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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-09-28 Daily Xml
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PIMP PAD

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (16:30): I move:

That the Adelaide City Council—

1. Rescind its direction to the Liquor Licensing Commission to reject an application for a liquor licence from computer/console gaming venue, the Pimp Pad, located at 13 Franklin Street, Adelaide; and

2. Retract false public comment made by its councillors regarding the venue, including allegations that the Pimp Pad is an adult entertainment venue and that management are seeking a 24-hour liquor licence.

Remind me to continue campaigning to get floorboards in here instead of this dreaded carpet—that would make my life a bit easier! In the meantime, onwards and upwards.

I am moving this motion as a result of joint campaigning between myself, the Hon. Tammy Franks and the Hon. Michelle Lensink. As members would be aware, computer and console gaming venue, the Pimp Pad, opened at 13 Franklin Street, Adelaide a few months ago and has since been the topic of much public conversation. Members may have seen headlines like 'Adult Entertainment Venue Opens Next to School', or an article in which the venue was labelled 'a honey trap for kids'.

I have inspected the Pimp Pad personally, along with my fellow MLCs Ms Lensink and Ms Franks, and I have the great pleasure of being able to inform the chamber that the Pimp Pad is none of these things. In fact, the Pimp Pad is nothing more than a small bar with some comfortable couches and big screen TVs for gaming enthusiasts to enjoy their games of choice on. There are no strippers, no posters of naked women and no pokie machines; and, currently, there is no alcohol. There are some factors which have undeniably contributed to the amount of negative attention the venue has received and I am quite happy to discuss these.

Firstly, there is the issue of the word 'pimp' in the name of the venue. Like everyone else in this room, I understand the historical connotations of that word but, like many other words, 'pimp' has undergone some changes in the way that it is used, at least in certain situations. 'Pimp' is now used to mean a range of relatively positive things like style, stylish or cool. Take, for example, the TV show, Pimp My Ride, in which a team—

The Hon. T.J. Stephens interjecting:

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: You have heard of Pimp My Ride?

The Hon. T.J. Stephens: Yes.

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: Yes, you love it! You're up with it! See? Progress; it's happening! For example, take the show, Pimp My Ride,which I note the Hon. Mr Stephens is extraordinarily fond of—I did not know that previously but that is good to know—in which mechanics and stylists take old, beaten-up cars and restore them, often including cool novelty features and fashionable upholstery.

I understand the historical connotations of that word, as I have already said, but I consider that its meaning is now sufficiently different to warrant its use in the context of this venue. There are a number of other good examples where the evolution of a word has resulted in it moving away from having an offensive meaning to one that is generally accepted.

Thirty years ago, when Virgin Records opened, there was much outcry about the use of the word 'virgin' in a company name. It is fair to say that most of us are now convinced that the likes of Virgin Records and Virgin Airlines do not represent any threat to anyone due to their name.

The second factor which has caused upset around the venue is the fact that on its affiliate website, Pimp.tv, there are videos in which women wearing bikinis introduce the latest games. I am aware of the potential conflict that this creates. I am a very proud feminist in as far as I do not believe that any woman should be made to do anything she does not wish to do with her life and with her body. To that end I am very aware that some people, including women, are uncomfortable with the idea of such images.

I am also acutely aware that women must be afforded equal rights to those of men to do with their bodies what they will. I do not believe that these women wear bikinis in the videos against their will, nor do I believe that they do so in a way which suggests to other girls and other women that they must dress and behave in this way in order to be seen as valuable. To me these representations stand in contrast to magazines that contain unsolicited pictures of 'stars without make-up' and which poke fun at women for leaving the house without being dressed up to the nines or, indeed, stores like Supré, the clothes store aimed at young women, which was recently chastised for selling T-shirts which read 'I heart anorexia'. I suggest that if we really want to tackle the issue of sexism there might be more pressing issues than the situation of a woman who is comfortable dressing in a certain way.

Regardless of whether you agree with me on this theoretical point, it is nonetheless important to always remember that the Pimp Pad venue is different from Pimp.tv, and there will not be any bikini-clad women in that venue. I certainly do not believe that these issues I have mentioned warrant not allowing the venue to serve alcohol.

I understand that there are some concerns within the Eynesbury student body about having the Pimp Pad next door. I by no means want to undermine the feelings of these students, parents and teachers with this motion. Along with my colleagues, Ms Franks and Ms Lensink, I have met with a group of students, parents and teachers from Eynesbury and was interested in hearing what they had to say. I listened, and the biggest thing I took away from the meeting was that there were issues there, but I believe they can be resolved.

The people at Eynesbury brought to my attention problems they had with Pimp Pad patrons smoking outside the venue near the school. This is a legitimate concern and one that I believe can easily be resolved through negotiation with Pimp Pad management. The biggest concern voiced at that meeting was fear. The students were scared of having to walk past the Pimp Pad and scared at having to potentially interact with Pimp Pad patrons. I do not wish to undermine in any way what the students feel, but I cannot say that their fear is well founded. We are talking about a venue where men and women will go to play video games and have a couple of social drinks. Of course people may occasionally drink more than a couple of drinks, but they are more likely to do that on a Friday or Saturday night when the school is closed.

