Posted on 04/18/2007 11:56:20 AM PDT by kellynla
Shell Oil Co. has determined "Playboy" and "Penthouse" no longer are pornography, but instead are "adult sophisticates," according to a company statement.
The issue arose when the Florida Family Association contacted Shell about the sale of such explicit magazines at convenience stores owned by Circle K in southeastern parts of the United States.
David Caton, executive director of the pro-family organization, said his group asked Shell to require Shell-branded Circle K Stores to stop selling the pornography, as it has done in the past with other retailers.
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The request, Caton told WND, has been made to more than a dozen major oil companies supplying fuel to nearly 150,000 outlets in the United States. And until now, Caton said, there has been virtually a 100 percent positive response.
"However, Shell Oil Company has decided instead to change their definition of pornography, unlike all other major oil companies, to exclude Penthouse and Playboy magazines which are sold by Circle K Stores," he said.
The confirmation came in an e-mail from Otto O. Meyers III, a Shell executive, who told the Florida Family Association those stores selling "Penthouse" are not selling pornography.
"In regard to your inquiry about specific Circle K locations, our investigation has concluded that these stores are not selling pornography as one would think the general public defines it, but rather 'adult sophisticate' magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse," Meyers wrote.
Caton said that puts Shell in a crowd of one among companies who "no longer consider the hardcore content of Penthouse and explicit nudity in Playboy to be pornographic. No other major oil company has taken this position."
A statement from the company in response to WND's questions denied there was any policy change.
"Shell [prohibits] the sale of sexually explicit magazines, including adult sophisticates, at Shell stations that we own in the United States," said the statement from Anne Peebles, of the company's U.S. Media Center.
"At sites that are owned and operated by third party, independent wholesalers who are contractually allowed to display the Shell brand, we discourage the sale of offensive material, including pornography."
She noted the fueling component bears the Shell brand name at several sites questioned by the Florida Family Association. "However, the convenience component of the sites are owned, operated and branded by Circle K, one of our wholesalers. … We have been [in] contact with Circle K on this issue and have shared the community's concerns with them."
Caton said the new policy by Shell probably had been influenced by Circle K Store's recent purchase of 240 Shell branded retail locations.
The stores involved do not include every Circle K nationwide, but do include those in Baton Rouge, Denver, Memphis, Orlando, Tampa and southwest Florida, officials said.
Other major oil companies are aggressive in the contracts they require for use of their brand name, and in fact, several have been known to out out and "chop down signs" if a retail location violates its contractual agreement and sells pornography on location, Caton said.
"Prior to this mass accumulation of Shell-branded stations, Shell ... prohibited any independent retailer from selling or allow the sale of pornography under a Shell sign," Caton said.
"Shell has clearly broken with 100 percent unanimous position among major oil companies [to ban pornography]," Caton said.
He said he was additionally concerned by Meyers' e-mail, which put in bold-face type the words, "general public," as if indicating that the Florida Family Association's perception of "Playboy" and "Penthouse" as pornography was somehow as isolated opinion.
"This appears to imply that people who consider Penthouse to be porn are not considered by Shell to be part of the general public," he said.
"We are concerned. At this point it appears Shell is more persuaded, they are more influenced by the money than they are the public image [of having pornography sold under their brand name]," Caton said.
Meyers' e-mail also confirmed that the supply agreements allow the sale of such items "are within the reasonable discretion [of the retailer], as opposed to being prohibited only if they are 'unacceptable under local community standards.'"
"Certainly standards and policies of any company will evolve and change over time; however, it remains our position that if we deem the magazines to be offensive or objectionable to the general public, we will demand that appropriate steps be taken," he said.
He said all those decisions will be determined using a "balance" between "the integrity and reputation of the brand" against the "operational control issues" involved.
He said since the "adult sophisticates" now being sold are behind counters, "we do not plan to pursue this issue further."
Caton's organization has launched an e-mail campaign allowing concerned consumers to let Shell know of their feelings.
"The e-mail calls on Shell Oil Company to follow the standards and definitions established and enforced by all other major oil companies regarding the sale of pornographic materials by strictly prohibiting the sale of Playboy, Penthouse and other magazines that feature full nudity and explicit sexual conduct at all Shell branded stations including Circle K Stores," Caton said.
The Florida Family Association previously has had positive responses from Amoco, Chevron, BP, Citgo, ConocoPhillips, Mobil, Murphy, Sunoco, and Texaco in its requests to ban pornography. An estimated 35,000 7-Eleven stores also have cooperated, as have another 20,000 locations run by Albertsons, Cumberland Farms, Eckerd Drugs, Farm Stores, Kash n Karry, Swifty mart, Tom Thumb and other companies.
ping
Redefining morallity.
Big deal. Playboy and Penthouse have sucked for years. (Actually, Playboy has sucked since the 70’s)
Well then, I gotta get me some of that “adult sophisticates” reading material ‘cuz I’m an adult sophisticates - until such time as my wife whacks me up-side my head......
with the internet I don’t see how these magazines stay in business.
