When one thinks of a playground, there’s a certain scene that comes to mind: swings, slides and a copious amount of energy that only the young possess. Kids run the playgrounds, though, leaving us adults (a term loosely used to describe us college kids) no place to play.
Although we really don’t have this kind of playground on the Hilltop, we do have one that likely has swings and other items to get energetic with. For some reason, though, this playground is taboo to some, and I can bet a number of Bradley students have no idea we even have one. I’m talking, of course, about Lover’s Playground, a sex shop located on Southwest Adams Street downtown.
Generally, the first mental image that comes with the mention of “sex shop” is a kind of seedy place (no pun intended) with shady characters wearing sunglasses and trench coats, trying not to draw attention to themselves.
Upon arriving to the shop, however, I quickly found that this was not the case. The store was full of lively customers, asking many questions and getting very blunt and informed answers from the clerk. Of course, there were walls of products that would make more reserved folks uncomfortable, but if one is to be shopping at a store like that, it’s unlikely that embarrassment is a concern.
Although the intention of venturing downtown was for an interview with an employee to give us some insight into what it’s like to work in an establishment such as this, it was impossible due to corporate policy and Valentine’s Day shoppers.
Luckily, people of the Internet are just as curious, and there are plenty of Reddit “Ask Me Anything” posts about working in shops like this. A number of users asked the employees if they ever care or judge customers on what they buy, and each answer was a resounding “no.” This doesn’t seem to stop the embarrassment from some customers, though.
Other questions included how they got to be working in a place like that, and contrary to some people’s beliefs, they simply needed a job. One Reddit user asked what a worker loved and hated about the job.
“I like the satisfaction of helping people improve their sex life and/or marriage,” Reddit user Tapecaster said. “It is so nice when people are actually super appreciative of what I do. I hate when people seem to think the store and [I] are just a complete joke. Also, when people assume that the employees that work here are just perverts or whores.”
Obviously, there is a stigma that comes with anything regarding sex shops, but generally the folks who work there are knowledgable on just about anything you could ask them. So next time you’re feeling adventurous or playful, don’t be afraid to venture out to a different playground.