We are not talking about putting a casino next to a school with a 24-hour licence, where drunken people will be falling out of the door at all hours of the day. We are talking about a video gaming lounge, where some people might get a little tipsy around, say, 10pm, but will be long gone before school starts in the morning. I do not see why walking past a video gaming lounge, where people might be drinking and/or smoking, is any more dangerous than walking past a restaurant in which people may be drinking, or walking past a man who is smoking outside the bank, for example. These are things you would expect to encounter when you attend a school in the city. Everyone has a right to express how they feel, but I am afraid I do not feel compelled to legitimise fear of video gamers in this place.

Among accusations that the Pimp Pad is a honey trap for kids, councillor Ann Moran from the Adelaide City Council has also been spreading the complete fallacy that management is seeking a 24-hour liquor licence. I am advised that management did look into the possibility of obtaining a 24-hour licence, as they are well within their right to do, but they never actually lodged an application for one. In fact, the liquor licence the Pimp Pad is applying for, in my opinion, is one of the strictest imaginable.

Staff are looking to serve alcohol from 5pm onwards only, and, yes, I appreciate that Eynesbury is a college aimed at university entry and, as such, some classes may go beyond this time. However, one would think that those due in class would be in class rather than at the Pimp Pad, and that any student from Eynesbury who indeed visits the Pimp Pad will do so out of school hours and will be 18 years of age or older in any case.

It is also important to note that, under the liquor licence being sought for the Pimp Pad, in order to buy alcohol a person will need to be a member of the Pimp Pad, so management will have on record their ID, date of birth and address. Additionally, patrons will also be allowed to purchase one drink per person at a time only. Obviously all the current laws around service of alcohol–not serving to minors and not serving to a person already intoxicated, etc.–will also apply.

What is happening at the moment—because the Pimp Pad is currently unable to sell alcohol—is that patrons who wish to enjoy a drink or two are temporarily leaving the venue to purchase alcohol elsewhere. This is, of course, bad for the business, and also places people at potential risk due to them being out on the streets after dark. I suggest it would be much more responsible to allow these people to stay indoors enjoying their hobby.

Of course, the social aspect that the presence of video gaming brings to the Pimp Pad is also important to discuss in this context. Because patrons of the Pimp Pad have a shared hobby to discuss and focus on, the consumption of alcohol is likely to be a lesser priority for them. They are, therefore, less likely to drink solely to become intoxicated, as they might do in pubs or clubs where drinking may be seen as the only available activity.

That is why it was decided that out of the three of us—the Hon. Michelle Lensink, the Hon. Tammy Franks and myself—I should put this motion before the parliament. Because the Pimp Pad's main demographic is people aged 18 to 25, the venue represents a valuable cultural hub for Adelaide's young people, particularly gamers, who are arguably marginalised within the youth spectrum to begin with.

I entered politics because I love the state of South Australia, and I love the city of Adelaide. I believe in its future, and I believe that if the young people of this city are to become that future then we must start to treat them with respect, trust and equality, and we must provide them with opportunities to participate in their society. I have previously taken a stand in this place against the demonisation of young people—for example, some stereotypes that were presented in the liquor licensing bill which was recently before us—and I will continue to do so.

I feel it is also important to note that many of the accusations made by councillor Anne Moran were apparently made without having even visited the venue. In an email sent to me, Ms Franks and Ms Lensink on 23 September 2011, councillor Moran stated, 'I have never…inspected the business [Pimp.tv], although I have stood on the footpath outside.' How Ms Moran can see fit to make comment—let alone public comment—in her role as a councillor about a business that she has not even entered, I am not sure. I am glad to say that, as a result of our working together with Pimp Pad management, several other Adelaide city councillors have actually taken it upon themselves to visit the Pimp Pad, and have since written to me stating that they no longer agree with councillor Moran's claims.

Councillor Moran, other councillors, members of parliament, and indeed members of the public, are more than welcome to inspect the venue to make up their own minds, although I highly recommend inspecting it on the inside as well as the exterior. We are, of course, also able to visit the venue's Facebook page, which at the moment is full of lovely pictures of young men and women, many dressed as their favourite videogame character, enjoying the social opportunities and all-round good times that the venue offers.

In short, councillor Moran's opposition to the Pimp Pad and the public comments she has made are potentially damaging to this exciting and important business. These comments amount to scaremongering and do not stand up to scrutiny. To accept this claim carte blanche does not make for good governance, nor does it make for good management of our beloved city. To that end I move this motion, simply to correct what has been wrongly said about the venue. By wiping some of the incorrect assertions from the public record I hope that we can all begin again on this debate and think about supporting this exciting and inclusive South Australian small business.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (16:44): I rise in support of the motion moved by the Hon. Kelly Vincent, that the Adelaide City Council rescind its direction to the Liquor Licensing Commission to reject the application for a liquor licence for the Pimp Pad, and also retract the false public comments made by its councillors regarding the venue, most specifically that the Pimp Pad is a supposed adult entertainment venue and that the management were, in fact, seeking a 24-hour licence. As the Hon. Ms Vincent has most eloquently explained, the Pimp Pad is neither an adult entertainment venue in the style that has been portrayed, nor is there anything sinister about it to be feared by the good people of Adelaide; and, certainly, it is not looking to denigrate the City of Adelaide or, in fact, bring any harm to its near neighbours, particularly Eynesbury College.

