“The year was 1999. DVD’s were fast-replacing VHS tapes on video store shelves. Mom-and-pop shops were struggling to compete with cookie-cutter corporate monstrosities - the Hollywoods and Blockbusters - rolling out red carpets in strip malls around town. Netflix was a newly-minted gleam in Reed Hastings’ eye. The owner of Super Video in Albany, NY knew that these were desperate times. Desperate times, indeed. So the salt-of-the-earth family man decided to take desperate measures. He opened a porn wing.”
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A Spoonful O’ ISMS: Video Store Clerk Confidential
My friend Katie’s brilliant account of working in our local video store. I will never forget the day - shortly after my 18th birthday - that my friend Ian revealed the secret porn wing to me.
