So this is a copy of an email I received in April (her writing - Tash, in black and my response in red. As I said yesterday, I wonder who is going to do more damage?
HI,
I am writing to ask in the most diplomatic way I can to
take down the very tacky and inappropriate advertising you have along Sandton
Drive. I don't see what value you are
adding to the community. Are you inspiring and lifting your community and the
country of South Africa.
Yes I am - our business is all about ensuring that
everyone - women and men understand their sexuality, respect it and explore it
within the confines of their individuality. NOTHING we do encourages
inappropriate sexual behaviour.
As a guest in your country, that is well known for its
aids/hiv problems, it seems easy to put the two together.
As a guest to my country you clearly have no idea of the
social issues concerning the HIV debate nor the multitude of causes. Here are
just a few:
Rape of a
virgin because it is thought to cure HIV
HIV is the
white man's way of controlling cultural sexual behaviour
Man is
entitled to have sex with numerous partners without protection
If a woman is
wet during sex it is because she is being unfaithful and so MANY women insert
bark into the vagina to dry it out
causing tearing and therefore increasing infection rates.
Myths that my business spends an inordinate amount of
time trying to dispel through proper sex education. My business encourages the
use of toys within the relationship of keeping it fresh and spiced up. We also
encourage the use of toys as opposed to sex with inappropriate partners purely
because they do not understand the difference between love and lust and I
challenge you to find that any of these encourage misappropriate sexual
behaviour. Many of these myths continue to be perpetuated because some with
sexual issues of their own, demand that sex (or anything related to sex) be
kept in the dark. It is only by shining the light on this subject that these
will be dispelled.
Of course there are problems. And I am sure your business and advertising
contribute greatly to this tragedy in this country.
You are misguided and if you like I will gladly take you
through our store and education programmes. I cannot see how a woman in a
purple dress, a man without his top on and a loving couple with the word
naughty can have any influence on the moral fibre of my community unless they
have serious sexual issues of their own.
Would you like your children participating in your
business? Is that why we have children
and raise them? Do you want your
children seeing those ads every day as they drive to sports activities? Would you like your daughter at Lola Montez,
doing the actual advertising?
My 3 sons, step daughter and step son have been in this
industry with me since the age of about 5, 6 and 7 respectively. They are now
in their late teens. They are very well adjusted. Understand their bodies and
have made incredibly educated decisions relating to their sexual behaviour and
in my step daughter's case the loss of her virginity. She has chosen to use a
vibrator rather than have sex with a boy when he pressurised her at the age of
13!
So yes I want EVERY child to know about my business and
make responsible, emotionally mature decisions about their sexuality and sexual
behaviour. You teach your child to poo in a toilet? That is a far dirtier
biological activity that sex which is the most natural and beautiful of all
biological functions. And to shame it into the dark makes your version of sex
far more harmful to a community than mine.
As a mother who is trying to teach children to add value
to the community they live in, trying to raise those who will bring positive
influences in their world, it is really discouraging to have to drive past your
signs every day.
We have a different interpretation as to what those
positive influences are - and I ask you to re read the paragraph above.
I am sure there are other places you can advertise that
would not be so destructive to people.
I am sure that your children will look for us on a porn channel
- but we are not that kind of store - we are open and upfront. We have no shame
and we do not and will not creep around in the shadows.
Please think about what you are promoting and how you
affect the community and the people. I
understand that greed and money come into play here, but at some point
integrity needs to replace greed. That
is the only way to rise above the problems that face this country.
I take offence to your suggesting that it is greed and
money at play. Money absolutely - I am a single mother who feed and educates 3
boys and this business pays for that. I have no greed and believe that what I
do is vital to changing the myths and secrecy surrounding sex. I believe that
when we shine the light the darkness disappears and then we know better.
I hope that now you know better - you will do better. I
for one will never allow your type to dictate what is or isn't appropriate.
I invite you to the store to see for yourself first-hand
what you clearly know nothing about.
Thank you