Current Wardrobe: black Bettie Paige t-shirt, black jeans, black thong, black bra
Let’s talk freedom of speech.
I can see the headlines now - “Starbucks kicks out an artist for drawing Bettie Paige.”
There is one (and only one) parent who hates me with a passion. Even to the point of calling me at my home because she thinks my artwork is too suggestive. Apparently a kid passed on one of my business cards to her kid, and she called me to have me stop passing them out, which I complied with… I have no problem with that. I stopped bringing my business cards to Starbucks.
But she didn’t stop there.
Today - two weeks later - after I stopped passing out my cards, she she shows up at Starbucks and starts raising her voice saying “Just WHAT do you think you are drawing? Don’t you see kids around here?” The manager got involved, who personally didn’t see any fault in me and just let the woman rant loudly, for almost five minutes. The whole store heard her and got quiet. She complained that my artwork is inappropriate and wants me permanently banned from Starbucks. I was sitting by myself on the opposite end of the place, with my artwork facing the RESTROOMS and there were no children within view of my artwork from ANY direction. No one could see my art from anywhere unless they stood directly behind me and over my shoulder coming out of the restrooms. And so what if they were? I’m not forcing anyone to look at my work, which is classy I might add. I was just drinking my coffee and drawing to myself. She threatened to get me barred from the place, even threatened to call the police. Um whatever. I told her - “Good luck, call the police… they love my art too.” (They really do, every Thursday morning, the sheriff and several police officers drink coffee there and see me do my art and usually say something to me). Ever heard of “Freedom of Speech”, lady? What are you going to do? Demand that every Starbucks customer be screened for drawing dirty pictures in their notebooks, writing erotica on their laptops, or browsing ebay online (oh my! a kid might oversee someone bidding on a Bettie Paige t-shirt). I’d like to see that get enforced, not only here… but internationally. What a joke.
I didn’t get kicked out… all the Starbucks employees (manager included) thought the woman was possessed. But I dare them to kick me out for that. The press would eat it up.
Over thirty people applauded me after the woman left and I’ve got an assortment of business cards from people who thought the lady was extremely out of line and they thanked me for saying what I did about my right to draw as I wish.
But the ironic part is that the manager had me sign an incident form informing me that she had a problem with me. And he has to turn it in to the District Manager so they can review the incident and decide if I should be allowed to keep drawing in there.
That is really fucked up! I have kids and would never react like that. Are you sitting there w/a Hustler centerfold opened? You have just as much of a right to sit and work privately on your art as she does to sit and discuss the Bible w/her friends!
Yes it IS really fucked up… nope, had no centerfold open… in fact no pictures of anything at all. Just a piece of paper and a pencil of something I was drawing.
What is the world coming to when you can’t draw what you want inside a coffee house without some crazy soccer mom making a scene trying to get you banned for it.
That same lady?? Holy *$#%!!
I feel most sorry for her kid to tell you the truth. He’s probably going to grow up really neurotic towards girls.
yup same parent. And her kid was a girl (her daugher was 13 and looks 17). That’s even more fucked up.
I have to wonder if her reaction would have been the same if it was a son instead of a daughter.
yeah I thought about that too… parents are so anal about their little girls…. and yet, no one really cares if their sons see some T&A along the way growing up.