Kenneth Cole Ain't Just Shoes,
Sex Sells & Hot Political Newcomer
By MICHAEL SCHENKLER
IF THE SHOE FITS: Okay, it’s
morality time.
Al Mescallado of Jamaica Estates flipped
out recently on the F train. Al saw some racy Kenneth Cole shoe ads and started ripping
them down in anger. The encounter with the posters caused heart palpitations hospitalizing
Al. He called the ambulance from the Union Tpke station. Al is now home and apparently
feeling all right. The ads are ripped and strewn along the tracks, somewhere.
Now these ads, in my judgment, are
not so provocative. According to published reports, one shows the upper torso of an
unclothed male and the feet of a female (wearing a pair of Cole’s) on each of his
shoulders as if they are engaged in sexual intercourse. Suggestive? Yes. Pornographic,
don’t be absurd. There are more suggestive ads on TV, every night.
Another ad shows two women kissing —
ohhh! While others show young men and women in various states of undress — ahhh!.
Although Kenneth Cole was not releasing the entire series of ads to this column, there was
nothing – based on our information and observation – pornographic and lots that
was suggestive.
Did you see Ellen Degeneris when she came
out? Did you see her with Sharon Stone? Would you like to see Sharon Stone? Have you seen
the ever-changing Calvin Klein billboard on the westbound LIE as you approach the Midtown
tunnel? Or the other vertical billboard — I don’t know what it is advertising,
but I think I would recognize the young lady, who is barely concealed behind some foliage,
if I ever ran into her unclothed?
Have you picked up any magazine not
published by a moral majority registered company and leafed through the ads? Check out Maxim.
Turn through the Sunday Times magazine section. Seen the Victorias Secret’s
catalogue or TV ads? Watched television?
It’s all around us. SEX! Suggestive,
evocative, provocative, turn-you-on images are part of the American culture —
especially here in New York (I imagine the West Coast is at least as interesting).
In a published interview, Mescallado, who
is the father of two girls and a former advertising executive, expressed outrage that he
(and his girls) must be exposed to such sleaze on public transportation.
Well, Al, welcome to New York. It’s a
wonderful City where the sighted are bombarded with provocative imagery, lots of cleavage,
inner thighs, underwear, barely concealed total nudity and suggestive graphics that could
cause a grown man to drive into a guard rail.
The provocative advertising campaign of Kenneth Cole does
not begin and end with suggestive sexual imagery.A series of socially conscious ads like the two taken from their
website (www.kencole.com) were produced for Cole, the shoe-plus designer who is married to
Queens girl Maria Cuomo, the daughter of the former guv.
Maria Cuomo Cole now heads HELP the homeless program
started by brother Andrew, Secretary of HUD and husband of Kerri Kennedy, daughter of the
late Senator. |
Rip them all down? Destroy
the billboards? Smash the televisions? Close your eyes and drive off the expressway?
Blindfold your kids?
Or, just sit back and enjoy it?
I’ve got a 10 year-old daughter,
Allison and occasionally feel uncomfortable when she encounters something that I never
witnessed when I was her age. Personally, I have more trouble when she comes to say
goodnight to Lil and me on Sundays right after the Sopranos has started. Allison
just walks into the room, suggests we mute the TV, kisses us and as she leaves tells us we
can put the sound back on and listen to the "bleeps."
Kids are pretty grown up today.
They’ve adjusted to the imagery that sent 39–year-old Mescallado to the
hospital.
The only outcome of Mescallado’s
hoohaha with the F-train ads will likely be increased interest in Kenneth Cole advertising
and increased sale of Kenneth Cole shoes and stuff.
See, advertising works (call Ted Olczak, Trib
Advertising Manager at 357-7400).
No solutions to the sex over-exposure here.
But if you see any ads or images more provocative than the ones I’ve discussed,
please send them to me at the Queens Tribune or email them to:
Mschenkler@queenstribune.com.
I’ve got studying to do!
READ ME: The City’s plan to
construct a new, state-of-the-art public library at 21st St. and 38th Ave. in Long Island
City is a noble act, but you can’t help but wonder what kinds of books and videos it
will house.
