POLITICAL ECONOMY : A LOOK AT THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD

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

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