Gasp! “Gentlemen’s” Clubs Billboards?

Does Austin have a say? Girly billboards in Austin?  Does Austin have a say about the visual pollution around town resulting from “gentlemen’s” clubs billboards blocking the I35 corridor or Lamar or enter-your-street-here view?  I have been perplexed by this since the day I arrived in Austin:I’m driving south into town on IH35 after 20 hours of winter interstate driving from Minneapolis, approaching North Pflugerville.  It’s 6 am.  The dull pre-dawn light barely visible.  I’m psyched about this Minneapolis to Austin relocation.   A bit apprehensive as it has all happened so fast … and I start seeing billboards for “gentlemen’s” clubs?  Gasp!  A series of them all the way into town.  Building-sized barely clad women on the highway? “Gentlemen’s” clubs?  What is this?  What have I done?  Can I live here?  Is this a joke, a welcome sign, an omen?  I’m moving to a town that puts up with this?  I thought Austin was progressive.  Welcome to Texas.  Hooters is probably around the corner, eh?  Yikes. You get the picture.  IH35 is the worst.  I go out of my way to travel Mopac.  Does Austin accept this?  What does this say about our community?  Where is the women’s voice of Austin?  Where are the conservatives?  Where is urban planning?  Certainly the collective voice of Austin can take a stand on this one.  Short of defacing property, let’s see if we can clean up the view.  Put some clothes on those women.  At the very least, let’s raise the consciousness of general Austin and advertising agencies and urban planning commissions and the women-as-entertainment industry to recognize that thousands of Austinites and visitors and snow birds who drive by these obtuse advertisements every day are offended or disgusted or avoid eye contact or drive their children via Mopac to not impress upon their impressionable sons and daughters that this is ok. To the “gentlemen’s” club owners:  a little less intrusive on the advertising, please; find some other medium. I’m sure the city council would agree this is not the image we want the Koreans from Samsung or the 2.3 educational degrees from the Silicon Valley to see as they cruise into the capital of Texas, the live music capital of the world, and the coolest place to live in Texas.Gasp!Coming soon:  a commentary on the word “gentlemen” as it pertains to strip clubs.