Word is taboo under city's sign ordinance

[gollo]

By SUE McCLURE

Staff Writer

SPRING HILL — Is "sexy" a dirty word?

It is if it's offending residents by being displayed on an electronic sign in Campbell Station, Spring Hill city officials say.

Cindy Landis, owner of the Studio 4 Hair & More salon in The Shoppes of Campbell Station, said she was told by city officials that two residents complained about "Sexy Hair Concepts" being scrolled across the sign at the shopping center.

Landis has stopped displaying the product name for now and is contacting the manufacturer's legal team to see whether it is interested in her case.

"I cannot advertise one of my products," she said. "It's discrimination."

Not so, Building Official Ferrell White said.

"The city's sign ordinance says you can't have any lewd language," he said. "I know it's the name of a product, but people objected to the word 'sexy' on the sign."

White said a woman called him and said she had her child in the car with her when she saw the sign.

"She said she didn't want to have to explain to her 6-year-old what 'sexy' was," White said.

Landis said she is furious that two people's complaints can cost her advertising.

"The sign was scrolling product names," she said. "There was Wella and Matrix, then Sexy Hair Concepts.

"To think that two people out of 20,000 can do this is ridiculous," she said.

Her husband, Michael, agreed.

"It's the silliest thing," he said. "It's our biggest-selling product line. And just because of the word 'sexy,' it's gone."

White said he understands Landis' point but he must enforce the city's regulations.

"I think the ordinance is very strict on that point," he said.

Earlier this year, the city shut down the sign, saying its pulsing neon messages were disturbing nearby residents.

A judge ruled that the sign was legal, based on the city's sign ordinance.

Immediately thereafter, aldermen amended the ordinance to ban "animatronic" signs with flashing, pulsing words and characters, but the Shoppe's sign was grandfathered in.

Source

[__Kratos__]

That's a load of ****. Sexy is not a bad word, she should sue the city for infringing her freedom of speech.

"She said she didn't want to have to explain to her 6-year-old what 'sexy' was," White said.

Aww... I bet mommy wears make-up doesn't she? How does she explain that to her 6 year old?

lady: "mommy just wants to look nice."

son: "buy why mommy?"

[gollo]

Aww... I bet mommy wears make-up doesn't she? How does she explain that to her 6 year old?

lady: "mommy just wants to look nice."

son: "buy why mommy?"

mommy : "because your dad is coming around to deliver the milk"

[Yelekiah]

If sexy is a dirty word, say goodbye to lots of women's magazines, tons of commercials

The kid is going to find out what "sexy" means in school anyway. You can't protect your children from everything.

[frogfish]

What some people so.....This world is getting worse and worse.

[Lord Umbarger]

I can understand not having certain words on signs, basically the same ones that we're not supposed to use in posts here. But, the word "sexy"? You've got to be kidding! This woman doesn't wnat to have to explain that but, I bet that she had no problem watching Jerry Springer and voting for Clinton. That town needs an enema!

[Purplos]

I can't stand it when parent's say "I don't want to have to explain..." What in the heck are parents there for if not to explain things? And sexy? That's one of the easy things to explain. My 7 yr old caught some of the news yesterday and asked what rape is.

[user26071]

Wow. Sexy is a bad word now? =( But but...its such a sexy word. >>;

[Malicious]

oh god......>_< children will eventually find out these "dirty" words.

why do mothers have to be so overprotective about issues such as this? it's better to learn about something now, than wait, or have them learn it elsewhere.

[Celumnaz]

does this mean that they can't have a bank that has a sign that gives the time/temperature?

[RisenPrism]

Parents are either to ashamed, insecure , or ignorant to explain things to their kids, so the entire world has to be completely sanitized.

[40nrockinon]

I AGREE WITH, YELEKIAH!!!

IF they are going to ban signs like that, then they gotta do the same things with any magazines that say that, too!!!

Ya know, if they are too scared to define words that they may be uncomfortable with then they are in saaaaaaaad shape. How are they ever going to tell them about drugs, what abuse/molestation is, what is sex & all sorts of things that effect our everyday lives???

Oh, they also better get rid of their tvs, videos & books...those are filled with "sexy things". Nope they can't watch even some of the cartoons they have on these days. I was flipping through the channels & saw the cartoon for Bratz. My God!!! What a lousey example to set for young girls!!! :angry2: Barbie is super mild compared to them.

It's time for parents to step up & realize that "sex" sells, it always has. And marketing will not back down just cause they are uncomfortable with it. I'm not saying it's "right", but until it becomes less profitable...we won't escape sexy ads, entertainment, etc.... Look at what happened when they started putting warning labels on music & games...they becames even MORE popular.... Hey, it's the mark I look for in new music!!!

40nrockinon

[Bahamut_0]

Good old america, land of the free and home of the brave *ROFL*

Please...

sexy, a dirty word?

I can't stand it when parent's say "I don't want to have to explain..." What in the heck are parents there for if not to explain things? And sexy? That's one of the easy things to explain. My 7 yr old caught some of the news yesterday and asked what rape is.

OMG, what did you do??? pretty bad situation there.

Wow. Sexy is a bad word now? =( But but...its such a sexy word. >>;

[.........................]

Banning the word sexy is not going to make much of a difference to the idea that sex sells. Whether or not the word sexy is used on commercials or video clips still doesn't stop the fact that you see bikini-clad women all over the male singers, or slumped over a car, or selling a chocolate bar provocatively.

That is an issue that the parents need to address imo.

[LizFL]

it sounds like someone has it out for the business owner... I mean come on, it seems everyone is offended by something, but sexy?

And you cant tell me that the little girl hasent heard that term before!! I respect everyones parenting decisions, and think it's great that there are people out there that are trying to provide strong morals, but to this extreme it's like keeping a kid in a bubble! If the mother is truely that strict, chances are the girl is gonna rebel in her teenage years anyway

this is a load of crap

[PadawanOsswe]

if sexy is a bad word now....lots of new music would have to be banned!

[Purplos]

7 year old asked what rape is.

OMG, what did you do??? pretty bad situation there.

I told him that rape is a terrible awful thing that some grown-up criminials do, and that it hurts people a lot. That's all he needs to know at this point.