Cullman, Alabama Ain't Playin'

One place where pornography is NOT being accepted by mainstream is good ol' Cullman, Alabama. According to the Associated Press, bookstore Books-A-Million Inc. removed copies of and Playboy and Playgirl magazines from its racks after a local prosecutor warned they violated Alabama's strict anti-obscenity law.

Cullman is a small (about 14,000), conservative town with a ban on alcohol sales, a beer-free Oktoberfest (um…what?!?!) two monasteries, and the Ave Maria Grotto, a miniature replica of Christian sites made by a monk. Hollywood, this ain't!

"We must continue to work to insure the community standard and values of morals and decency that have been established here are not compromised," District Attorney Len Brooks told AP. "We must continue to work to insure the community standard and values of morals and decency that have been established here are not compromised."

Brooks has since noted that he received a letter from Books-A-Million President Sandra B. Cochran stating that the placement of the magazines in the Cullman store was a mistake and the mags have been removed. This will likely keep the store out of any further legal trouble.

But one has to wonder: How exactly does a book store in a small, conservative town that places very specific orders for specific titles end up getting sent two porn magazines by mistake. Hey, things happen, right? Maybe they just got the wrong box by mistake. Fair enough. Even more dumbfounding, though, is how they ended up on the racks for sale. Anyone who worked at the store must have known those weren't regular items for display or sale. They also must know what a conservative town Cullman is and that word would spread quick that such racy periodicals were available. I wonder if business is up or down in the wake of the publicity...

One way or another, porn does seem to fly off the shelves....