ghost of miles Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 Now that I've gotten your attention... nope, that's the actual story! Man, don't the narcs have, um, more pressing matters to attend to? Texas housewife busted for hawking erotic toys Sales rep for Brisbane firm sold vibrator to undercover agents Steve Rubenstein, Chronicle Staff Writer Tuesday, December 16, 2003 A Texas housewife is in big trouble with the law for selling a vibrator to a pair of undercover cops, and the Brisbane vibrator company she works for says Texas is an "antiquated place'' with more than its share of "prudes.'' Joanne Webb, a former fifth-grade teacher and mother of three, was in a county court in Cleburne, Texas, on Monday to answer obscenity charges for selling the vibrator to undercover narcotics officers posing as a dysfunctional married couple in search of a sex aid. Webb, a saleswoman for Passion Parties of Brisbane, faces a year in jail and a $4,000 fine if convicted. "What I did was not obscene,'' Webb said. ""What's obscene is that the government is taking action about what we do in our bedrooms.'' The arrest of Webb in Cleburne, a small town 50 miles southwest of Dallas, was the first time that any of the company's 3,000 sales consultants have been busted, said Pat Davis, the president of Passion Parties. She said the company was outraged by the charges and stood behind Webb. "It makes you wonder what they're thinking out there in Texas,'' Davis said. "They sound like prudes, with antiquated laws. They must have all their street crime under control in Texas if they're going to spend tax money arresting us.'' For the past year, Webb has sold the company's line of vibrators, gels, lubricants, strawberry-flavored nipple cream and "edible passion puddings.'' The merchandise is offered for sale in private, Tupperware-style parties to women who may be reluctant to visit an adult novelty store. Among the company's top items are a $12 jar of passion pudding in chocolate and strawberry flavors ("apply head to toe, wherever you want your lover to linger"), a $9 jar of nipple cream in strawberry, raspberry and watermelon flavors, and battery-powered vibrators that sell for $17 to $140. The company also offers such lubricants as Slippery Stuff ($13), Lickety Lube ($12) and Lucky Stiff ($11.50), and a $22 battery-powered item for men known as Jelly Julie ("with soft jelly silicone lips"). "Our products are not obscene,'' Davis said. "All we're trying to do is help people build loving relationships.'' Webb suspects she got in trouble because she ruffled feathers in town by daring to join the Chamber of Commerce with her sex toy business. She said her arrest had caused her husband of 20 years to suffer a nervous breakdown. Webb said she was amazed that the town's narcotics squad would be put on the case. "We have a real problem with drugs in our schools,'' she said, "and they're using our narcotics officers to entrap me for selling a vibrator.'' Quote
connoisseur series500 Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 (edited) Pretty stupid. Outrageous that our tax dollars fund this type of "effort." The ironic thing for me here is that I also believe the police force shouldn't waste their time on drug interdicting either. Man, I wish they would legalize some of this stuff. Edited December 16, 2003 by connoisseur series500 Quote
Claude Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 How wide can "obscenity" be defined? Is the Californian porn business in danger? Quote
Christiern Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 Laura B looks like she could use some of that stuff! Quote
jazzypaul Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 How wide can "obscenity" be defined? Is the Californian porn business in danger? yep. There was a huge article in Details about it this month. Cool thing is, the dude that Ashcroft is trying to nail is one of the biggest players in the fetish field, and this cat is worth some serious coin, so he's happy to be fighting back. Man, Canada really does look more enticing every day these days... Quote
AfricaBrass Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 Laura B looks like she could use some of that stuff! Maybe she's already a customer... Mrs. B often has a funny little smile on her face... Quote
AfricaBrass Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 On the subject, I'm starting to think that the Iraqis have more rights than we do. Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 This is crazy!! Aren't vibrators a guaranteed right in the constitution?? Maybe not in the original text, but I could have sworn I read that somewhere - maybe one of the lesser-known amendments?? All kidding aside, is this the best thing law enforcement has to do in Texas?? This, and prosecuting homosexuals for trying to get their groove on. I hope they take this 'vibrator' case all the way to the Supreme Court if they have to. Quote
Big Al Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 Don't forget, my friends: this place is the buckle of the Bible-belt. All you need to know from this story can be found in this paragraph: Webb suspects she got in trouble because she ruffled feathers in town by daring to join the Chamber of Commerce with her sex toy business. She said her arrest had caused her husband of 20 years to suffer a nervous breakdown. Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 Busted for selling something as innocent as a vibrator. What is this country coming to?? Quote
Chrome Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 This is crazy!! Aren't vibrators a guaranteed right in the constitution?? Maybe not in the original text, but I could have sworn I read that somewhere - maybe one of the lesser-known amendments?? Yes, I think it was the 69th amendment ... The thing that gets me is that the people behind this kind of idiocy always turn out to have more than their share of sexual kinks, a la J. Edgar Hoover. The hypocrisy is pretty amazing. Quote
Philip Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 I recall that only one witness recalled seeinng J Edgar in womens' clothes at a party, and she had been convicted of perjury. Has their been developmentss on the Hoover as transvestite front? Quote
patricia Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 In Texas, if we are to be guided by this arrest, people never engage in anything but the marital missionary position, for the sole purpose of conceiving offspring. It is against the law to see sex as an enjoyable experience and if it should accidentaly be fun, they say nothing, preserving the seriousness of the undertaking. I can't believe it. Quote
AfricaBrass Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 I just wonder if the person(s) who pursued and/or issued the warrant for this woman ever go to strip clubs, or cheat on their wives? I wonder if they're lives are pure and chaste? It must be nice to live such a perfect life and be such a perfect example for the rest of us. Quote
maren Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 This is crazy!! Aren't vibrators a guaranteed right in the constitution?? Maybe not in the original text, but I could have sworn I read that somewhere - maybe one of the lesser-known amendments?? Yes, I think it was the 69th amendment ... Quote
maren Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 Seriously, this is pathetic. Like busting Margaret Sanger for peddling diaphragms a hundred years ago. Quote
Christiern Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 Was she possibly selling bad vibes? Quote
Uncle Skid Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 Was she possibly selling bad vibes? I doubt it -- I heard she was known as a "Wizard of the Vibes"! Quote
catesta Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 (edited) Yes, I think it was the 69th amendment ... That's funny. On the serious side, this woman getting arrested seems to be more than ridiculous. Edited December 16, 2003 by catesta Quote
RDK Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 How wide can "obscenity" be defined? Is the Californian porn business in danger? Don't worry, Claude, the porn biz is fine out here. Seriously, it's much too big a business to shut down. As someone above mentioned, I wouldn't worry too much about this bust being a trend. In the Bible belt maybe, but such stuff isn't all that offensive among the general populace. Quote
Tjazz Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 Laura B looks like she could use some of that stuff! Isn't Hillary the one who's not getting any action? Quote
Free For All Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 So I guess you can't get a phallus in Dallas? Quote
Free For All Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 ........with forethought of malice.......... Quote
Free For All Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 ......that just seems so callous!! Quote
BERIGAN Posted December 16, 2003 Report Posted December 16, 2003 Laura B looks like she could use some of that stuff! You are one classy person.... Quote
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