CARNAL NATION

San Francisco is in many ways unique. It has a sex-positive culture that supports a tremendous diversity of expression. However, despite its liberal reputation, sometimes San Francisco has its own brand of conservatism. For a prime example, you need look no further than the editorial  and follow-up blog post in yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle by Phil Bronstein (the ex-Mr. Sharon Stone).

Bronstein’s rambling and disjointed editorial attacks the award-winning SF-based Good Vibrations sex store. Not for the usual reasons papers attack sex stores, the fallacy that they somehow corrupt the public. No, this attack, when you boil it down, is because the store is trying to balance being successful in business with its stated goals of being a “woman-focused retailer” offering “accurate sex information through our clean and comfortable stores” and promoting “healthy attitudes about sex."

Good Vibes has a long history in San Francisco. It was founded more than 30 years ago by Joani Blank; in 1990, Joani sold the business to its employees, and the business continued to grow through the 90s. By 2007 management had lost its way and despite changing from a co-op to a traditional corporate structure, Good Vibrations was struggling. Faced with competition from new online retailers like Adam & Eve and stores like Babeland (founded by disaffected ex-Good Vibrations employees), the company needed a white knight.

Rescue came in the form of Joel Kaminsky, whose long experience in the traditional sex shop business meant he knew exactly what he was getting into when he bought Good Vibrations. Any company takeover is painful; when the company is failing it’s especially so, because inevitably some people don’t weather the transition. In the case of Good Vibrations that included, among others, then-CEO Theresa Sparks who has just been appointed head of the SF Human Rights Commission.

Which brings us back to the Bronstein editorial. We’re not sure if Sparks was misquoted (we are talking about the SF Comical), or if it’s a case of sour grapes from an ex-employee. Either way, Bronstein takes the opportunity to trash the new owners, quoting Sparks as saying that the brand has been cheapened (whatever that means) and dragging up the “trench coat” (by which we assume he means flasher) stereotypes about sex shop customers.   Painting Sparks as a the leader of a socialist experiment in "redistributing the wealth," Bronstein does her no favors either.  Then, after a detour into a classic Chron factual error where he asserts that Rabbit vibes cost $200 (they are $35 to $90—did he fire all the fact-checkers?), he backtracks and admits:

“A recent visit to the Valencia Street store turned up pretty much the same merchandise that's always been there, along with young, diverse clerks knowledgeable in a wide variety of latex, plastic and gyrating goods, as helpful as five-star restaurant waiters.”

We find the timing of the whole thing a little suspicious. Good Vibrations has had new management for almost two years and if anything the service and selection has improved. So why run this now? It’s almost as if it has more to do with Theresa Sparks's new appointment than it does Good Vibrations. The editorial paints a distinctly unflattering image of both Good Vibrations and Sparks, trying to tie the former to strip clubs and flashers, and painting the latter as a bitter sore loser.

Bronstein’s view of Good Vibrations seems to be stuck in the past. We’re sure that some of the more radical San Francisco community members don’t approve of broadening the customer base, reaching out beyond the tattooed “Valencia Street Woman” stereotypes to include a more middle class, less edgy, “Walnut Creek Couple” demographic.

This is, in many ways a metaphor for the issues many sex-positive organizations face: how to be inclusive and supportive of the minority without building a wall that further separates from the majority. There has been a huge amount of progress in sex toy retailing, much of it led by Good Vibrations, as the market changes the company must change to match.

Insiders familiar with the situation told CarnalNation “Any change of ownership necessitates two cultures coming together and figuring out how to interact, and that's what happened at Good Vibrations,” adding “The way insiders have been counted on to continue to present the brand and the history speaks for itself.”

We spoke to Joel Kaminsky at length about his vision for Good Vibrations.  Speaking about the evolution of the business and expanding its customer base, he said “We don’t just speak to you, we speak to all. Good Vibrations has carried men’s toys for a long time, they have been carrying toys like penis pumps and cock rights from way before I got involved.  The store has always evolved around a safe quality atmosphere, there are always items that are going to be an exception to somebody but the important thing is it speaks to all.”

Interestingly Bronstein seems to have had his own second thoughts about the article, writing a blog post in which he tries to explain his editorial, comparing himself to Herb Caen in the process. We used to read Herb Caen, Phil Bronstein is no Herb Caen.

We know a lot of people at Good Vibrations. They sponsor our ToolBox toy reviews and we’re a media sponsor for the IXFF. As long-time customers, our experience is that the new ownership has re-energized the business; it’s full of dedicated staff who are passionate about what they do and who now have the financial and business backing to deliver on the promise of a clean, accessible place to buy sex toys.

Which leaves us wondering if Bronstein was really just trying to make Sparks look like a sore loser and socialist to boot as she takes up her new political role, and Good Vibrations was just collateral damage.

[As of this writing calls to Theresa Sparks have not been returned]