Rhath wrote:
Kevorkian wrote:
Normally I agree, but when they shamelessly use their commercial clout in order to force their own moral standards upon the entire nation, that's where they cross the line. And yes I do boycott Wal Mart for this reason.
I guess I don't follow Walmart's business practices enough to know exactly what you're talking about. I don't get how they force any sort of moral standards. Is it their choice of censorship? Can't you just buy the album from somewhere else?
The link is in the fourth message of this thread and explains what I'm talking about. They force alternate versions of albums with sanitized lyrics and album art. Most of us can buy the album elsewhere, but in many places in this country, Wal-mart is the ONLY retailer in a 50 mile radius that sells music b/c they killed off all the smaller record shops (and hardware stores, grocery stores, etc.) Basically it's like the capitalist version of a Soviet or Communist Chinese state-run store. You can ONLY buy stuff there. The worst part is that the "clean" albums are not labeled as such. You don't know you're getting a censored version unless you compare to the "same" album bought somewhere else.
"Well they can always buy the real version on Amazon!" -- Not all the people in this country are sophisticated enough to use the internet to shop online. Brick & mortar stores are still king, and Wal-mart is the king of all b&m stores.
Wal-mart is a de-facto monopoly, and they use this fact to bully the record industry and everyone else into doing things their way. This is unethical, and disgusts me to the core. How long until they use their clout to force video game companies to release Christian, Wal-mart versions of games?
"Hey Blizzard we won't sell your game at Wal-mart unless you get rid of the Warlock class, shadow-priest talents, and all the undead/zombie/skeleton mobs and instances b/c that's all un-Christian, devil-worshipping stuff"
Why stop at video games? Let's censor or choose not to sell any books that criticize the Bush administration, because we at Wal-mart support good, God-fearing folk like G W Bush. We're not gonna carry Hilary Clinton or Barack Obama books.
Yes it is their choice as a corporation in a free-market economy to do this, but it's completely sleazy, unethical, and downright disgusting.
So in two words: Fuck Wal-Mart.
