Posted on 09/17/2003 5:59:30 AM PDT by Jonathan
Oslo vending machines spark controversy
Oslo residents have 23 vending machines which dispense video films. The service has left many citizens stunned, because the automats offer a bizarre selection, from children's films and cartoons to an assortment of piquant porn.
"I am shocked that this is legal. Not least because the vending machine is placed between a technical college and an elementary school," said Kari Solbraekke, who spotted the video dispenser near Ullevaal Stadium.
The firm Videomatic has placed 23 machines offering films for sale or rental around the Oslo area. The selection on offer ranges from family films like Disney's Jungle Book or Harry Potter, to shockers like The Sopornos and Sex deluxe.
Kids interested in perusing the images to cartoon attractions can also get a glimpse of Jenna Jameson's Flashpoint, which according to reviews, features group, lesbian, anal and oral sex.
"This type of film should be in a store. There should be a better control system for the sale of this kind of film," said Oeyvind Gleditsch, 22, who also regularly goes past the dispenser.
The leader of Videomatic did not want to speak with Aftenposten's evening edition, but manager Jane Hansen told Aftenposten Aften that the company is censoring the pictures on the film boxes more than they used to.
"We aim to provide films for the entire family and we don't want to hit small children in the face with erotic images. As a woman and a mother I don't want to offend anyone," Hansen said.
"If people are dissatisfied, we will talk to organizations or interest groups. If we don't cover up the films well enough, we will consider removing the covers with pictures and just use the film title in the machines. I think you see worse when you go into a newsstand or a gas station," Hansen said.
All the films in the dispensers are legal and cleared by Norway's film board, according to Hansen. The dispensers only accept credit cards, which one must be 18 to own. And an Aftenposten Aften check did confirm that the racier pictures are partially obscured - for example, Norway's silicone queen Tanya Hansen's most famous assets were well hidden by a price tag.
"If erotica was the most important thing for us, we would have filled up half of each machine with such films. But we don't want pure porn dispensers. We earn good money by renting normal films too. But erotica sells well, and we want to give the public the opportunity to buy such films anonymously," Hansen said.
Wow, what kind of pervert gets off on watching a couple of piquants go at it?
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