Red light district

[Bruce Dykes]

-----Original Message-----
From: GEORGE THOMPSON <thompsng at ELMER4.BOBST.NYU.EDU>
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Date: Monday, May 01, 2000 3:10 PM
Subject: Re: Red light district


>In Salzburg last summer I passed a whorehouse with signs in front in
>German and French (but not English, if I recall correctly) promising
>"maidens with tender hearts" within and with a genuine red light
>burning over the door.  In a message a month or so ago regarding that
>phpny story explaining "the big apple' that a NYC History website is
>promulgating, I was obliged to admit that I was unfamiliar with
>high-class cat-houses; this topic obliges me to admit that I am
>equally unfamiliar with low-class cat-houses, because I have never
>seen such a red light actually in use before.  It seems. however, to
>be an internationally known symbol.


I think the modern usage of actual red lights on brothels (bordellos, dens
of iniquity, houses of ill repute, cathouses, ranches (Nevada), whorehouses,
nunneries...anybody want to add to the list?) is more of a deliberately
kitschy decoration than an actual business sign. Something along the lines
of: "I know, it's tacky and I hate it, but the customers expect to see the
red light. What are you going to do."

bkd

ps: Outlook Express' spell check knows the correct pluralization of
bordello...