After their NEA grants were cancelled due to the offending nature of their material, then reinstated after a somewhat tortuous and hand-wringing political process that would eventually contribute to NEA Chairman John Frohnmayer losing his job, artists Holly Hughes, Karen Finley, John Fleck, and Tim Miller were offered compensatory grants that represented increases over the original amounts offered.

When previously denied his grant, Fleck appeared on the "Oprah Winfrey Show," where he said he "was made to feel like a disgusting pervert leeching on the taxpayers' money. After that, I flew home in a fetal position."

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