The Sugar House Siege: Day 1

[News-ish] The new Sugar House Blue Boutique has now been open for seven hours. The earth has yet to open and swallow the community into the depths of hell. We'll keep following this story as it develops. Courage. (Bill Frost)

Fair & Balanced Radio

[Smut/Meth News] A KSL radio news broadcaster, announcing that Blue Boutique will open any day now, referred to its windows as featuring "Santa's helpers dressed rather provactively," as an example of the kind of lewd smut the Boutique's neighbors will have to endure, turn away from etc. Whatever the merits of the arguments on either side of the pro and con fence, let's inject a little reality into our coverage. Rather provocative? What the hell does that mean? Is this a sly dig at plunging cleavage, long legs, or thrusting bosoms on the mannequins? If we're talking T&A, then let's do it. Where's the glorious Lenny Bruce when you need him?

I also caught the radio ad campaign designed to get folks off meth this morning on KSL Newsradio. "My mom's on meth" some sweet young girl intones, then her mother talks about the hell of her life and we cut back and forth between addict and abandoned child. Mother disappears for a year, mother returns presumably after rehab, court dates, urine analyses, then we finish with a twee piano twinkle. For anyone who has sat through a few days of, for example, Judge Andrew Valdez's juvenile court, the agonisingly harsh reality of meth addiction and what it does to families is almost too painful to bear. This ad campaign with its Christmasy-like sickliness will have as much effect on getting meth-head moms to straighten out as "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" will impact on traffic accident deaths. (Stephen Dark)

What Matters

[Opinion] Wow. This letter to the editor nails it. Peace on Earth y'all. (Holly Mullen)

Stop the Insanity!

[Smut Watch] OK. All this fuss about Blue Boutique ruining a Sugar House neighborhood by moving three whole blocks east-ward is really getting on my nerves. First of all, the boutique is just what its name suggests: a shop; a store; a place to purchase, among other things, lingerie, shoes, shoes, T-shirts, dresses, and yes, dildos. It is not a strip club or a whorehouse, and even if it was hosting exotic dancers or prostitutes the SOB wouldn't send its employees into "respectable" residents' nearby homes to violate them 10 different ways.

I'm not at all embarrased to admit I occasionally frequent Blue Boutique, and what I purchase there is my own goddamn business. I can't believe these Chicken Little pundits want to ruin a perfectly harmless operation while continuing to support surrounding big-boxes and bland chain-food restaurants. Seriously. If you're outraged about this witch hunt, tonight presents an opportunity to rage against the powers that be. Here is a call to action from one Boutique supporter:

"It is much easier to form an angry mob than one who is tolerant, so tonight we need your help! The rubber penis haters of SLC are gathering tonight to try and stop our beautiful new store from opening. Please come down tonight at 7 pm 3rd floor to the City & County building (the beautiful old building east of State and 400 South) and stand up for us! Don't let them shove us out of the Sugarhouse area where we have been for the last 20 years!

If you are sick of the self-righteous people in our beautiful state telling you how to run your life please come down tonight and let them know that you are an adult and can make your own decisions for yourself and your family!" (Jamie Gadette)

Stop the Rubber Penises!

[NIMBY] So, some Sugar House neighborhood residents are now up in arms about the imminent move of Blue Boutique from its 20-year-old location in the Sugar House business district to a spot at 2100 South and 1400 East.

They're saying they had no knowledge of the move, didn't hear or read about it until it became too late to prevent the lingerie/accessory/piercing/adult toy business from opening across from Sugarhouse Park and three blocks from Highland High School.

If only they had read this story in City Weekly. Staff writer Ted McDonough covered the bases a whole month ago in this "where are they now" story about mom and pop businesses displaced by Mr. Scrooge developer Craig Mecham. Mecham, you'll recall, is turning the old Granite Block at 1100 East and 2100 South into condos and ugly stores that lack character.

The angry hordes also could have checked, when they first saw the big building going up on that site last summer, with Salt Lake City government. It's all public information, people. Now you're just going to have to put up with rampant rubber penises, I guess. (Holly Mullen)