Wal-Mart Sued Over Evanescence CD Lyrics

Post by **Apoptosis** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 11:00 am

I guess I'm getting old (at 23), but when I was growing up and my parents caught me doing something wrong they took whatever it was and tried their best to lay the law down.

When I seea group of familes suing Wal-Martsince they didn't censor the F word in one song I'm shocked. Since when is it Wal-Mart's jub to parent childern? Last time I checked it was up to the parents to raise children.

I'm amazed...

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which promotes itself as a seller of clean music, deceived customers by stocking compact discs by the rock group Evanescence that contain the f-word, a lawsuit claims.

The hit group's latest CD and DVD, ``Anywhere But Home,'' don't carry parental advisory labels alerting potential buyers to the obscenity. If they did, Wal-Mart wouldn't carry them, according to the retailer's policy.

But the lawsuit claims Wal-Mart knew about the explicit lyrics in the song, ``Thoughtless,'' because it censored the word in a free sample available on its Web site and in its stores.

The complaint, filed Thursday in Washington County Circuit Court, seeks an order requiring Wal-Mart to either censor or remove the music from its Maryland stores. It also seeks damages of up to $74,500 for each of the thousands of people who bought the music at Wal-Marts in Maryland.

If these people get $74,500 for being irresponsible parents it just goes to show how screwed up the American way of life really is.

T-Shirt · Post by **T-Shirt** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 11:05 am

I'm wondering how wal-mart gets away editing any CD, if they don't like the content DON"T CARRY IT!

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 12:29 pm

I can see filing a complaint with Wal-Mart, since they do advertise their cds as edited, but suing, and for that much PER CD??? That is about as stupid as people suing fast food restaurants for making them fat!

infinitevalence · Post by **infinitevalence** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 12:59 pm

T-Shirt wrote:I'm wondering how wal-mart gets away editing any CD, if they don't like the content DON"T CARRY IT!

I'm right there with you, don't edit art, some people may see it as profane, as they did with Jazz in the 1930's, but its still art. Secondly the don't carry it statement applies to the parents as well, if you don't want you kids listening to profanity then don't let them buy it.

Post by **Apoptosis** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 1:03 pm

Amy can see filing a complaint with Wal-Mart, since they do advertise their cds as edited

I thought Wal-Mart just edited the ones with the parental advisory on them or didn't carry them at all. I didn't know Wal-Mart edited every single CD in there. If they do that is just another nail in the lid...

This reminds me of something a couple months back. . Singer Sheryl Crow's new album- you read that right, Sheryl Crow - is no longer carried because she sings about buying a gun at Wal-Mart in ONE line of ONE song. I find it funny that Wal-Mart banned an album that talks about buying a gun at Wal-Mart.

I hope Wal-Mart keeps filtering all their albums. It will lead to fewer choices on Wal-Mart's CD rack and therefore bring the customer back to local business.

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 1:25 pm

Haha...well, you know the Dixie Chicks song, "Earl?" When it came out, national 4-H banned it from being played at any 4-H function because one of the girls was said to be a member of the 4-H club....

infinitevalence · Post by **infinitevalence** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 2:45 pm

The big thing will be their on line music business, if they offer unedited content to certified ages then they may start getting back some business. I have to admit that i think walmart is an evil corporation, i feel like it takes advantage of people with out the education to know that they are being shortchanged. They also don't offer real jobs, no real health care and something like 50% of its workforce is part time. When they add edited music to the list of grievances its amazing how they stay in business, but Americans vote with their wallets so i guess i should not be to surprised.

Post by **Illuminati** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 3:44 pm

Apoptosis wrote:This reminds me of something a couple months back. . Singer Sheryl Crow's new album- you read that right, Sheryl Crow - is no longer carried because she sings about buying a gun at Wal-Mart in ONE line of ONE song. I find it funny that Wal-Mart banned an album that talks about buying a gun at Wal-Mart.

Uhm... especially since walmart does sell guns and ammunition in many, if not all, of its stores. Now if they banned her because of what she sang about doing with the gun, that's another thing.

Here's an interesting question... when is walmart going to ban all rated R movies from their shelves?? or will they just edit those too?

Sueing is a little too easy in today's world, if you ask me.

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 4:22 pm

infinitevalence wrote:I have to admit that i think walmart is an evil corporation, i feel like it takes advantage of people with out the education to know that they are being shortchanged. They also don't offer real jobs, no real health care and something like 50% of its workforce is part time.

Not only that, but it puts small businesses out of business because of their ability to offer low prices. They can undercut anyone. One big thing that they do is undercut pharaceuticals. They make it difficult for small pharmacies to stay in business. I think I remember a lawsuit a few years back because of that practice. I have personally quit buying from Wal-Mart what I can buy somewhere else to the best of my ability. I buy my drugs at a real pharmacy and my food at a grocery store. As soon as I can afford it, I'm going to try to buy most of my meats, fruits, nuts and veggies from local farmers, just to encourage good production practices and try to contribute to the sustainable farming movement.

infinitevalence · Post by **infinitevalence** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 4:29 pm

I NEVER go to walmart for anything. I don't like to company, i don't like the products, and i can get everything i need locally. Besides the difference in price is not large enough in most cases to make any real difference for me, i can generally find the same thing but made with better materials for only slightly more. Case and point is my futon, walmart had a futon for $150, i got a better futon with a lifetime warranty on the frame for $225. why save the $75 when i can just get a more comfortable futon mattress and a warranty.

T-Shirt · Post by **T-Shirt** » Sat Dec 11, 2004 5:37 pm

I've been in a wal-mart ONCE,( with a relitive while visiting Maui, lack of big stores there) as He insisted it was the only place to find what we needed (money was not an object for him) after wasting time with 4 fairly friendly, but clueless sales people we left empty handed, went to the largest local store and payed maybe a buck or 2 more.
Wal-mart drain millions out of their economy, local stores return most of the money locally.
hawaii is a fairly isolated example but walmart works the same way every where, buy propertie away from the core local business offer a little of everything, undercutting the local stores until they go under.
Avoid them