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Friday, February 2, 2007

San Francisco’s Other Sex Scandal

posted by on February 2 at 17:27 PM

Why can’t we have juicy sex scandals here in Seattle? Do we even have them in Seattle? Can anyone recall a single Seattle sex scandal?

San Francisco is currently having two sex scandals—two!—in a single news cycle! Not fair! The owners of a specialty porn website, Kink.com, recently purchased a historic building in San Francisco’s Mission District and panties are bunchin’.

Kink.com, which distributes its videos on X-rated Web sites with names such as Hogtied and Men in Pain, bought the old State Armory in the Mission District for $14.5 million, saying the vacant building’s dark Moorish architecture would make a perfect backdrop for fetish films.

”The basements in particular have a creepy, dungeony feel that is quite appropriate,” said Kink.com founder Peter Acworth…

Although city planners said the studio meets zoning requirements, residents and civic leaders have reservations about allowing people to be tied up, spanked and poked with mechanical implements in the working-class neighborhood.

Hilarious Detail #1: Gavin Newsom, as the mayor of San Francisco, is in the awkward position of having to express his “concern” about the morality of Kink.com at the same time that his affair with his campaign manager’s wife is making headlines all over the world. Take it away, Mr. Mayor…

”While not wanting to be prudish, the fact that kink.com will be located in the proximity to a number of schools gives us pause.”

The mayor is planning to hold hearings. Good luck with that, Gavin.

Hilarious Detail #2: The State Armory, “erected in 1912, empty since 1970 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978,” was sold to Kink.com “after low-income housing advocates killed proposals to develop the Armory into offices or apartments.” No apartments, just BDSM film shoots—good work, low income housing advocates!

Hilarious Detail #3: The Mission Merchants Association, according to its president, is worried that Kink.com is going to “attract perverts to the area.” Uh, yeah. Wouldn’t want to attract perverts to San Francisco. Heavens.

Kink.com, for the record, makes the best and most ethical straight BDSM porn out there, and they use only BDSM players and real people in their shoots. From their website…

BDSM is about respect and trust. When you watch a Kink.com movie, you are watching real BDSM-loving people play in this context. We at Kink.com pride ourselves in the authentic reproduction of fetish activities enjoyed by those in the BDSM lifestyle. Kink.com [hosts] Kink-community building events, BDSM educational seminars, fundraisers for sex-positive charities, and kink-outreach programs.

Some of there stuff is hardcore, but some BDSMers are hardcore—and why shouldn’t their porn be too? And I fully expect that any BDSM film company that can afford to drop 14.5 million on this…

SFArmory.jpg

…can afford to pay their models a decent amount of money too.

RSS icon Comments

1

And you know damn well the BDSM-ers will take care of that building like no one else ever has. I wouldn't say fetish folks are anal (not without smirking, anyway) but they sure don't make messes, or leave wanton destruction in their wake.

Posted by Boomer | February 2, 2007 5:43 PM
2

"The Mission Merchants Association, according to its president, is worried that Kink.com is going to “attract perverts to the area.”

Well, naturally. After all, that's why The Castro and The Haight exist.

Posted by COMTE | February 2, 2007 6:18 PM
3

>>Kink.com, for the record, makes the best and most ethical straight BDSM porn out there

I like those guys, I think I've subscribed to every single site they've got at one time or another, but dammit, we're better! ^-^

We're a small boutique rather than a giant mill, we try for a little more connection/intimacy/fun in our stuff...

-Russell from Two Big Meanies

Posted by Russell | February 2, 2007 6:50 PM
4

No slight intended, Russell! I like you guys too... perhaps I should have said "some of the best." Sorry about that.

Posted by Dan Savage | February 2, 2007 7:06 PM
5

If I were into BDSM porn, I would so check out your stuff Russell. Heck, I might even check it out even though I'm not into it. I really like boutiques, and you make your BDSM porn sound really cool.

Posted by Papayas | February 2, 2007 7:51 PM
6

No problem- if you judge on commercial success they are the best, and they really are way ahead of just about everybody else as far as ethics and sex-positivity.

I just wanted to plant a flag... it's tough being in competition with the 800-pound gorilla. ^-^

Posted by Russell | February 2, 2007 7:56 PM
7

quoting: "... allowing people to be tied up, spanked and poked with mechanical implements in the working-class neighborhood."
Wow! That sounds hot. Curious tho, is getting poked "in the working class neighborhood" easier than getting fucked in the ass? Sounds about the same...

Posted by biviator | February 2, 2007 8:30 PM
8

You know, I have a feeling that working class people in SFO have a shitload more to be concerned about than kink.com moving in, say, paying their rent.

Posted by Gitai | February 2, 2007 10:08 PM
9

There are working class people in San Francisco?

Posted by keshmeshi | February 2, 2007 11:39 PM
10

Oh come on, repressed people are far more dangerous than those that actually take care of their desires responsibly.

Posted by Noink | February 2, 2007 11:49 PM
11

Isn't obvious that the current and former mayors here never even get laid? Their policies reflect it. That in itself is a scandal.

Posted by demoncrat | February 3, 2007 9:00 AM
12

Another brilliant win for the renters' lobby. I wonder if John Fox consulted on this one?

