07 April, 2009

scapegoat to rock the boat, yeah, we need someone expendable

Cheetah has new colors of cabbits! Woo! (For anyone who doesn't connect Cheetah with furs--or Lost Furest furs--maybe this will help, her release for Hallows.)

(And, as has been pointed out, that video needs much better head shots. We know she's proud of their...assets...so to speak, but truly, can we see the rest of the avs up close?)

And this is...charmingly disturbing, is the best thing I can say about that.

Now, onto other news. I did a little personal reconnaissance this afternoon. Just as a cursory overview, here's what I found.

(Nota bene: Because there was some confusion over this point, when I say private estate, private sim or private land, I mean island, not mainland.):

The Dark Side Clubhouse in Odie is on the mainland. One is presented with a list of rules, and while there are nudes in the foyer, they are mostly artistic nudes. How'ver, it would be difficult at best to find the Clubhouse were people not actively searching out sexual terms.

The entire Clubhouse is--though not attractively so, I'll grant--entirely enclosed from public view on their parcel of land.

The Crack Den, an immersive dark RP community, now comprises five sims and can be found by first accessing Hathian. Rules are presented and they are a private estate. As far as I am given to understand, no private estates will need to move.

Necronom VI, by that extension is, yes, on a private estate named Desperation Andromeda. Rules are presented and they are, as previously stated, entirely enclosed anyway. The Doomed ship, by the same extension (both being space-themed dark roleplay areas, I can't remember if Doomed is above, below, or to one side of Necronom, but they're both on the same sim), is also on private estate land. Rules are also presented there, along with a general idea of what to expect, and Windlight settings to maximize your ship experience.

Beast Meadows, on a self-named private estate sim, is a Gangrel outpost in-world that is famed for bestiality, forced capture, rape and potentially vore, considering. (Note: I am not one of those who views anthropomorphic fur/human intimate activity as being "bestiality"; there are those who disagree with me. By that word, though, in this instance I mean four-legged "feral"-style animals attacking/raping/eating humans.) An introduction card is offered on entry, and a large section of the wall can be clicked for official rules.

The Bondage Retreat in Melodias is not entirely enclosed; on the other hand, they have high walls, a surprising amount of space, and there seems to be nothing else near them. Rules are presented upon entry, with owner names to contact in case of difficulty. They are on the mainland.

Slutville offers what they term "forced fantasy" in Hero; they are not entirely enclosed, but by the same extension, they are on private estate land. Rules are presented on entry, and there is nothing directly offensive at the port-in site.

Desade Lane Designs in Ahid does seem to specialize in equipment that causes the marks that don't leave--everything from branding to snuff devices, it's definitely not a place for the squeamish. However, it is in Ahid, a private estate, and there are warnings before entering their BDSM furniture floor. Everything beyond the courtyard is--though again, it does not need to be--enclosed from public view.

Interestingly, In For Life, next door to Desade Lane, is an immersive prison RP location that--also being in Ahid--is exempt from the need to relocate. A few steps forward automatically gives out their rule list, which is comprehensive. All but the main courtyard area is enclosed from public view.

The Angelcreep BDSM community (and Annex/e art gallery) in Deliquency is on a private estate. Though they have no direct need to do so, their display spaces are also entirely enclosed.

The "No Limits" Brothel in DeVine starts off with an open-air mall where everything from silks to unsettling devices (Desade Lane again) are sold; but the actual "brothel" itself is completely enclosed. To emphasize yet again, how'ver, they do not need to be, as they are on a private estate sim.

Shard's Sadistic Creations (I'm amused that the initials are SSC, I admit) is in Matriarch (just up the sidewalk from the Dictatorshop, another BDSM furnishings supplier (to date, the only provider on the grid of the white "kidnap van", complete with animations). The small shop (outside of an open door) is enclosed; Dictatorshop is enclosed, with full glass windows; how'ver, neither consideration matters, as they are on private estate land.

