Movie Gallery

American Family Association
Mr. Randy Sharp
P.O. Drawer 2440
Tupelo, MS 38803
December 30, 2000

Dear Mr. Sharp:

My employment of several years with Movie Gallery has been most enjoyable with few exceptions. Working in a management position has allowed me to mature and grow as a young female employee. The work environment has been a paradox. It depends on which type store I work in as to what the environment is. Let me explain: One of the exceptions to me enjoying my employment is the back room adult entertainment. The stores that have these, that I have worked in open me and the other workers up to a variety of negative, vulgar, embarrassing remarks and come-ons from customers. The stores without the back rooms are so pleasant because we do not have to endure this kind of harassment. The two different work environments of the same company create a paradox in that as an employee, I wonder how the company picks and chooses which store will or won’t have the back rooms. Which store will become a prison for negative remarks and ugly come ons? The back room stores of course! I have often wondered why upper management can’t see that they are reducing their employees to mere peddlers of instant embarrassment, to recipients of ugly, unsolicited sexual come-ons, and purveryors of ugly movies to children.

When men, and sometimes women, rent the adult videos, they more often than not, have remarks to the check-out person as they leave the store. It is not unusual for them to say things like, “Come home with me and be my b****,” “We’ll enjoy this movie together,” or “It will be a blast!” I have been told that the women in the movies are referred to as the man’s b****. It is automatically assumed that we are willing participants in the sexual content of the videos. One of my ugliest encounters was a local businessman who came in every Saturday night without fail. He would spend several hours choosing a video or two from the back room. While he searched, it would not be unusual to see him masturbating through his clothes. This was so embarrassing to the employees. When he would check out, he would search me out to be his checker. He would begin the same come-on week after week with, “Honey, come with me and I will give you an evening that you will never forget. You’ll make more money with me tonight than you will working here. I will make it worth your time. This movie will take us to places we’ve never been. How about it?” What an insult! He solicited me just like I was a prostitute.

Then there are the gays. The lesbians come in and rent adult entertainment and without fail, they try to convince the girl checking them out what fun it is. They often ask them to take part in “a threesome, a madhatter, or a connonball,” whatever those are. It is the ultimate putdown for a lesbian to come on to you in public. You just want to crawl into the floor and disappear.

We have adults that come in and rent the movies for the minors that wait at the door for them. I feel so guilty when this happens. I feel like I rented filth to kids. Then we have one guy that only goes to the adult back room when he has his two small children for visitation. He makes them stand at the door while he rents the movies. The kids always look sad, depressed, and scared. I have spoken to a policeman about this guy and his kids. He really is weird. I don’t want to think about why he only rents adult movies when he has them. My mind just won’t go there.

I just wish we didn’t have to deal with the adult back room and it’s customers.

Sincerely,

(name withheld)