Sex, Violence, and Coffee

[rolanni]

So, one day last week, a waitress at the Grand View Topless Coffee Shoppe in Vassalboro, Maine, forgot to put her shirt on when she stepped outside. It was probably that day last week when it was over 90F, and if it was, I Totally Sympathize. Boy, that was a scorcher.

Happens, that when the waitress made this Serious, Morals-Threatening Mistake, somebody saw her and reported her for indecent exposure.

As you might expect, there's been a Whole Lot of Controversy around the Topless Coffee Shoppe. Vassalboro's been dancing as fast as it can to make sure that No More Similar Threats To Our Precious Children arrive in town, and I must say that the application for expanded use made by the coffee shop's owner (he wants to open in the evenings as a topless dance club) may have been ill-timed.

There are a bunch of upright, not to say uptight, folks in Vassalboro and in the neighboring towns, including Waterville which is run, may I just say, by Idiots, who have been putting a lot of energy into trying to prove that the Grand View is eroding the morals of the townfolk, especially the children, it being Right In Town and All.

For those who may be curious, here:

View Larger Map

is a shot of the Grand View Topless Coffee Shoppe. It's a Google map, so you can pull it around, shrink it, enlarge it and just get a really good feel for the neighborhood. (fe)Please note the proximity of an elementary school.(/fe)

And here is an opinion piece by J.P. Devine, explaining the Problem of the Waitress.

Honest to Ghu, what a week for Mrs. Grundy.

Comments

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

You may remember, in the Incident of the Skinny Dip Sandwich up at Moosehead, that the woman involved was acquitted of "indecent exposure" because of the precise wording of the state law involved . . .

[(Anonymous)]

If you're a topless waitress I can see how you'd forget that you weren't wearing a shirt. (aka when wearing a goofy mascot costume on a regular basis, you forget you're dressed in anything out-of-the-ordinary and when people gawk at the giant duck in their midst you keep thinking that you have something stuck in your teeth.)

~Lizah C Wiley~

I love it!

[n6vfp.livejournal.com]

Some people have such a hang up with the human anatomy. I loved the 'opinion piece' in the Morning Sentinel. Much to do about nothing. But there are always 'those people' with a 'divine' duty to protect us from our own human nature and the beauty of the human form. I wonder? Did Eve have a camisole? Wasn't she topless? I could go on but I will quit before I fall on the floor laughing at the image of the overzelous 'moral watchdog'.

[katmoonshaker.livejournal.com]

I always shake my head over folx who have a hang-up about the human body. I have since I was a small child... and I was raised Church of Christ. Of course, my particular congregation was rather... intellectual, which may have made a difference. And I am descended from a line of French intellectuals. Hmmmmm, given J.P. Devine's piece, maybe that does make a difference! ::grin::

I adored his opinion piece. Very well written and I can't think of anyone in my family who would not appreciate it.

[jelazakazone.livejournal.com]

Isn't that cafe rather large? People are weird. Actually, there is a new(ish) country song that says "People are crazy, beer is good". I don't like beer, for the record. I agree with the sentiment.

[sethb.livejournal.com]

There was a lawsuit about that sort of issue in New York some years ago. The judge ruled that if it's legal for men to go around topless, it's likewise legal for women to do so (however, he explicitly stated that the ruling didn't apply to commercial purposes).

Legal here to

[(Anonymous)]

The same is true of Ontario, Canada, but we are all pot smoking nude skiers up here....nudge nudge wink wink say no more,

But seriously it is the year 2009 isn't it, not the 1820's or something

[trolleypup.livejournal.com]

Some people go so far out of their way to get offended it is mind-boggling.

I'll spare you the busdriver story, but, yeah.

I think we would be a healthier country if it was acceptable to go about nude when conditions were comfortable.

*shakes head*

Tangential to the topic

[grassrose.livejournal.com]

I agree with the overall sentiment of everyone here Mrs Grundy likes tempest-flavored tea!), but social nudity would lead to the same problems as the next-to-nothing bikinis and thongs that all the cute young things like to wear... skin cancer. While the vitamin D appears to strengthen resistance to all kinds of cancer, the damage to the DNA in the skin is concrete and measurable.

The dilemma
http://www.skincancer.org/the-d-dilemma.html

Are there other benefits that make sun exposure worth the risk?
http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/SkinCancer/6236
http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/SkinCancer/7888

~ R
(who often takes things too seriously :o)

Re: Tangential to the topic

[trolleypup.livejournal.com]

True that.

But there are plenty of places where it would be comfortable and safe. I'm not saying that every should (or want to be) (partially) nude, just that it should be common enough that 1) everyone sees it from a young age as commonplace; 2) the actual real human form has a chance against the media's version; 3) people understand the difference between naked and nude.

Re: Tangential to the topic

[grassrose.livejournal.com]

More points with which I can happily agree... #2, in particular, would be nice. It's a shame when little girls think that the Barbie doll is the epitome of healthy feminine development - huge breasts, a waist that would require removal of a couple of ribs (especially when coupled with that chest), and feet pre-formed for high heels :-P

Of course, the media promotes another image too - one which a former professor of mine referred to as "12-year-old boy." He was describing the models who have to starve themselves to look "interesting" enough for advertising.

[baggette.livejournal.com]

It's kinda too bad that the offended citizen did not video tape the incident.......ya know, for evidentury purposes; certainly not for personal reasons, of course.

Poor J.P.! Wouldn't Steve go with him if asked?

Do they make good coffee? Patries?


hhhhmmmmm

[masgramondou.livejournal.com]

Boggle. Just as a point of minor correction regarding the JP Devine piece. I think it is fair to say that a topless lady walking down the street would attract notice in Paris but I doubt it would lead to calls for the waitress' place of work being asked to close or raise a screen.

Personally I figure that one of the ahh perks of living on the French Riviera is that the female form is generally on display in a more revealing manner than elsewhere on the beaches here. But said forms do drape themselves before they leave the beach ...

Coffee, tea or T***?

[bookmobiler.livejournal.com]

I think the complainers have way to much time on their hands.

Besides aren't you Mainers in the middle of black fly season?

I would think that would qualify for enough divine retribution for anybody!

[muehe.livejournal.com]

Is the coffee good?
I used to live in a city that had strip club that served lunch. I never could talk any of my friends into going (for lunch). I still wonder if the food was good.

Bad aim

[od-mind.livejournal.com]

Stamping out the occasional Topless Waitress Sighting in a town that has cable TV and internet access is somewhat akin to having a Diet Coke with your 4 lbs of tiramisu.