Deep Throat remains the most profitable and most controversial X-rated film ever made. It was the first porn film to be shown in mainstream cinema and, more importantly, attracted a mainstream audience. However,this new, liberal generation proved too much for the guardians of propriety, and the film found itself at the epicentre of a legal battle with the U.S. government over obscenity laws. The film was ultimately banned in over 23 states, and several people involved in the production found themselves facing criminal charges. Deep Throat was further afflicted when a few years after its release, the lead star, Linda Lovelace, publicly rejected the film, claiming she had been forced into making it. Despite, or because of all of this, the film's popularity continued to soar and it is said to have grossed over $600 million worldwide.

It is also interesting to note that the film is the origin of the nickname for the Washington Post's source during the Watergate scandal.