That was before the internet, though. Now they're both likely tame in comparison.
If they’re not selling or displaying it to kids, it’s no damn business of the Florida Family Association what the rest of us can buy.
I love it. Turns out Im not debasing women but sophisticating them!!!
“with the internet I don’t see how these magazines stay in business.”
They barely do. I think Penthouse may have just restructured in bankruptcy.
Good. I can pull them out from under my mattress now to show everyone how sophisticated i am.
Uh huh, and a BJ isn’t ‘sex’.
My wife didn’t agree with that comment, and for some odd reason I doubt she’ll agree with this one about Penthouse.
Don’t like such magazines? Don’t buy them.
Very simple.
Playboy has great articles and interviews. Seriously. At least they used to.
Honestly, who are these people?
“Shell Oil Co. has determined “Playboy” and “Penthouse” no longer are pornography, but instead are “adult sophisticates,”
“adult sophicates”!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAA!!!
So now pornographers are “adult sophisticators”.
This Country has gone insane!!!!
Not entirely sure what you mean here, but if you are looking for a definition of morality from Shell Oil Co., then I submit you are looking in the wrong place.
ROFL!
In other news, it has been declared that chocolate no longer has a high sugar content. Fire no longer gives off heat. And water is no longer wet.
What do you expect from the Dutch.
I only read them for the articles
Freepmail wagglebee or little jeremiah to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.
FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
I expect that the liberaltarians will try to explain how they have a "constitutional right" to see and purchase pornography wherever they want.
I agree, Penthouse has sucked every since they started showing guys, and Playboy, it’s kind of sucking ever since Hef’s daughter is in charge. Can someone please tell me how a woman can be in charge of man’s magazine? You don’t see Bill Buckley edting Cosmo/Good Housekeeping...BTW, there’s worse stuff out there than Playboy/Penthouse.
I actually always thought that gas stations sold this type of material. I am surprised that they haven’t.
Ha!
You’re missing the point. Since it’s not “porn”, why shouldn’t it be displayed or sold to kids.
You mean there are pictures in Playboy? Who knew?
Really? Soft core?
Then go ahead and post a Playboy picture here on this site,
Go ahead zot-bait. I’ll wait.
How very liberal of you, to say that.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Yeah, right. There’s no porn on the internet, is there Einstein?
Penthouse and Hustler seemed to be more like magazines for gynecologists. ;-)
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Or amateur gynecologists like myself.
Pastor Wright had been invited to serve as the House's guest chaplain by Rep. Anthony Powell, a Wichita Republican who was also a member of Wright's church. Accordingly, Pastor Wright composed a prayer, read it at the opening of the legislature on January 23, and departed, unaware of the ruckus he had created until his church secretary called him on his car phone to ask him what he had done.
Reportedly, one Democrat walked out in protest, three others gave speeches critical of Wright's prayer, and another blasted Wright's "message of intolerance." House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer (also a Democrat) asserted that the prayer "reflects the extreme, radical views that continue to dominate the House Republican agenda since right-wing extremists seized control of the House Republican caucus last year." Rep. Jim Long, a Democrat from Kansas City, said that Wright "made everyone mad." But Rep. Powell, who had invited Wright in the first place, claimed that House Democrats were only trying to make political points with their criticism and affirmed that he supported the theme of the prayer.
The prayer as delivered on January 23, 1996 by Pastor Joe Wright to the Kansas House of Representatives.
Heavenly Father, we come before You today to ask Your forgiveness and seek Your direction and guidance. Lord, we know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good," but that's exactly what we've done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values.
We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it moral pluralism.
We have worshipped other gods and called it multi-culturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building esteem.
We have abused power and called it political savvy.
We have coveted our neighbors' possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our fore-fathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us oh God and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of Kansas, and who have been ordained by You, to govern this great state. Grant them Your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of Your will. I ask it in the name of Your Son, the Living Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
What possible point were you trying to make with such a moronic comment like that?
“If they’re not selling or displaying it to kids, it’s no damn business of the Florida Family Association what the rest of us can buy.”
And the association’s members are free to not buy their gas at Shell, if it still upsets them so much.
2) Listen, I mourn notalgicly for the days, around 1970, when those beautiful topless women, clean-cut and looking like they lived down the street, were the only things we had access to. Guys of my generation were lucky to find back issues thrown out if we could, and certainly didn't walk into your local grocery store and buy them off the rack. (Now, National Lampoon, there was the real stuff.) Today, you have stuff a million times more embarassing waiting to sneak into your kids if they even know how to use a keyboard. At least back in those days, you could say you actually read the articles.
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BTW, have you heard about the special Playboy edition they publish for married men? It's just like the regular one, but the centerfold is always the same.
Some of my best friends are amateur gynecologists. *cough*
How original of you to call me that.
This "association" has no business dictating what legal products a private corporation may sell. Period.
There's nothing liberal or conservative about that. It's just a fact.
If it’s got Snapper in it and is not a med book......it’s probably porn.
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