Location, location, location – any
real estate mogul will tell you that’s the key to a successful project. Well, whoever
chose the location for the new library didn’t look across the street.
Just east across 21st at 22nd Street is the
center of the City’s longest ongoing war against street prostitution – 20 years.
In fact, the NYPD made history last month when it was granted an injunction barring 20
known gang members from a 20-block area beginning at 21st Street and 39th Avenue, where
the alleged gangs were running street hookers.
City zoning laws that date back to the
1960s have protected manufacturing interests in the Dutch Kills area and created an
atmosphere that draws the hookers – and keeps them coming back for more . . . even
after they’re arrested.
Add to that the fact that the new library
is slated for construction on part of the PS 111 school yard – the same site where
sparks flew back in the early 90s when parents complained that hookers were buying condoms
from a group of teens who hung out at the schoolyard.
It turned out the teens were selling the
condoms for 50 cents each – in broad daylight – out of cardboard boxes stamped
"Property of the NYC Board of Education." Seems the teens had stolen the condoms
from a local school office. The hookers sold the condoms to customers for a buck-a-piece.
It was an entrepreneurial education
laboratory, so to speak.
Then take a look at the sudden appearance
of XXX Rated clubs in the area. Some were chased out of Times Square by Rudy Giuliani
– who has so far ignored cries from people who live in the area and from some local
officials who are calling it New York City’s new "Red Light District."
One Queens library trustee reportedly
called the new branch the "biggest bang for [tax] dollars."
Locals want some city and state help to aid
the cops in cleaning up the area before the first shovel breaks ground for the project.
If local cops don’t get help to keep
hookers off the street in the area, maybe the library-to-be can hang up Kenneth Cole
promos instead of reading is fundemental posters.
O’MALLEY: It’s payback time,
we think.
Ever since Tom Manton handed his
Congressional seat to Joe Crowley, a troika of western Queens officials (Assemblywoman
Cathy Nolan, Councilmen Walter McCaffrey and John Sabini) has declared war on the Queens
Dem organization.
They’re backing McCaffrey’s
insurgent run against incumbent Crowley and continue to feed the fires of party disunity.
So, what’s the party gonna do?
Well, we know that they are going to run
Crowley like this County hasn’t seen anyone run in years. "The Crowler" has
already astounded many by his hard work and presence everywhere. But that is to be
expected for a first termer receiving a challenge. However, the County payback will not be
complete with an expected McCaffrey trouncing.
Methinks they want Nolan too. And we hear
rumor that there may just be a candidate out there to give the western Queens
Assemblywoman a run for her money.
Western Queens resident and successful
attorney Patrick O’Malley is the brother of the recently elected mayor of Baltimore,
Martin O’Malley. Martin, from what we hear, ran a campaign that took the City by
storm. Look for Patrick to bring to Queens: big bucks, his brother’s political smarts
and some of his own personal charm. Combine that with a County Dem Organization looking to
get even, and you’ll have many sleepless nights for the troika of western Queens.
KATZ: Now that Melinda Katz has settled
into her slot at Borough Hall, the politics begins. Beep Claire Shulman, along with Katz
mentor Comptroller Alan Hevesi (Tom Manton and Peter Vallone have signed on too), is
hosting a funder for "Katz 2001."
What’s that mean, you ask?
It means that Melinda, long considered a
shoo-in to succeed Karen Koslowitz in the Council, is being encouraged by Boro Hall to
take a hard look at the Beep race.
Katz suffered a serious defeat to Anthony
Weiner in her first race outside of her Forest Hills stronghold when she ran for Congress
as the Queens woman against three Brooklyn males.
Insiders are still betting on Katz taking
the sure Council seat in 2001, but she has lots of new friends at Borough Hall hoping to
remain there when Claire Shulman is term-limited into her next career.
We hope to get some feedback from her Pasta
del Giorno funder this Sunday at noon.
Bon appetite.
————————————
Liz Goff contributed to this column.
Michael Schenkler can be reached at: MSchenkler@QueensTribune.com
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