Sorry. Cheap reference. But I felt compelled …
It would appear that a feared spectre of wickedness has been shooed away from our newly-established city of Johns Creek. Barring an unlikely stay from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, Fulton County’s Finest will descend upon the Love Shack at the corner of Jones Bridge and States Bridge Roads at 3pm this afternoon. I have no doubt that they will be accompanied by camera-wielding members of the local media, because nothing says “hard hitting news” like footage of cops carrying boxes of vibrators.
So I’m of two minds about this situation. On the one hand, I’m hating how this decision is already being portrayed as some kind of victory of morality, as if the newly-crowned Mayor of Johns Creek himself has run a proverbial “Harold Hill” of sex shops out of town on a rail. On the other, I can do nothing but shake my head at how poorly this location was chosen. Setting up shop in JC was such a bad decision.
But thank you, AJC, for providing me with the best line I’ve read all morning. I’d quote it alone, but context is key here.
U.S District Judge Thomas Thrash rejected claims by John Cornetta, owner of the Love Shack, that the 10,000-square-foot adult-themed store complied with Fulton County’s rules and should be treated as a regular retail store.
“It appears clear to me that the plaintiff is operating an adult business and it is operating illegally,” Thrash said. He said Cornetta had failed to obtain proper permits and to meet zoning requirements from Fulton County.
But then Thrash warned Cornetta that if he stayed open with a “significant” amount of adult material, then Cornetta was in danger of being in contempt of court. Thrash refused to define what he meant by significant when asked by Cornetta’s attorney, Louis Sirkin of Cincinnati.
Thrash agreed to allow the Love Shack at Jones Bridge and State Bridge roads to remain open until 3 p.m. Thursday to give Cornetta time to appeal and seek a temporary stay from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Cornetta was putting in rush orders Wednesday night to dilute his adult inventory by adding lingerie, children’s movies, and sportswear and hats.
Hats. Sexy, sexy hats.
Look, sell what you want. Other shops in Atlanta sell all manner of adult curiosities and make all kinds of bank. Even in the face of mid-90s decency campaigns by former Fulton County commissioner Mitch Skandalakis, they bent ever so slightly to the will of law and therefore remain open. In addition to laughably labeling most of their inventory as “For Novelty Use Only” and ensuring the of-age status of their clientèle, these shops picked locations that were amenable to their business. That’s probably key.
Mr. Cornetta, on the other hand, decided to set up shop in the middle of unincorporated, outwardly-conservative, ultra-suburban Fulton County (now Johns Creek). Sharing the same corner with his latest Love Shack is a QuikTrip, a Kroger, a Petco, a Blockbuster Video, a McDonalds. And right across his own parking lot is a very popular dance studio, one that serves mostly little wanna-be ballerinas from the surrounding subdivisions.
Isn’t it just good business sense to “know your audience?” Was the prospect of 10,000 square feet of retail space just too much for him to ignore the ramifications of opening? Or maybe he’s been courting controversy all along?
24 responses to “Tin Roof, Busted.”
3:00? I’m so there.
This is all such bullshit. It all goes back to class, yet again. That fucking NIMBY chorus has gotten reeeeeally old as far as I’m concerned. Ah, I’ll have to reference this post when I write that big-ass screed about sex work, porn, and classism – you know, the one I’ll get around to eventually.
Fucking hypocrites. I’m sick of it.
As for “know your audience?” Seems like Cornetta was just being smart, except he missed one critical piece here – for all these puffed-up “morality” hypocrites, the dirty, secret feeling of it is part of what they get off on. They don’t have to go “slumming” (hello, classism) if the sex shop is right around the corner where the white middle class folks live! And where’s the fun in that??
Forget the hats…what the hell kind of children’s movies is he going to sell there?!
For some reason the old “Chester the Molester” cartoons from Hustler suddenly spring to mind.
Also, the very idea of diluting one’s porn inventory amuses me.
“More Disney! We need more Disney!”
Honestly, I bet the retail space was a lot cheaper than it would be in town – and the idiot probably thought he had a corner on the market since there was no other shop for miles around to serve John’s Creek’s porn needs….
What an asshat – the judge probably didn’t need to worry too badly as his dismal sales would have put him out of business shortly anyway. Surely Mom would go and shop for naughty novelties and smoke accessories while little Sally was learning how to pirouette over at the dance studio.
I have a new theory I came up with at the last podcast.
Create a city get a Love Shack!
I have visions of that sucker with a trunk load of porn just waiting for the next area to incorporate!
You know what the new city elders don’t get? Porn kings have lots of money. LOADS OF MONEY! And they love giving it to attorneys! In the immortal words of Bobby Zimmerman, when will they ever learn?
Actually, she very well might. That is my point – these people are self-righteous hypocrites. Actually, mom probably would wait til she could sneak to the store under the cover of night, while little Sally was spending the night at a friend’s house.