I would say that I do think that gamers in South Australian political culture are actually often demonised, and that this issue is one of a long litany of areas we can point to where South Australians have a particular fear of this youth culture. I would draw attention in this debate to the fact that in our recent political history we actually had the first gamers political party run in South Australia—Gamers for Croydon.

In fact, they organised and agitated because they wanted classifications for games to reflect those of movies, books and so on, yet the former attorney-general was in fact blocking them from enjoying that ability to purchase adult games in this country. I would say that we still do not have an R-rated classification for video games in this country, but I do believe that has had some movement, and in no small part due to the work of Gamers for Croydon.

That was done not simply to be able to purchase those things by individuals for their own entertainment, but I would say that that was done in recognition of the effect that the previous regime had and the effect of the current regime that we still exist under. The effect of that has meant that games that would otherwise be classified as adults only (over 18 year olds) in other countries are in fact often classified in this country as available to 15 year olds.

It has probably had the almost opposite effect that the former attorney-general would have liked it to have had. Following on from that, I was very concerned to see this new venue (which the people who have put it together are certainly very proud of; and, certainly, they have put a lot of investment into it) so vilified by an Adelaide City councillor and in the media as being the 'honey trap' for kids and being somehow insidious and improper.

I do believe that a fear campaign has been built up around this venue, and I am very pleased that the Hon. Kelly Vincent on the public record has challenged those incorrect assumptions. I do understand that moves are afoot at the Adelaide City Council, and, in fact, I understand that, in no small part to this motion being put on the table and being discussed, it has given a voice to the previously demonised Pimp Pad.

Pimp Pad is already a very highly successful business in terms of the Pimp.TV that we have heard so much about from councillor Moran. But Pimp Pad as a venue for gamers—a bar and lounge where people can go to and enjoy playing console games and sitting on a couch and having a chat with their friends and social gaming—is nothing new in terms of the social life of Adelaide.

Certainly, I have heard from Kat Nicholson (who presented to the Adelaide City Council last night) that she has in fact been involved in a social group that has used a local church for the last five years to undertake social gaming. But it is, of course, something new for Adelaide in terms of having a public licensed venue where people can go in a safe environment and enjoy social gaming.

It has already occurred that in both Melbourne and Queensland such a venue exists. While I have been somewhat critical of Adelaide being a little afraid of this particular venue, I will note that in Brisbane some similar reactions were expressed, where the Mana Bar there was in fact presumed to have been a dangerous and possibly violent venue because of the demonisation in our culture of gamers.

I note that the initial criticism in Queensland that arose from a fear that those gamers, enjoying their social gaming in a licensed environment, would be violent was quickly dismissed once actual monitoring of the venue was undertaken, rather than scaremongering. In fact, under a monitoring process in that bar, and I will quote the report:

In the four weeks since the bar has opened there has not been a single violent incident caused by any of its patrons. There has not been a forceful ejection from the venue due to intoxication. There have only been three glasses broken in the entire period of operation, all by accident.

That particular venue, as I say, is very well settled in the cultural scene. People have realised that there was nothing to fear but, in fact, fear itself, and I think the Pimp Pad will follow in the footsteps of the highly successful Mana Bar in Melbourne and Queensland and I wish them well on that.

The use of the word 'pimp' has obviously drawn attention not only to the business but has been used to create some of that fear. Obviously, there is a form of the word 'pimp' that does relate to somebody who is, in fact, involved in prostitution and soliciting. The word 'pimp' does not have only one meaning.

We heard on the radio this morning that if anyone googles 'pimp' they will find out that it can also stand for—and I am going to say it on Hansard—Party In My Pants, re-usable sanitary pads, a very green-friendly business. It is also in our popular culture now, as the Hon. Terry Stephens noted before, in the use of the term 'pimp my ride', from a highly successful mainstream television show of the same name.

'Pimp' has been transformed in its meaning to mean something that is pimped up and made more glamorous. I heard on the Sunrise program recently, on Channel 7, that they were pimping a boat, so it is in common usage. It is certainly a youth-understood word, not to personify something to do with the selling of sex.

On that note, I would echo the words of the Hon. Kelly Vincent that 30 years ago the Virgin brand was seen as very controversial. Richard Branson certainly knew how to sell a product and how to get attention, and he did so using his Virgin brand very successfully: Virgin Records, Virgin Megastore, Virgin Blue Airlines, it goes on and on and on. He knew, as we do, that in marketing sex sells.

But what the Pimp Pad is not doing is selling sex. I cannot underline that strongly enough. To deliberately conflate the two is not only mischievous, it is something that those who have chosen to create fear and scaremongering and to deliberately go about doing so without having the full facts at their disposal and without visiting the venue, should be well and truly ashamed of themselves. Having said that, I commend the motion to the council.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. J.M. Gazzola.

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