Rome bans "Girls Gone Wild" event
Despite assurances that a local tavern's planned "Girls Gone Wild" event would be decidedly mild, Rome's Alcohol Control Commission on Monday voted to rescind the bar's invite to the popular soft-core video franchise.
The attorney for McCrobie's told commissioners that even though "Girls Gone Wild's" most familiar prop -- the eponymous bus where much of the action is filmed -- would be a part of the event, scheduled for Oct. 24, no nudity would be allowed.
"It's in the contract," lawyer David Guldenschuh said. "A former law enforcement officer would be allowed to make random checks to make sure nothing illegal was going on in that bus."
But those charged with issuing Rome's licenses to serve alcohol were unconvinced, saying the event would violate the city's adult entertainment ordinance.
"I was not assured everything would be legal," said commission member Jane Slickman, who acknowledged community opposition to the "Girls Gone Wild" brand entered into the decision. The people I've heard from were very concerned."
The franchise's already salacious reputation was sullied in 2006 when founder Joe Francis pleaded guilty to federal charges that he failed to document the ages of young women filmed engaging in sexual acts.
"The pope himself could've been promoting it and they still would've denied it solely because of the name ‘Girls Gone Wild,' " Guldenschuh said.
Bar owner Brent McCrobie said the commission is making it difficult for him to attract the city's sizable young adult population. Rome has four colleges, including Berry and Shorter.
"It's a college town that doesn't allow college events," McCrobie said.
"Girls Gone Wild" makes several hundred such appearances each year in what is essentially a cross-promotional event. "We pay them $4,000, they sell some videos and we draw a big crowd," McCrobie said. "It's a win-win situation."
A recent appearance by a "Girls Gone Wild" bus in a Syracuse, N.Y., bar proved disappointing to the establishment's male patrons.
"I thought the bus would be full of girls," student Matt Conte told the Syracuse University newspaper, The Daily Orange. "We all did."
Instead, the paper reported, the "Girls Gone Wild" bus contained "four modest-looking gentlemen and a bus driver -- plus two leather couches, bunk beds and a king-sized bed in the back." And no girls.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