This is akin to the lottery mania a decade or so ago. People railed against it in my neck of the woods, till it was there. Then, that was a different story, and was perfectly legit.
If it stays open it will do well. Its just another step on the continum of our society. Adults shops are becoming more mainstream. The fight is in the zoning laws. If the county wrote unclear zoning laws then we are in for a long court battle with endless appeals.
Well, I’m pretty sure this guy wanted a fight. I don’t care what consenting adults do, or where they buy what they’re doing it with, but I think that his location was chosen not for business reasons, but just to be controversial. I mean, how many people have gone to his other location on Roswell Road just to see what he’s got? I’m sure quite a few. I just can’t imagine, knowing this community, why it would seem like a good idea to open up here. It has “legal battle” written all over it.
Well there’s the cheap rent for one. And there’s the knowledge that yes, in fact, folks in the suburbs do have a kinky side – they just might jump through a lot of hoops to hide it when they’re not behind closed doors.
I hear you on the cheap rent, but I still think that there is no way he came into that storefront with anything but the idea that this was going to be easy. I understand that people have a kinky side, and that some of them even live here, but that doesn’t really make up for the fact that he will be run out of this area. And I think re-negging on your lease is really expensive. And if he took out any loans to start this store, it is going to suck hardcore when he has to pay them all back (immediately if not sooner) because he will be in default very shortly – or if he doesn’t go into default, he will have taken out the loan, and paid the fees and interest for nothing. Starting a business — even another store in a brand you own yourself – is not cheap. I, for one, would not risk my money on the hope that the JC area would welcome the Love Shack.
yeah – I hate to say it – but I would totally buy any adult product over the internet in relative privacy rather than walk into a retail store – and we all know that the industry is headed that way… I just think that denying that the adult retail store is going the way of the dodo is being shortsighted. Okay – I’ll turn the business geek off now.
also – today’s headline.
Dude is a total scuzbag.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2006/12/21/1222metloveshack.html
Look, I’m no cheerleader for Cornetta as a person. I’ve read about his scuzziness before and he’s got no fan in me. And frankly I think stores like Love Shack and Inserection are lame lame lame. Why can’t we have more places like Babeland, the Smitten Kitten, and Good Vibrations? At least here in Atlanta we do have Aphrodite’s Toybox. Patronize them, they rock!
But back to the point! I just don’t understand why everybody loses their shit when it’s ZOMG! teh s3x!!1! It’s flat-out hypocrisy. And the really fucking funny part is captured by Griftdrift in his post “Porn Hunt 2006: The Irony Meter Breaks.” Ah, the power of photos.
Ack, where did my comment go? Moderated into oblivion w/ no warning??
I don’t think most of the folks commenting here are freaking out over the sexitude of the whole thing. At least, I hope not. It just looked to me (and still looks) like either a poor business decision brought on by cheap rent or a cheap publicity stunt flat-out.
I did some research this morning. I’ve been under the impression that of the two porn impressarios of Atlanta, Cornetta was the less successful. Turns out I’m wrong. Michael S. Morrison, owner of the Inserection chain, got in massive trouble in 2005 for tax evasion. He might have more stores, but messing with the IRS is an exponentially worse business decision than dancing with the FuCo zoning board.
I wasn’t talking specifically about people commenting here. I was talking in general. I think people here have more sense than that.
John Cornetta for Mayor of John’s Creek!!!
Wow I just happened to stumble across this website. It amazes me how many people claim to know me and that I am such a “skuzzz bag” and many other colorful choices. The truth is not one of you know me at all. For the record I would like to clear a few things up. I am not posting to get in to a back and forth banter, nor am I doing this to create an on-going dialog. If Mr. Strickland, who I assume owns this site wishes me to reply again I will do so, but only at his request, it should be easy to contact me as I have left my real email address while posting this. Somewhere in here I read “feel no shame for what you are” trust me I feel none at all. Mr. Strickland starts out by saying know your audience, again for the record, out of 10 metro area stores, ( I own a few under other names) this is already number 2 in gross receipts. I do know my audience I and will say here and now that once the legal wrangling is over and Johns Creek and Fulton County lose, and they will, this will not only be the number 1 grossing store in the metro area, but the number on in the United States. People I am not just saying this. I have lived and I own a home less then 2,000 feet from this building and I know the area very well.
Also for the record the rent is not cheap at this location. My lease is of public record. I lease approximately 10,000 square feet and it is at more then $20 per square foot plus CAM. I have a 20 year lease and plan on fulfilling the terms within it.
There is a current running blog on the AJC about it, please feel free to vent http://www.ajc.com/search/content/shared-blogs/ajc/northsidetalk/entries/2006/12/20/judge_sides_wit.html . There are pro and cons, however I for one have been forthcoming to all who have asked me anything and been truthful to all. I have not been lying as your elected officials have.
