DennyP Travel Forums Resorts Hedonism II Article in Boston Globe magazine on Jon Gross & H2

Very interesting article! Mostly about Jon & the Fluffs, but there's a bunch of tidbits on Harry & H2 in general. A great read for us H2 hooligans....
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2016/01/24/jon-gross-hedonism-ii/print/

I have to say that this is one of the most interesting articles I have ever read on Hedo. Between learning about Jon and Harry's past lives and reading a reporters opinions of the Hedo life this is truly entertaining. My favorite line of the article is someone trying to describe Hedo and giving up saying "you just have to experience it yourself". I can't tell how many times the same frustration has happened with me in the normal world.

Agreed, this is a really good read, saw it posted on Reddit a week or so ago and really enjoyed reading it.

Rumor has it that Jon Gross is out at the end of the month as CEO.

True.

I'm guessing Harry was none to thrilled with this exposé.

I'd say !

Yup, just got the email re: Jon will officially resign from being CEO of Hedo on Feb 28. He and the Lovely spouse are separated but both will be at Hedo in mid-February in separate rooms. Jon will continue solely with his focus on the Fluffernutters, his travel group.

I thought the article was embarrassing for all mentioned. It also made me feel sad for him.

I got embarrassed that I go to Hedo...won't be mentioning that anymore...unlike the past.

I agree. After years of trying to individually reverse peoples ideas of what Hedo really is, this article has destroyed that.

I'm not sure what grounds Harry would have to be upset, he is quoted in the article so it seems he was interviewed by and cooperated with the author.

It's certainly not very complementary to Jon though, I felt dirty after reading it.

Wow. I'm surprised at the comments here. We've spent over 30 weeks at hedo at various times of the year, including a few times with Jon's group,and we found the article to be quite accurate in it's portrayal of both hedo and Jon. We actually thought that it was pretty good advertising for the resort.

Harry himself seemed to contribute freely to the article by being interviewed and answering some pretty open questions.

I doubt that Jon's title of CEO was removed because of this article. A CEO of a company that size needs a more hands-on person that is closer to the business on a daily basis. I wouldn't be surprised to see Kevin get the title.

I have no idea whether Harry knew the extent of the article's scope/angle. Harry is generally an open and honest talker about all that is Hedo. I understand he may intend to produce a book of Hedo sexual escapades in the future.

Reporters generally do not divulge that kind of information (angle/scope) if it's not to their benefit, nor are they required to. Harry would have no idea what the story ultimately would be unless the writer shared it with him for some reason--which isn't likely.

The writer seemed rather matter of fact until the editorial comment of using Jon's last name at the end as an adjective. That was biased....but to some folks perhaps appropriate and amusing and accurate.

I thought much of the story was accurate about Hedo; I do question some of the self-aggrandizement that Jon was the source for. I would think the writer would have done better research to confirm accuracy.

The portrayal of Hedo, by the article, portrayed it in a "Sodom and Gemmorah" light.

Not the day-to-day average.

I've been reading this board a couple of times a week for years. I was a Hedo regular for many years, probably 35 visits in all - going back to the NBV days and sharks teeth. Its been interesting to follow the evolution. Doug and Chris go way back too, so they've seen (more first hand than I) this same evolution and its interesting to read their comments. The article was interesting in getting to Harry's background (I would have never guessed) and the stuff about Jon, well, it kind of explains some of the evolution. As much as I loved Hedo in the day, I prefer to keep it there. Every now and then I get an itch to go back. This article scratched the itch.....

I have to agree with you on this. The article did not reflect 'my' Hedo.

Wow. I haven't posted here in a while.... nor have I been to Hedo in a while, but I just popped in and read this article. Yuck.

I was a Hedo regular for about 15 years, and like someone above me posted, I spent a lot of time explaining to people (like my parents and my employers) that Hedo was NOT like the rumors they had heard. I explained it a lot more like the way Chris explained it in her book(s). This article negates this. I hate to think what my Mom or any of my former bosses would have thought of me if this article had fallen into their hands.

Kinda makes me glad I don't have plans to go back to Hedo anytime soon.

btw: ignore the screen name. my former husband has been kicked to the curb.

What Hedo are you talking about? The Hedo with the Kinks on property? Perhaps the Hedo with a daisy chain photographed in the hot tub?. I think that some people have an illusion of what Hedo is. Nothing in the article exaggerated the scene at Hedo. Not every guest participates in the more exotic activities but the wilder activities have made Hedo a world wide brand. We have been visiting the resort since the Negril Beach Village days. What are these untrue rumors? I may have missed the virgin sacrifices and the nights when the dreaded singles had their way with any woman or man that they wanted.(Sarcasm intended) Many people do not advertise that they go to Hedo because of the very true nature of the resort. Many do, indeed, take photos of nearby resorts to show the "folks back home" as the place visited. But we do prefer a more low key atmosphere that is occasionally encountered. Younger people these days have wilder parties at an apartment on a week end than the most egregiously described activities at Hedo that I have read about.