Posted by wretch | February 3, 2007 9:22 AM
13

I suspect the low-income housing advocates passed because it would have cost a small fortune (that they don't have) to bring an old building like that up to code for residential living. Sometimes it's actually cheaper to build from the ground up, although certainly a new building wouldn't be as cool.

Posted by Bob Jones | February 3, 2007 9:56 AM
14

I'm trying to imagine just what a "sex-positive charity" is. Or a "kink-outreach program".

Is there, like, a Church of BDSM out there that I'm unaware of or something? Or a United Way-like organization for kinksters? A Goodwill-like warehouse of second hand fetish wear? I'm just curious.

Posted by SDA in SEA | February 3, 2007 10:31 AM
15

As my old daddy once said to me "Son, a stiff prick has no consceience!" Truer words were never spoken. Can't we all just get together and fuck and it not get in the fucking papers? I looked at that babe the Mayor was slipping the salami to and hell yeah I would fuck her too! He won't have any problem getting re-elected in San Francisco but he can forget about going any further.

Posted by Jerry Heath | February 3, 2007 11:28 AM
16

@15: it sounds better in Latin:

penis erectus non compos mentis.

Posted by switzerblog | February 3, 2007 11:32 AM
17

The other hilarious detail about this is that the Armory's neighborhood is among the worst in SF for drug dealing, violent crime, and overall filthiness. Attracting perverts would be an improvement.

Posted by mattymatt | February 3, 2007 4:06 PM
18

When I was on tour, our van got broken into right there! We were wondering why it was so easy to park. . .

Posted by Ari Spool | February 3, 2007 5:50 PM
19

I live on an alley street directly across from that building. I already ranted a ton when this deal went through and just don't have any more typing energy left, but will say this:

If I were to make a list of things in the neighborhood that are of an immediate detriment to our communities residents and school kids, Kink.com would score near the bottom. "Local advocates" and the Mission mearchants association are only frustrated that whatever they had in mind for the space isn't going to happen.

I could rant for hours on this... I'll just walk away from the keys for now...

Posted by Dougsf | February 4, 2007 4:54 PM
20

So, the reason that the housing advocates lost out is mostly what Bob Jones said: the building would have cost a fortune to bring up to code for housing. The NGOs didn't have deep enough pockets. Developers had the money, but but back during the boom, local anti-gentrification activists fought them every step of the way. And because nostalgic former Guardsment got the thing put on the National Register in the 70s, you can't tear it down.

And whoever was bitching about Perverts isn't paying attention. The place is down the street from The Power Exchange, a sleazy sex club whose clientelle spills out onto the sidewalk to smoke; it's also near Capp Street, one of the city's better-known spots to pick up street hookers.

Posted by Rick | February 5, 2007 6:09 PM
21

I love Kink.com! The Mission is lucky to have the business it will generate locally. The building's appearance will be cleaned up and improved. Let's embrace our diversity, make love not war.

Posted by Gina | February 6, 2007 10:28 AM
22

Awww, that building's exterior is fine how it is, doesn't need cleaning up... aside from the river of urine, but I'm sure that will be, er... displaced.

Beyond it's historic stature, this building is actually known to skateboarders the world over as a famous landmark (those granite steps out front), and is really one of the only places in the neighborhood where kids can skate in relative peace.

If anyone from Kink.com should stumple upon this, please, when you're up and running, make one of the other 3 doors your main entrance, and leave the Mission st. steps to the kids.

Posted by Dougsf | February 6, 2007 1:37 PM
23

I agree with Doug, the skateboarders are a cool little scene there on Mission. I live on Woodward across from the Armory and I think Kink.com is the perfect addition to the 'hood. The merchant's association doesn't speak for the neighborhood, only themselves. I assume Kink will be a nice low-key operation and a boon to some of the stores and restaurants in the area.

Posted by Smoothie | February 7, 2007 11:26 AM
24

I know the people at Kink.com, and can assure you they are the most decent, friendliest and ethical people you could ever meet. I have modeled for them for six years and have nothing but respect for them. They will make the neighborhood better, not worse.

Posted by Wild Bill | February 8, 2007 6:29 PM
25

OK this is too buried now for anyone to read this, but oh God, there's protestor's now. Who the hell are these people? Are these really my neighbors, or just the same people that do ALL of this kinda stuff? I could name a hundred better things to protest within walking distance... and heh, Kink.com is already washing the place and installing lights.

Posted by Dougsf | February 8, 2007 6:37 PM
26

I'm surprised that sf doesn't realize what a jewel they have in kink.com.
The corner at 14th and mission has been dark and scary for years.
It's a surprise to me that in this town,in this age, anyone is still equating an interest in pornography
with a lack of moral values.
I know it may be hard for some to see beyond their own interpretation of the imagery,
but if they read the language of kink.com's sites I am confident
that they too will feel the respect,care,and integrity truly contained within.

Posted by cyzuki | February 9, 2007 11:12 PM
27

I'm surprised that sf doesn't realize what a jewel they have in kink.com.
The corner at 14th and mission has been dark and scary for years.
It's a surprise to me that in this town,in this age, anyone is still equating an interest in pornography
with a lack of moral values.
I know it may be hard for some to see beyond their own interpretation of the imagery,
but if they read the language of kink.com's sites I am confident
that they too will feel the respect,care,and integrity truly contained within.

Posted by cyzuki | February 9, 2007 11:13 PM

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