The New Porn Shop

Did Kirsten Powers undergo some kind of metamorphosis, or had I in the past misjudged her as another stinking liberal. Anyway, read this thoughtful article by Powers.

“WHEN did the doll section turn into a porn shop?

I'd gone to FAO Schwarz with a friend and her three small children; while they shopped for stuffed animals, I wandered over to recapture some of the innocence of my childhood. What a mistake.

Just feet from the Etch-A-Sketches and paint-by-numbers were dolls dressed in garter belts, bustiers, fishnet stockings and high heels. "Ella" was in a teddy; "Justine" in an evening gown with her breasts overflowing. Cleavage and lingerie were the order of the day.

As small children filed by, I felt myself panicking, wanting to cover their eyes or steer them away, as if they were going to be exposed to something they weren't meant to see. Never mind that they were the target audience for these hyper-sexualized dolls. I was, after all, in a toy store.”

Read the rest.