I'm not saying that the things that are described in this article don't go on at Hedo, and I'm not saying that I haven't had a few wicked moments myself.... I'm just saying that the Hedo experience is different for everyone, and this article makes it sound like everyone is there for the 24/7 fuckfest, which isn't the case, and not what I'd want my friends, family and co-workers thinking I do.

Again, no biggie, but I didn't find the article to be a very accurate representation of my 20+ vacations there. YMMV.

One of the things that Hedo guests, in public forums, like to do is maintain a little anonymity.

I agree with Chris that a journalist has control of the final product and the intent of the article.

Since Jon opened a can of worms to get the interest of the reporter, then talking to Harry was inevitable.

It was sad to read Harry lost his affiliation with UNICEF, allegedly by his ownership of Hedo.

It was also odd that Jon's wife had HER name changed for the article.

The most disturbing thing I read in the article is that they hooked up with another couple and were complete a mere 40 minutes later.......

Interesting article, and it was in Boston Magazine, which is distinct from The Boston Globe (newspaper).

Amusing that the author mentioned the Bubbly Bares and the Wet, Wild and Wicked groups in the same context as the Fluffs.
I may be woefully naive, but I didn't have the impression that the WWW participants were anything close to lifestyle-centric as the incomparable Fluffs.
Denny would know...

You are correct.

This is Lovely Janet, soon to be Jon's ex wife. Yes, Jon changed my name to Susan which just happens to be my middle name. I am furious about the article because it is full of "inaccuracies". This is a local magazine for me and a tremendous embarrassment. It has impacted my life in ways no one could imagine. For those that know me, you understand. For those that don't, just know I am not the person "Susan" is shown to be. I am so sorry that many of you had to be subjected to this article. I will not apologize for him.
~Lovely Janet

Thank you, Janet, for your honesty and willingness to come forward. You have my sympathies on so many levels.

For such magazines as the Boston Magazine, the story's editor has responsibility for the final draft. Sometimes, in my experience, even the original writer does know of the changes the editor has made to their report until they read it after its publication.

Like other posters in this thread, there is nothing in that story that matches my experience of my nearly 60 visits to Hedo. Like so many other stories about Hedo written/editted by folks who had never been there, the story contents was intended to sell the publication thus generating revenue. Maybe it was "sweeps" week for Boston-based magazine so that the advertising rates would go up based on "that week's" sales.

I will enjoy seeing the resignation announcement of Jon as Hedo CEO on Feb 28.

Thank you, Janet, for your post; my heart is with you.

I think the thing that bothered me the most about the article was that Jon was showing the reporter pictures of guests. That is totally unprofessional and I am so glad we never associated with him while there.

I will of course reserve final judgement until I meet the guy, but so far what I have read on other boards "Professionalism" is not among Jon's strengths. We will see.

We have seen him at the resort a few times but never had a conversation with him, we have spoken with Harry a couple times but not Jon.

You may never get the opportunity now that Jon is no longer with Hedonism unless you book via his Fluff group.

Jon arrived on either Friday or Saturday night and was his usual boisterous self.

I didn't realize Jon was no longer a part of Hedo. How did that come about?

Also, since I have spent years trying to avoid large groups I am unlikely to meet him during a Fluffs event.

I don't know about john not a part of Hedo II. I'm not sure but isn't he the money person here. How did they get rid of him...

Harry is the money person, not Jon.

I'm not too sure Hedo needs that type of 'exposure' coming from one of it's owners because as many of us remember the whole John Issa deposition in which the resort was accused of being a den of sex and illegal activity that he denied repeatedly. Remember prior to the sale the 'sex police' had to crack down on PDA's because people had an eye on what was going on there? And many don't realize that smoking pot and homosexual relations were illegal at the time...and that was the least of what they were looking for. So to have one of the principals stand-up and say, "Screw the laws of the country, we do whatever we want!" is a bit damning...just in my opinion.

I am trying to remember reading anywhere the quote; "Screw the laws of the country, we do whatever we want!" Please point out where you read or heard this. Printing this,true or not, in a forum is not beneficial to anyone.

Please point out why figurative speech is so hard to comprehend and I'll gladly point out where it is written. True or not is in the essence of comprehension and it could be beneficial to everyone to step back and take a view of the story in it's entirety.

When one puts quotes around a statement as presented here, many might think that it is a quote from the article. Hedo does exist as we know it, at the leave, if you will, of the Jamaican authorities and, indeed, the Jamaican public. Perhaps this tolerance exists in a rather gray area. No need to tweak the nose of those that could impose restrictions by presenting this somewhat inflammatory "quote" here. I, personally, did not see the figurative message distinctively presented in the article. Maybe I missed the quote or insinuation-that is the reason that I asked. But I see no reason to exacerbate any possible harm done by debating this , I hope, rather insignificant point in this forum.The interview was presented in a more noticeable and larger forum.That is the reason that I was curious about the quote. The article, in my opinion, was merely salacious fuel for gossip and really much ado about nothing.

Very interesting article about how Harry became involved. I'd like to know more about the entire deal with SuperClubs.