Why did Howard Simons use the name "Deep Throat" for the person who leaked info about Watergate. I know it's t

Question

I know it's the title of a porn film, but what does that have to do with what happened? "Deep Throat" has always been, in my book, a pretty explicitly sexual term. And I couldn't believe the media was repeating it over and over and over again. I know it's from a porn film, but why?? What does the film have to do with the-person-we-later-found-out-was-Mark-Felt leaking information about the Nixon team's Watergate Break-In???

I know it's the title of a porn film, but what does that have to do with what happened? "Deep Throat" has always been, in my book, a pretty explicitly sexual term. And I couldn't believe the media was repeating it over and over and over again. I know it's from a porn film, but why?? What does the film have to do with the-person-we-later-found-out was Mark Felt.. leaking information about the Nixon team's Watergate Break-In???

Answer 1

Since his name had to be kept secret, Woodward and Bernstein referred to him as "a deep source," (i.e. somebody deep within the administration), when talking to their editor. At that time the movie "Deep Throat" was being shown, believe it or not, in regular movie theaters all over the country, so it was a household phrase at the time. The the reporters and the editors started referring to the "deep source" as Deep Throat. It was just a colorful play on words in private at first, but it became public after the whole story broke.