Sunday, July 13, 2008

Red Light District


Like all big cities Paris has its "red light district". It is located in the 18th arrondissement, around La Place Pigalle (named after Jean-Baptiste Pigalle) where you can still find several cabarets that started it all (eg, Le Moulin Rouge). Of course, nowadays, showing half naked dancers is much less provocative than around 1900, but still, a lot of visitors from out of town enjoy a little ride in Pigalle at dusk! And when they do, they generally don't miss one of the most emblematic places in this area: the Sexodrome! "The largest adult entertainment center in Europe" as they put it, offers absolutely everything to please both genders on almost 3 000 sq meters (32 000 sq feet)! Ahhhh Paris!

39 comments:

  1. ooh la la c'est la maison de la can-can ne c'set pas?

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  2. Maybe that is my computer... but I can't download the photo... Maybe is it because of the parental control system we have here on the family computer?? If so, I wonder what kind of photo it can be... since I can read the caption and tags...ahem...;)Intriguing!

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  3. Goodness! Usually the French are better at choosing names that aren't so crass!

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  4. No Gerald, it's much more sex oriented ;)

    Corinne, that's really weird...

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  5. So Eric, your post is registered as forbidden for under 16!! LOL ! I'll have to switch my laptop on... to see that... de plus près!!! aem... But even if I can only read you and not see you, that's also nice to imagine!

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  6. That place looks really cheap and cheesy. HARD CORE SEX. Referring to those three posters in the window in the center -- okay I can make out the first one, it's a woman sitting. The second looks like a giant tooth you would see on an old sign outside a dentist's office. And the third, is that suppose to be an Arab man?

    Thanks for the link to Pigalle. I did not know about his nude statue of Voltaire. Wow, that's so far out!

    This has truly been SEX education for me. Thank you Eric (man of the world).

    bisous

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  7. Eric
    Your blog is so full of details...this one in particular...
    I wonder how you know so much about the place?

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  8. Tonton Flaneur, Do you still have your cold? I am still ill -- that is why I did not make it to the computer yesterday.

    Suzy, Thanks for the info on Katie books. I have never heard of those.

    Guille, You are going to Asia? Japan -- Tokyo! A woman of the world :)

    Monica, I am sending you an e-card for your birthday :)

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  9. Monica, Happy B-day again, I could not decide which card to send so I am sending two. hahahahaha bisous

    I meant to say something about the Mona painting and why it is so small. This is one of the last paintings he did. And given his nomadic lifestyle, he carried it with him for years while working on it. It is a personal piece.

    Thank you Eric. When I saw the crowd around Mona, the thought exhausted me of trying to get closer. I spend a lot of time in the gallery of "large format" paintings at the Louvre as I tend to paint large paintings. And I am always trying to improve.

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  10. Ooh, "Typical Paris," eh? Thank you for doing all the research, Eric!

    I hadn't known a thing about M. Pigalle. here's an image of his Voltaire sculpture. M. Voltaire looks quite pleased with himself.

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  11. Eric, from the Louvre to Pigalle, PDP is full of surprises. The building facade is so out of place it must stand out like a sore thumb.

    Paris Photo Art!

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  12. Petrea, I don't know... I think Eric should do a lot more research and report back again. Yes, I'm sure there are angles we haven't seen, which only the French can show us.

    And if he ends up being a little late with his post, well, that's okay. We can wait.

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  13. Lois, I sooo don't want to catch what you have! Stay hydrated.

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  14. I quite agree, USElaine. One can always do with more research, especially if it's French.

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  15. P - I just rented "Fracture" and I have three days to get up the courage to watch it. Looks scary. No friends of mine were harmed in the making of this picture, is that right?

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  16. U.S.Eeeee: It's not scary, it's more of a procedural. It's a fun picture, I think. My husband figured it out quickly, but I didn't get it until I was supposed to (so I thought it was ingenious).

    (I'm in a courtroom scene early in the picture. Don't blink or you'll miss me.)

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  17. It does look pretty cheesy, Lois, and I agree that the name is a little more blatant than I expected, particularly given our prior discussion of the French leaning more towards the "implicit."

    Eric, I have to wonder how you happened to be here? This is a little more contrast to the Mona Lisa than I imagined. ;)

    Petrea, my new avatar (is that what this picture thingy is called?) is just for you.

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  18. Very nice photo. It looks like someone tied the bike to the tree with a very long chain. The tree, bike and flower barrel make a fine composition.

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  19. Ops, I thought I was leaving a comment at Geneva Daily Photo. Must have gotten myself lost.

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  20. Kelly, I'm honored! And a little bit jealous. How grand.

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  21. Easily done today, David, as Kelly's photo is a tad bit Parisian.

