Adam Glickman is the founder and president of Condomania,
which is an enterprise that offers a wide variety of condoms
and related items in order to increase its usage and overall
appeal to the sexually active population. Like many
successful themed spaces, the idea of Condomania originated
from the small, yet still ambitious hopes of one man. What
once started out as a small venture, with Glickman going
from door to door in the halls of Tufts University selling
condoms for a dollar a piece has now evolved into a global
multi-million dollar business generating both online and
offline profits. The Condomania store we chose to feature
and explore is located in the heart of Greenwich Village,
known to many world wide as being one of the most
free-spirited places to dwell in and experience all of the
city's many amenities and sites. Having been opened in June
1991 on Bleecker Street, this store presently sits
comfortably in this district enhancing the overall appeal of
the Village to many of its residents and potential visitors
alike. Located in an environment where there are many
alluring sites, Condomania creates wealth for New York City
as whole by contributing to its enticing, liberated image
that attracts a diverse group of visitors. The city is not
the only beneficiary of the creation of Condomania. Aside
from Glickman, Condomania has created a safe and open-minded
venue where the inventions of many ambitious and expressive
individuals have been welcomed. One of these individuals is
the Indian surgeon Dr. Alla Venkata Krishna Reddy who
invented the Pleasure Plus and Inspiral condom, both of
which have become very popular. Some of the other unique
products in this store are fragranted motion lotion and
oddly shaped pasta. While this store in itself has a very
fascinating history, it is also important and interesting to
look at the history and political context of the surrounding
neighborhood. Greenwich Village, is described in an interesting
historial account given on their website, " as a place where
tourists, students and long term residents join together to
make up the incredible mix of bohemia, international
crossroads and backyard playground that we all cherish"
(www.greenwichvillage.com/history.htm).
In the 1970's The Village and many other places alike were
experiencing a "sexual revolution"; also accompanying this
was the women's and gay liberation movement. These
ideological currents were manifesting themselves in a
plethora of stores that catered to the desires of a diverse
hip, liberated population. Some of these stores are piercing
shops, many ethnic restaurants, sex games and accessory
shops, and gay bars. As the 80's came about, many of the
individuals who used to be able to afford to live in the
village, were no longer able to meet the demands of the
high-priced community. Out went many of the starving artist,
poet, bohemian types and in came the young, single and
wealthy Yuppie population. Many of the older establishments
and buildings were replaced with more modern luxurious
structures. When we visit Greenwich Village now,
gentrification is still very much visible in this community,
with its many expensive specialty shops and eateries. Along
with these stores, still exists the piercing shops, clubs
and gay bars, indicative of the strong liberal and
homosexual presence. Another characteristic of Greenwich
Village that has been preserved, even amongst all these
signs of modernity, is its rich architecture. "It is not too
hard to picture the cozy, small streets of Greenwich Village
as they looked 100 years ago" (www.mindspring.com/..) This
neighborhood, unlike many, has been able to retain the
artistic look and culture of its past, while still adapting
to the modern times. Even amongst the variety of rival shops, this Condomania
store possesses a unique character that will enable it to
attract many consumers. Unlike the other sex-oriented shops
such as Pink Pussy Cat and Fantasy, Condomania is not a lewd
establishment supporting pornography, and kinky activity.
Instead this store stands to make sex safe and natural,
while still being pleasurable. " Condomania offers an
environment where customers learn about condoms and safe sex
in a friendly and non-threatening manner" (Memon).
Individuals get information and attention that they may not
be able to obtain in a drug store. This is what makes this
store a great asset to the community and a sustainable
enterprise. While Condomania has evidently gained acceptance, and as
a result become extremely lucrative, it is important that we
acknowledge the social implications and conflicts engendered
by this themed space. Condomania is located in a very
free-spirited environment, in one of the most liberal of
cities. It is no coincidence that it was placed here. Can we
imagine how much revenue this store would be generating if
it was built in a more conservative area such as Midtown
Manhattan. There is still a taboo against sex in our present
society. Almost a decade after the rap duo, Salt-n-Pepa, put
out the very successful song, " Lets Talk About Sex",
society is still embarrassed to talk about sex. The
existence of stores such as this one are evidence that
societal norms and ideals have changed, but there is still a
need for more education and acceptance. Condomania has had
both a strong political and economic presence in Greenwich
Village, and the society at large. In researching and
observing Greenwich Village and Condomania's impact on it,
we were able to learn a great deal about the political
economy and many of the issues that tend to relate to
it. Sources Cited "The Continuing History of our Favorite Neighborhood"
(Http://www.greenwich-village.com) "Condomania Boosts Sales By Going To The Web"
(http://www.znet.com/intweek/print/70414/inwk0057html "Downtown"
(Http://www.mindspring.com/-sleevene/downtown.htm ) Factual information taken from the Condomania home
page
