Orange County Blog

Flick / Creative Commons / **Mary**

Whenever I have to describe the publication I work for to anyone only vaguely familiar with OC media, I usually start innocuous: "It's that free paper you pick up at the car wash or coffee shop."

But that often gets a blank stare. So...

"You know, the one with the sex ads."

Ahhhh. That usually does it.

Even so, it's  been weird sitting in Weekly World Headquarters, scrolling through the "exotic services" section of Orange County's Craigslist, where any colleague passing by might glimpse "Come DUNK your Cookies in this tall glass of MILF ; )" over my shoulder. But I endure the risks. This is journalism.

Craigslist has announced that tomorrow it will shut down its "erotic" section and replacing it with a more-heavily regulated "adult" services area. The move came in response to criticism (documented in our cover story here) that Craigslist erotic services had essentially become an online whorehouse. And whorehouses, we all know, are illegal.

So, let's see what we can learn from the soon-to-be deleted OC "erotic services" marketplace...

Gene X. Hwang/Orange Photography

Craigslist founder Craig Newmark

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that mega-popular classified listings site Craigslist will shut down its "erotic services" section, after criticism from lawmakers and the media -- which you can read about in the latest Weekly cover story.

The Craigslist criticism has been largely two-pronged. Some say that Craigslist should be held partly responsible for the emergence of "Craigslist killers" that lure victims to their death with online ads postings. The other angle, as pushed by attorneys general across the country: Craigslist essentially enables illegal prostitution.

Seemingly as a response to the latter point, the "erotic services" category will be soon deleted and replaced by "adult services." Each "adult" ad will cost $10 and face manual approval from Craigslist staffers.

Another kind of criticism has come from Gloria Allred. She is, among other things, the lawyer for the family of Donna Jou, the Orange County woman who met the man that would later dump her body into the ocean over Craigslist. Allred told the Weekly that she thinks something should be done to monitor and label sex offenders that use the site. So far, no such measures are in place.

But according to the Times, the Craigslist post announcing the change -- which will be published later today -- takes aim at exaggerated reports of Criaigslist-enabled violence: "Unsurprisingly, but completely contrary to some of the sensationalistic journalism we've seen these past few weeks, the record is clear that use of craigslist classifieds is associated with far lower rates of violent crime than print classified." 

It's been a long time since we surfed the online classifieds for your entertainment. We shan't deprive you any longer.

Love in all the wrong places:

"Let me spoil u/ Young black and sexy." See photo. Scratch head. As for the spoiling, check out his ride.

"Ecstasy with a senior citizen." Errr...will send this one to mum.

Let's hate humanity together: "I hate people. I am a 28 year old single people-hater..."

HOT LATINO LOOKING NICE GIRL: "you can faund me on movarak@yahoo.com."

"Ugly face sitter wanted." Well, since you asked so nicely...

"Big Breasts are my DESTINY!!! <- a true believer, that one.

Local Freebies: Bamboo. Fish. Hair dressing for men. Bus seats.

Oddities (or, more like. . . scarily normal entries) from our friends at backpage and Craig's.

$50 an hour, no nudity: Just have muscular calves.

Daddy seeks "daughter" : He's convinced he's not creepy -
"I don't sneak around and peek, and I don't hang out in parks smelling the seats on the swings after the kids go home..."

$6K to travel: Wonder what they're not saying...

Free rent at a mansion: Three guesses as to what he wants in exchange.

Free dirt: Come and get it.

Gifts from the OC classifieds:

Free Brazilian wax, anyone? There's always a catch for this sort of $50 freebie. Answer this ad, and you'll get it done live at an education conference before a waxing class.

Put out: For free rent at one guy's Santa Ana home.

Lost a surfboard? If you dropped it on the 405, this dude may be your man.

Paint your parts: "Young, handsome artist seeks female model for masterpiece! Actually it's all experimental. i want to draw or paint female body parts but i also want to paint pictures on those parts . . . "

What a deal: $250 for one stud, $400 for two.

Urp: "Where can I find a good old fashioned Mexican sperm burper in Orange County? I don't even care about their legal status. Just has to be able to burp sperm on command."

I get everything on Craigslist. My digital SLR, drag-queen house mate and 49-year-old boyfriend. My sister's Koreatown apartment. A stint editing this Russian chick's e-book. And then there was that graveyard-shift cop-beat job with City News Service.

The OC online classifieds are a weirdo haunt, and we'll brave the waters a couple of times a week so you don't have to.

Today's finds:

Dom in a wheelchair: "I have experience with spanking, flogging, gags, canes, crops, bondage, butt plugs . . . Cerebral palsy cannot be transmitted. I like to do things that I can do by myself. It is just a few things that I need help with. You will help me when I need help . . . "