Most of Dan Miller's story on a 7-month-old store in Fullerton is rather blasé. The Naughty Teddy at 129 W. Commonwealth Ave. hawks lingerie mostly, fulfilling a desire Anaheim native Dawn Aquino had to start a new career after leaving her tax-filing business.
But about three-quarters into the piece, it's clear all is not well in Naughty Teddyland. While sexy undies and sleepwear account for 75 percent of what's on the shop's shelves, the other 25 percent is devoted to sex toys, lubes and DVDs. Miller's article is not for the Orange County Business Journal, but rather XBIZ.com, an adult-industry news service.
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The Naughty Teddy has apparently drawn a steady stream of customers, from couples and women who would not dare to enter Spanky's to exotic dancers and students from Fullerton College and Cal State Fullerton. It's also apparently drawn the ire of uptight city fathers and mamas. Writes Miller:
While the store has blended in seamlessly with neighboring businesses since it opened on May 7, its presence has not come without some backlash from the conservative-leaning city of Fullerton, which has determined the Naughty Teddy should be classified as an adult business, rather than a clothing store with accessories.
The store has enlisted the services of attorney Roger Jon Diamond, who has represented many adult businesses that have clashed with Orange County municipalities. City Hall threats are tracked on SaveTheNaughtyTeddy.org.
But other than friction from the city, it's been no big whoop, Aquino tells Miller:
“It's been challenging, but we've had great support,” Aquino said. “We haven't had any problems, nobody's picketed. Nobody has damaged the building. Nothing really bad has happened.“
She continued, “Nobody's come in and actually said anything. We are right down the street from the police department.”
Insert your own built-in-S&M-bondage-gear-customer-base joke here.
The piece goes on to reveal the Naughty Teddy is trying to be a good community neighbor by regularly participating in charitable causes, including an AIDS Walk, Toys for Tots and Orange County Gay Pride. The store's next “Rocky Horror Picture Show Night,” which raises money for breast-cancer research, is scheduled from midnight until 3 a.m. Jan. 23-24 at the store.
A toast!
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.