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  22. Ooh la la! Risque. It's certainly juxtaposed to yesterday's classic image. In the uk this would be seedy, but in France it's somehow far more stylish. Just to let you no I'm a little out of sorts with daily blogging at the moment, re some idiots who seem to have nothing better to do than find fault with my blog. So apologises to all for not being around as much re commenting and emails, but I may have to take time out from it. On that note time for bed, goodnight all and have a happier time blogging than I am at the moment, especially you Eric and Paris daily. Without yours none of us would have started this fanastic idea.

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  23. Just my luck were I to visit this Sexodrome, all the young babes that I would encounter would be seeking thrilling stimulation of the purely intellectual inquiry and conversation variety and the only nude: Voltaire (thanks Petrea for the educational link).

    I think I'll refrain from letting on whether that would be good or bad luck.

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  24. I understand that pawing the girls is forbidden and there are no longer any girls dressed as Salvation Army workers so you can look elsewhere if you are interested in either doggy style or missionary style.

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  25. Tall Gary, it's always a pleasure when you comment, if you don't mind me saying so.

    Babooshka - There are "comment bots" out there that often post something generically provocative on any unprotected blog. When I turned off the typing-test filter, I got some too. Just delete them without guilt.

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  26. Well, this is quite a departure from Mona Lisa's smile yesterday, but maybe we can still keep her smiling. The view of the young couple staring at sexy Maryline in the Sexodrome ad photos reminded me of a newlywed joke addressing the naivete of young married couples [Louis La Vache are you out there?:-)]

    The wife is in a drugstore looking at the men's toiletries when she is approached by a store clerk asking if she needs help.

    "I'm looking for deodorant for my new husband, but I don't know what type he likes."

    The clerk asks, "Is it the ball type?"

    "No," says the wife, "it's for his underarms." BIDDA-BOOM!!!

    Petrea...interesting link to Voltaire. Merci. After seeing that sculpture, however, I don't know if Pigalle was really his friend or not. Voltaire actually looks like his own Professor Pangloss from "Candide." Not too flattering. :-)

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  27. The Sexodrome does seem out of place in several ways. It is odd to see such a modern building sandwiched between classic old Parisian ones. The building to the left is quite lovely. The trees and the sky are so pretty. And I cannot help but notice the gentleman peering over the balcony at the top right. I gave myself a chuckle as I imagined him waking up, looking outside, and wondering, "Hmmm ... What's the business that has gone in next door?"

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  28. Ca aussi c'est Paris!!! ...
    C'est un message pour la libération ... de Mona Lisa?? :))Oui j'imagine!
    Je trouve que la photo a quelque chose d'élégant malgré tout. Avec Eric, tout est sublimé, la preuve! Même ça?
    Sorry, my English is off today;)

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  29. I always end up spending a good deal of time near Pigalle because of a café I enjoy near the Pigalle Metro (though in Montmartre)

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  30. I wouldn't think of redlight districts with Paris, that's for sure!

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  31. Lois..."giant tooth" and "Arab man" LOL! What a trip to the dentist this would be, eh?

    Parisian Heart...good eye, I didn't see that fellow up there until you pointed him out. I hope his walls aren't too thin. :-)

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  32. Oh Eric, the sacrifices you make for us! It must be so hard being the only person in the red light district doing something totally innocent...at least I assume as much! Stroke of luck for us that you're so dedicated to showing us all of Paris!;oP

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  33. Just found a computer on the streets of NYC and want to comment on Mona Lisa. My art history teacher in college said Da Vinci experimented with sponge painting on the Mona Lisa....that is how he did the leaves on the trees!
    Since that was sooooo long ago for me, I THINK he also said that he invented Chiarascuro which gives faces--and everything else-- a depth and added to the enegmatic smile.
    Can't wait to get back to PHX on Tues. so I can become part of the daily discussion.
    Happy Happy B'day lovely Monica!!!

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  34. Thank you Eric and thank you all!!!!!!!!

    I´m extremely late to thank you all for the happy b´day wishes but that´s because I have no internet at home nowadays. So it´s really hard sometimes to get near a computer. But I´m very touched by all your warm wishes and I wish I could have celebrated it with you!!!

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  35. Now, about the photo... Sexodrome?! Wow, that name says it all!!! I still prefer the romantic aspect of Paris though!

    Since tomorrow I´ll be working, I celebrated the 14 Juillet today. There is a big event taking place here during 3 days to celebrate France. Tomorrow is the last day and the most special one, of course. Today was all about french music, french wine and food, french Can Can and the accordeon and so on...
    Wish I could be at the Champs Elysees tomorrow to see the fireworks!

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  36. No one has yet mentioned adding this to their must see list! Maybe they've been there already? ;-)

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  37. from Cali - Don't feel too bad about it. The Monalisa didn't make the grade for the "must see" label either. ;^)

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  38. You must check out Moulin Rouge show

    i booked here..

    http://www.isango.com/france-tours/paris-tours/moulin-rouge-show-and-dinner_2901

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