Comments on: For the Raincoat Crowd

For the Raincoat Crowd

klangklangston — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:43:08 -0800

The History of the Pussycat Theater Chain—When Cathouses ruled California A zany, photo-laden (mildly NSFW) story of the rise and fall of one of America's seminal theater chains.

By: dersins

dersins — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:48:59 -0800

one of America's seminal theater chains. I see what you did there

By: scody

scody — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 18:15:59 -0800

Dammit, dersins, you beat me to it! Jack-off.

By: dersins

dersins — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 18:18:38 -0800

I see what you did there Technically, though, I guess it was ceiling cat who saw what you did there.

By: serazin

serazin — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 18:24:54 -0800

I was fascinated by the old Pussycat in Oakland when I was a kid. Everytime we'd drive by I'd stare at the pink building with "PUSSYCAT" lettered across the marquee. I also lingered over their ads in the back of the Chronicle. Perhaps I can blame them that I'm now a dirty, dirty queer.

By: jamaro

jamaro — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 18:53:03 -0800

I guess I'm a porn theatre naif, I had no idea Pussycats were a chain. Great article. The story mentions the Burbank Theatre in San Jose; I love that building. It's now home to some kind of motley secondhand store but for years after I moved here, its marquee proudly announced A D U L T M O V I E S right next to the huge sign that read SKIN DIVING LESSONS from the adjacent Stan's Skin Diving School.

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:05:55 -0800

"I see what you did there" If it helps, while I wrote it I was remembering William Safire's insistence on a long E pronunciation. "Perhaps I can blame them that I'm now a dirty, dirty queer. " It was even run by queers! See, the gays are recruiting!

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:15:38 -0800

[looks around for something soft but solid to throw at kk]

By: terranova

terranova — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:38:57 -0800

im in ur pornsite steelin ur pagebrakes

By: netbros

netbros — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:13:07 -0800

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:26:00 -0800

tl;dr -- but the pictures are great!!

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:02:59 -0800

I used to go to one in East Hollywood when they would show the really weird old porn films, like Cafe Flesh or Sex World. I watched Valley Girl the other night, and, for a moment, Nic Cage passes a Pussycat on Hollywood (long gone, but, if I remember right, there was a punk club in the basement where the Go-Go's used to play). I found myself literally bouncing in my seat in excitement at seeing the old theater.

By: Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese

Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:15:11 -0800

I found myself literally bouncing in my seat in excitement at seeing the old theater. Huh. I remember going into that theater and also seeing guys bouncing in their seats. Or something.

By: jfrancis

jfrancis — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:54:25 -0800

The Reverse Cowgirl points out the one she remembered best - gone now. Some memerobelia seekers in the comments.

By: jfrancis

jfrancis — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:55:00 -0800

memorabilia, that is.

By: Pope Guilty

Pope Guilty — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:49:37 -0800

This thread exists solely for the purpose of making masturbation-related jokes.

By: jettloe

jettloe — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:18:27 -0800

Like the fact that the article's comments page seems to be the place for old employees of the Pussycat to bitch at each other. + as a kid always passed by the Pussycat in Oakland on the way to grandmas house... thanks for the trip down memory lane.

By: joeblough

joeblough — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:34:28 -0800

that was really interesting. there was one in my hometown, which always seemed to me to be a bit out of place. it was interesting to read the whole sordid history of that place. thanks for the post.

By: doctorschlock

doctorschlock — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 04:20:05 -0800

How many of you out there had jobs in these joints as jizzmoppers? Did they pay you in quarters?

By: gman

gman — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 04:38:02 -0800

As a young boy, I was actually turned upside down and used as the jizzmop. Quarters? No. My father always told me the experience was payment enough.

By: pxe2000

pxe2000 — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:35:42 -0800

There was a Pink Pussycat in Boston when I was six. I used to read the blurbs from the newspaper ads aloud to my mom, but I never had any idea what they said.

By: Halloween Jack

Halloween Jack — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 06:56:30 -0800

tl; dr. I did note, with some amusement, that at some point they did sell refreshments in the theaters, which would give another reason for the floor being sticky.

By: Ceiling Cat

Ceiling Cat — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 06:56:56 -0800

By: RakDaddy

RakDaddy — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:48:39 -0800

When I moved to Santa Monica in '96, there was still a Pussycat Theater on 2nd Street. The Promenade was well on its way to becoming Yet Another American Mall, but knowing there was a porn theater just one block over gave the neighborhood just enough seedy grandeur. The building is now a Bucca di Beppo. I don't eat there.

By: ViceList

ViceList — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:08:18 -0800

Porn was a lot more interesting when it was a hidden subculture vs. an omnipresent part of our Internet experience.