SATELLITES
Show World was practically its own galaxy; the epicenter of which was at 669 8th Avenue. Like the solar flares of the Sun, Show World blazed its own audacious brand of indecency; a space-time continuum that transported a curious universe into the realm of sex fantasy and beyond.
But within its orbit were ‘satellites’ scattered all over Times Square. Not only did Richie expedite the construction of similar peep show emporiums, but he also owned a myriad of adult theaters, video arcades, leased property to legitimate businesses, and leased apartments in the multitude of buildings that comprised his ever-expanding business empire.
This particular section of Show World Legacy focuses on the other fantastic satellites of Show World in the periphery of which was the world’s greatest red light district; once upon a Times Square. Some of the ‘spots’ were originally squalid peep shows until Richie had ‘gutted’ them; then after they had undergone extensive renovation, he implemented design elements that became his trademark, of which transformed them into a more palatable peep-playground emporium of sorts.
All of these satellites eventually resembled Show World in that they possessed impeccable design characteristics immediately recognizable as having the inimitable stamp of Richie. That they bared his signature trademark of orange and yellow Formica booths, miniature diamond shaped mirrors, and linoleum floor tiles, and accepted Show World designer tokens as currency, allowed visitors access to attractions that included video peeps, Live Nude Girls, and Live Sex Acts; all Show World staples. Each ‘bookstore’ located in the bottom level of each satellite offered a well-organized display of inconceivable adult materials; a veritable one-stop-shopping for all your pornographic needs.
In fact, each satellite was endowed with requisite immaculate cleanliness, perhaps clearing Richie’s conscience for more acquisitions of New York City real estate. Each property radiated unmistakably its own sense of sophistication, an ambience essentially and unequivocally Show World. As a so-called ‘sophisticated pornographer’, Richie aggressively emphasized a higher degree of sterilization bordering on fanatical, in spite of the filthy nature of the business, by employing mop-men who vigorously scrubbed each peep booth and whistled while they did it; which attracted more of the executive clientele as opposed to the raincoat rejects that normally frequented peep shows. A testament to this: the sweet cherry-lemon smell of a customized disinfectant; so powerful it could be inhaled from the street!
Although each satellite emporium glorified smut with its pristine presentation and equipped with a multitude of video peeps, they became favorites for commuters due to their close proximity to mass transit and the Port Authority. Customers on their way home didn’t have to take an excursion off the beaten track to purchase a Kimberly Carson inflatable doll, or other novelties and devices. Whereas those executives possessed by fever sought to relieve themselves before the commute home, with a spur-of-the-moment nude encounter session with a Fantasy Booth baby. Live Girls often rotated from peep palace to peep palace, which contributed to the variety and notoriety of the Live Nude Review. Other attractions such as Love Teams (live sex show performers) also rotated from store to store, even if they didn’t know what fucking planet they were on.
Although it may have been unavoidable, pornography and peep shows, on occasion, attracted trouble like a magnet. These are subjects that we will inevitably discuss in FORUM. Such is the nature of the proverbial beast; society is to blame!