Is the Lifestyles Organization Belly Up? Is That a Bad Thing?

There have been rumors flying around the “swinger” blogosphere that the Lifestyles Organization(LSO), also knows as Lifestyles Resorts, Wide World Lifestyles, and Playcouples, has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection in the state of California.  Some of the popular blogs that have commented on this are Greg & Sheryls, American Lowlife, and the Terra Cotta Inn Blog.  They all are referencing “oddly” the only source of this news, an article printed on 11/13/07 by the Herald Sun, an online news source out of Australia.  After many pages of Google searches and trips to all of the Lifestyles websites, I could find nothing else to confirm this rumor.  So, working under the impression that our friends down under would not lie about this little tidbit of news, let’s assume it is true.

I did notice that the newest of the LSO owned websites, Playcouples.com, had a design date on the bottom of 12/24/07.   From Playcouples there is a link to thelifestylesreport.com , which is so new the only articles on are labelled “test” articles from last week.  The above evidence leads me to believe they are not abandoning ship over at the Lifestyles Organization just yet.  

The question this brings to mind for me is, “Is the survival of the Lifestyles Organization a good thing for the Lifestyle?” 

My concern is this - Upon entering the lifestyle and beginning our searches on the Internet, some of the first websites we found were owned by the Lifestyles Organization.  They looked almost homemade, and all of them were the exact same with only different colors and domain names.  They had virtually no useful content or link directories.  It really made us wonder the legitimacy of the organization.  Then after reading articles stating that Mr. McGinley, the founder of the LSO is the “touted leader” of swingers in America, we really began to question who were all these swingers.

It is no secret that the country’s impression of the “lifestyle” is a bunch of older hippies having orgies in their trailer parks or old houses with shag carpeting and nude velvet artwork hanging in the background.  There is nothing wrong with the above description, and I am sure it comes to fruition quite often!  But the lifestyle is so much more than just that. 

In reality, when we go to swing clubs here in Houston, we are more likely to see the majority of the crowd being thirty or forty-somethings from all walks of life and all professions.  Every one of these couples most likely expected something far different before entering the lifestyle, due to their preconceived images.

I think that the Lifesytyles Organization, being such a public representation of lifestyle, tends to be very behind the times in their marketing.  The company putting on Swingfest has put way more money into this one event, its website, and its marketing than the LSO has done in any of theirs.  This hipper version of the lifestyle that Swingfest represents, will surely attract more people who have been on the fence about joining us “weirdos.”

Is not the influx of more swingers better for the cause?  Not only will they be bringing their sexy bodies and fun attitudes to our little club, but they bring more political power, as well as bring us closer to mainstream acceptance.  I am not foolish enough to think the Catholic church is ever going to change it’s thoughts on monogamy, but I do know that most of us in the lifestyle are completely normal and moral people.  There are most likely millions of couples out there who have these fantasies, but do not act on them due to the hurdles it takes to explore them.  I can’t help but think one of the largest hurdles is this “1970’s million swinger orgy” vision of the lifestyle, that I believe, is somewhat unintentionally propagated by the Lifestyles Organization.

We should also keep in mind, the Lifestyles Organization is not a non-profit institution aimed at furthering the cause of the lifestyle.  It is a for profit company that in reality mostly acts as a specialty “travel agency” for nudists and swingers, as well as some other business ventures as well.

Of course, a good rebuttal could be Dr. McGinley, the head of LSO, is  also behind the non-profit NASCA International, a national swingers trade association.  In reality though, “What is this association doing for the lifestyle?”, besides possibly funneling traffic toward the profit based Lifestyles Organization.  NASCA’s website really is quite worthless.  The FAQ’s are less informative than many basic blogs or Swingersboard’s FAQ’s, and the national club directory is no better maintained than club directories on any of the swinger community websites.  What are they really offering, other than discounts at some of the clubs and events? 

What if I was to pick up cross stitching or embroidery as a hobby tomorrow?  If I chose to visit their national association’s website would I not expect more?  It turns out I would get more! Here is their website for you cross stitchers out there!  They use membership fees of the trade-related businesses to actively promote their hobby and to provide services for cross-stitchers throughout the country

Before I get inundated with hate mail from supporters, let me be clear that I am not saying the Lifestyles Organization is a bad thing.  I recognize how much effort and good the groups founder Robert McGinley, and the NASCA International organization has done for “Swingers” in the past.  I just hope that the financial pressure they are feeling from these new competitors force them into becoming a stronger, more attractive company and organization.

So maybe all this rambling should boil down to: 

I hope the Lifestyles Organization survives, and then they hire the PR director and event planner from Swingfest!!!

Robert McGinley for President 2008!

~Mr. Gentlenibbles