happened before,” Williams said, referring to Pornhub’s aspirations to run a television ad during the Super Bowl. “CBS turned us down.”
On Thursday, the company is opening a pop-up shop on the Lower East Side in hot dog eatery Crif Dogs.
For five hours, wieners will take a back seat to T-shirts, hoodies, hats and other apparel designed by notable New York City graffiti artists, including Kalen Hollomon and Baron Von Fancy.
The online store launched on Wednesday at pornhubapparel.com.