Something to Be Talked About : Irvine Shop Owner’s Controversial Window Display Invites Discussion, Gets It

John Toma wanted to be different.

He commissioned an artist to create a window display that showed two dozen photos from Madonna’s book, “Sex,” along with murals of rapper Ice-T and shock talk-radio host Howard Stern for his Irvine Marketplace vintage clothing store.

Toma said his intent was to “create interaction between customers” on the issue of censorship.

It’s done just that.

Since the display went up nearly two weeks ago, friends and strangers have agreed and battled about Toma’s right to install the display. He has also been criticized for polluting the public and praised for creating an opportunity for discussion.

Toma said he feels a need to promote discussion among the city’s suburban bedroom community and the more liberal campus of UCI. To facilitate this, Toma has a board outside the display where passersby can write comments.

In addition to the Madonna display, there are charcoal murals of Ice-T, who was dropped by his record label even after he pulled the song “Cop Killer” from his album, and Stern, who recently racked up over $100,000 in fines for FCC violations.

Hours after the Madonna photos were put up, red tape was added at the request of outraged passersby.

Charcoal illustrations of Ice-T show the rapper holding a hammer and books, instead of the gun he possesses on his album cover. Stern has tape covering his mouth.

“This display is censored,” said Ellen Field, 88, of Irvine, looking at the pictures of Madonna. “Strip off the red tape and then you can ask, should this be censored?”

Others disagree.

Karen Fetzer, marketing director for Hollis & Associates Inc., which runs the Marketplace, said her office has received about 20 calls since the Madonna portion of the display went up nearly two weeks ago.

“We just feel that the Madonna portion went too far,” she said. A sign that says “The Irvine Marketplace Management does not condone this window display at SOHO,” accompanies the Madonna display.

“No one gave us a chance to finish the display before they condemned us,” said Karie McDowell, the artist responsible for the display. She said some people were trying to block the Madonna portion of the display while it was being put up.

McDowell said she does not get upset if people do not like her work, or even take offense to it, but she maintained that some people are simply missing the point.

“I chose censorship because there was a fine line and I wanted to know what people thought,” she said. She insisted that the displays are not so much about the artist as they are about individuals’ right to express their opinions--whether in a book, on a record or on a talk show.

“I don’t think Howard Stern should be taken off the air,” said Brett Jennings, 27, of Laguna Niguel, who would not let her 4-year-old son, Kasey, listen to him or see the Madonna display.

“Howard Stern has a much wider audience than that window display,” retorted Mark Smith, a Marketplace employee who was standing nearby.

“This is also a very family-oriented area,” said Jennings, who added she supports the First Amendment, but “the First Amendment has nothing to do with displaying.”

This kind of dialogue between strangers is exactly what Toma had hoped for. Others have told him they would never shop there again.

“I think it’s great that the owner of the store had the courage to put this in the window,” said Cindi Morris, 31, of Balboa.

She defended the right of all artists to express their viewpoints. “I don’t agree with the photos of Madonna and Ice-T’s lyrics, but I think the artwork is great. I’m glad it’s here because I’m not ready to give up my right to speak for anyone,” she said.

And for those who wanted to speak their mind, the display was accompanied by a board that asked whether such information should be censored.

“Yes! There are children present,” was one comment. Others included: “Censure Howard and I’m moving to Bosnia” and “Words don’t hurt people. People hurt people.”

“To my knowledge, Ice-T’s album did not cause any police to be killed. To my knowledge, no album caused police to beat Rodney King,” said 32-year-old Newport Beach resident Tony Jackson. He added that while he did not agree with the song’s lyrics, he would not want to see it censored.

His co-worker, Bobby Stokes, 36, disagreed.

“We already have (the language) in the back alleys, so why should we have it on Main Street?” he asked.

“So we should eliminate it all, so all we’ve got is Pat Boone,” was Jackson’s reply.

One passerby, Beverly Avery, 40, of San Francisco, was more concerned about future generations. “My contemporaries seem to be raising their children by trying to shield them from all the things they fought to win the right to express. . . . What was it all for?”