Someone else, I think Janice, calls me a sucker asshat etc etc. I say, give her idea a try. That is all I have asked for. Let the free market system work. If there are no customers, she is right, I will close. That is how it works. Then Janice and a Nikki go in to a rant about how they know this and how they know that. Trust me, I am not bragging, but I moved to Atlanta with $700.00 in my pocket, $50,000 in debt and a car that was repossessed the following month in 1990. Today I employ over 150 people, own 10 stores and publish three publications. Our company exceeds $10 Million annually. I know what I am doing I didn’t need any loans, have plenty of money to keep this store open, and will fund any fight or any picket against this location forever. I just want the facts out here people. I did not open this store looking for a fight. It has been almost 5 years since I opened my second store on Peachtree Parkway. That was the last most of you probably heard from or of me. I would rather be at peace. Fulton County code clearly states, ” if 25% or less of your “stock-in-trade” is of an adult nature, you do not need an adult use permit and may operate in any commercial zone. If more then 25% of your “stock-in-trade” is of an adult nature, then you need a special use permit and must be in an M class zone.”
This is the whole point. I applied and said exactly what I was going to do. I would have adult products and would be under the 25%. In fact I kept it at 18%. Fulton County denied my application and said basically, no your John Cornetta, your The Love Shack, were not giving you one. They are at fault, I followed every word written in everyone of their ordinances and yet still I had to sue them.
What’s next, Victoria Secrets has too many panties? I am not allowed to own a hand gun? I will be forced to testify against myself or my wife? I mean lets just close down this website? Lets go right down the list of amendments to the US Constitution and violate all of them. That is what this is about!
I leave you wanting you to know, that it does sadden me somewhat to know, that there are people who dislike me so much without knowing me. I am certainly not looking for any pat on the back either, but at least take the time to know the real me before making personal accusations. That is all I ask. Make all you want on the types of businesses as a whole, my company etc, I would ask to not make this a personal thing.
The Constitution is a precious thing to me. I have visited it in Washington many many times. You have a right people to picket and talk and say what you want to say. I embrace that right. I encourage that right. For or against me I encourage you on. At my store on 141 I feed and gave drinks to the picketers. I made friends of many of them and told them I supported their rights to protest. Most were shocked and amazed. They wanted a fight. I do not. I want what is promised to me and you under the US Constitution, The Bill of Rights! This country was not formed by men and women who ran from England and wanted freedom of religion. They wanted freedom FROM religion. All organized religion. All organizations that said we must do this or we must do that. No we must question government at every chance we get. We must not harm one another, but limitations on thought, on speech on ideas, on what one can watch or use or touch or hold or paint, that I will never stand for and will defend with my dyeing breath.
I leave you with one last thought from a man who to this day is the longest serving member of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Honorable U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas….
“Restriction on free thought and free speech
is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the
one un-American act that could most easily defeat us.â€
William O. Douglas, U.S. Supreme Court Justice 1939-1975
Regards,
John Cornetta
I find it incredibly ironic that the the people who read and comment here are just about the least likely group of people to want to restrict your free speech that you will ever run across in Johns Creek. Seriously. None of us actually cares that you have a Love Shack here. I think it’s funny you’re cutting your inventory with Disney movies, because frankly, it’s just plain old funny to me, but I don’t care that the place exists. If you make money at that location, great. Given the reaction of the many, many, well, reactionary people, who live here, I wouldn’t have done it myself, and my own speculation stands as to what would happen if you are unable to continue doing buiness there, but that’s all it is — personal speculation. Hell, at this point I’m actually a little sorry taht you’re so used to being attacked that you can’t tell bemused, yet neutral, bystanders, from the people trying to run you out of business.
I completely agree with Nikki. I could care less about what establishments you own in what locations (I myself live not very far from a multitude of adult stores). That’s the glory of our great country. I still support the idea that the free market will eventually kill that location. At this point, most likely by the negative publicity generated by the right wing conservatives (of which I am not). But to sell children’s movies, just to get around the technicality of the law – doesn’t seem like you “don’t have any shame for who you are” – it seems like you’d try to get around the law just to make a buck or two. That may not be the case – but that’s the way it might seem to the uneducated eye.
Yeah, that sucks, but I mean, can you really blame him? I doubt I’d be able to tell the difference anymore if I took half that amount of shit. People are so fuckd up about S-E-X, this is what ends up happening. If I were Cornetta I’d be defensive as all hell. I already am defensive as all hell on my blog sometimes, and I don’t even own a sex shop – I just like sex and am open about it. So just try to imagine what people actually in the industry have to put up with. I’m just sick and goddamn tired of people looking down their noses like they’re so self-righteous.
And, Janice – well, can you blame him for trying to make a buck or two? With everybody trying to push the store out, what would YOU do to stand up for what you believe?
well – I don’t take issue with him owning his business (I’m actually glad that he can do anything he pleases in our country) it’s just that the tone of his post really rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it was the mood I was in when I read it – but don’t preach to me about being proud of what you do, and having no shame about it and then try to get by on a technicality – that sort of seems a little hypocritical to me.