Dark Delights, in a self-named private sim, is pretty much one-stop shopping for the darker sections of the human (or fantasy creature, or tentacle demon) psyche. Their shop is now open-air, but mostly enclosed, and either way, it doesn't matter, it's a private sim. (Though the grounds surrounding Dark Delights are lovely to wander.)

Kidnapped! in Canfield is on the mainland, and, while the tinted windows can be seen through from outside, there's very little here that would be "unsafe" for people to view, per se--their specialty is kidnap gear, cloth gags, tape, bound limbs...nearly nothing that involves nudity, even, in their models. No notecard is given, but the wall panels are self-explanatory.

To that end, their store had a link to a "kidnap roleplay" sim called Deadend City--they're on a private sim called Honeysuckle Island, and are completely enclosed, and in a skybox to boot--though, again, noted just for the sake of it, they're on a private sim and would not have to move.

The Sanctum of Illyr? Private estate. Toxia? Private estate. Yggdrasil Castle? Private estate. Krull? Private estate. Nefarious Wonderment? Private estate.

Sensual Stoneworks, the home of virtually every inanimate/non-human object that can possibly be made capable of sex (think statues that entice, robots that actively engage, insects that force their fluttery attentions upon's one...*coughs*...helpless person), is on a private estate.

Legacies 1891 (that lists as "extreme dark Victorian roleplay") is on a private estate. SVU (hardcore animations) is on mainland but has a drop-down menu warning of content inside their entirely enclosed (save for the front door) store. JohnC (a Dolcett shop) is on private estate land. The Crypt of Despair? Private sim.

Hard Alley? Oddly enough is on mainland...but again, in a skybox, entirely enclosed from public view. In another skybox, entirely enclosed, is the Grunge & Puppy Paradise; but that's also on mainland.

To be absolutely fair, there's also one business who could be doing much better than they are now. OmniPotent Animations, for instance, who sell poseballs of a rather more violent nature than some would wish to partake in, or know about. They are situated in a terrifyingly translucent pink and purple building that is partially open for public view (and yes, on the mainland), with a porn film that starts up with the expected moaning (if one has media settings on auto-play, at least).

Now, do I think this is comprehensive? Of course not. There are vast numbers of sexually-themed businesses, parks, and entire sims, and some few "extreme" locations; note also, I didn't cover any weapons sims, because really, the only reason I know which end of a gun is the wrong one to be on is from being fired upon and trying to dodge.

But from this? I found so few mainland businesses--and of those, one business which was not concealed from external view!--that didn't already take reasonable precautions.

From this, I can only conclude that people are complaining in the main about businesses who do respect their surrounding neighbors' privacy, and their own; who do offer their services with rules and warnings; who do what they can to ensure that no one under eighteen engages those services, even supposing an eighteen-and-over grid. They are complaining about businesses they have gone into, and then been "offended" by; businesses they have sought out in search, businesses they patronize, by and large.

Talk about a double standard.

Again, inescapably, the question must arise: what's really motivating the adults-only continent?

1 comment:

Rhianon Jameson said...

Although I'm as baffled as you regarding what is really motivating this, and you noted your list was far from comprehensive, I recall some more overt adult locations from back when I was on the mainland more. Something called "Kitten's Lesbian Sex Club," if memory serves, is fairly brazenly out in the open (with a shop renting hetero porn movies across the street, in case you're not fully committed to the "lesbian" part of the club). I could imagine not wanting land nearby.

But that raises two more questions: first, shouldn't the only people offended be those who already had mainland, and then some newcomer erects a sex club? Otherwise it's like people who buy a house next to the airport then start complaining about all that jet engine noise. Second, unlike having an actual sex club next to your RL house, where the traffic in the street becomes hazardous, the noise keeps you up at night, and the litter on your yard keeps accumulating, the only externality here is that a build is (a) ugly and/or (b) creates lag. But neither (a) nor (b) is confined to adult activities. Lots of ugly, laggy places on the grid.

In the end, I'm with you: I don't know what problem is being addressed.

hide away, they say, 'cos we don't want your broken parts

Yeah, so...remember that thing I was recovering from? You know, last year ? Yeah. I did it again. So this is Em Faw Down Go Boom part ...