Juliet Is, Bard To The Bone

In the 1980s a TV programme called “Drop The Dead Donkey” parodied the journalistic hyperbole surrounding Fleet Street. The title refers to one tabloid newspaper’s “rescue” of a donkey from Spain. I can’t remember the fate they rescued it from but do remember there was some debates as to exactly what they did do with the donkey once its usefulness as a vehicle for generating good press and righteous indignation from the British public had fizzled out.

The truth is always an elusive creature and never more so when a story involves sex and is reported by a tabloid.

Take this story over on A-Rouse.com, about the new sex shop about to open in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

It’s difficult enough to get a licence for a sex shop in the middle of nowhere, and virtually impossible in a town centre. Although some councils are run by idiots who seem to be in denial about the fact that much of the population enjoy sex, use sex toys and enjoy a bit of saucy lingerie on their partner, most apply vaguely sensible zoning rules and only allow sex shops away from places where they might upset some people.

So, when Katie Gilbert the proprietor of “Adam and Eve”, a sex shop in Evesham announced she was opening a “Boutique” called “Romeo and Juliet” in Stratford town centre eyebrows were raised.

Fair enough the town of Stratford has a public image to maintain and an in-your-face sex shop probably wouldn’t have been a good idea. However, according to the Stratford-Upon-Avon Herald “the new shop … will specialise mainly in “tasteful lingerie”. It will also stock “fun dressing-up” items, as well as a selection of sexual health products and some “adult toys”.

Ok, so long as the front window isn’t too explicit I can’t see the problem.

Hang on though, “The Sun” reports that the shop will be selling “saucy toys and porn DVDs”.

Hmmm?

Not much has changed in the last 30 years has it. Why let the truth get in the way of a good story.