Otto Meyers III, a Shell executive, announced the two magazines' acceptance in a statement sent to David Caton, executive director of the Florida Family Association, after Caton asked Shell to ban all pornography from its convenience stores' shelves.
Meyers told Caton that though adult materials are not sold in any Shell-branded marts, those that are owned by third-party companies, such as Circle K, are allowed to sell items that "are within the reasonable discretion [of the retailer], as opposed to being prohibited only if they are 'unacceptable under local community standards.'"
Further, because "adult sophisticates" are sold behind counters, Meyers said Shell will not pursue the issue further, explaining that pornography, as the "general public" defines it, does not include magazines like Playboy and Hustler, therefore selling them in Circle K stores is not considered a problem.
"It remains our position that if we deem the magazines to be offensive or objectionable to the general public, we will demand that appropriate steps be taken," Meyers said.
Circle K stores in Baton Rouge, La.; Denver; Memphis, Tenn.; and several Florida cities currently stock "adult sophisticates," much to the chagrin of the Florida Family Association, which has successfully removed pornography from store shelves of most major oil companies, as well as several convenience mart chains, including 7-Eleven and Cumberland Farms.
The pro-family organization next plans to launch an email campaign for concerned consumers to voice their feelings to Shell.
