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VIEWPOINT: It's nice to see us work out issues on our own |
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By Yvonne D. Hawkins
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Tuesday, 10 April 2007 |
The business made the right call.
Talking about the recently canceled “Girls Gone Wild” event, a manager with the Lava Lounge Bar & Grill said it was the right decision to make.
And it also was a decision that came quickly without undue involvement from city officials, although some raised concerns.
The west-side bar originally planned to host a filming of the raunchy “Girls Gone Wild” video series, but community reaction caused a change of mind.
It’s been interesting listening to people’s opinions – first, about the film crew’s planned arrival, and then about the local rebuff.
Given the films’ nature, I was a bit surprised to hear that the lounge was interested in being a host for a taping – right here in South Dakota’s version of Mayberry.
And it seems like I was part of a crowd.
As many locals aired their views, familiar arguments began to surface.
Some said that the videotaping was inappropriate for Sioux Falls. Some said that the films’ critics should get their facts straight before passing judgment. Others bemoaned about narrowed-mined people trying to dictate morality. And still others didn’t understand what the big deal was anyway.
All were typical responses to this type of controversy.
I must say, the crowd expressing dismay about the film crew’s scheduled arrival in Sioux Falls definitely was on to something. I can’t imagine what benefit the city could receive by a senseless, videotaped display of female exploitation.
For their part, folks supporting the get-the-facts argument were off in this particular instance.
I’ve never seen a film of “Girls Gone Wild,” but who really needs to watch video of alcohol-drinking, bare-breasted, 20-something-year-olds to get the gist? There’s nothing artistic or valuable about young women publically demeaning themselves.
Still, I must confess that I’m often gullible when it comes to this argument. So considering the one-in-a-gazillion-gazillionth chance that I might be off on this one, I checked the Web site for “Girls Gone Wild” anyhow.
Now, that was dumb. There’s nothing redemptive there.
In the end, residents who said the videotaping doesn’t belong in Sioux Falls won, and their vocal opposition convinced the bar’s management to cancel the event.
If there was any benefit in the whole affair, it was the way differing groups found a resolution without excessive governmental involvement. The incident was a fine example of how to handle public conflicts that involve private businesses.
For the record, it’s totally fair for a community’s residents to dictate various types of morality, even if that extends to private enterprise. I’m curious about where folks get the notion that freedom equates a blank check to do whatever you want. Freedom and responsibility always go hand-in-hand.
Still, when it comes to private enterprise, governmental coercion should be the last resort. So it’s nice that the City Council didn’t try to take any official action in this case to force the filming out of the Lava Lounge.
Reasonable people – the bar’s management and concerned residents – found their own solution.
The result? The issue went away as quickly as it arose. And instead of an event gone wild, Sioux Falls enjoyed a rather uneventful evening that night. |