The Inconsistent Censorship of Walmart: Fifty Shades of Grey?

As part of it's mission as a family-friendly store, Walmart has an extended history of censoring music, movies, and books. There are some artists that they refuse to carry and there are other artists who have had to release censored versions of their work. Walmart, after all, accounts for 10% of all music sales in the US. They currently refuse to carry any music that has a "parental advisory" sticker.

So, I found it surprising the other day when I was strolling the book section and found stacks and stacks of the latest bestseller, "Fifty Shades of Grey." Knowing that Walmart has also been known to sell censored versions of books, I looked all over the book for any indication that it was censored. It was not!

So, apparently, according to Walmart, lyrics that contain foul language or references to "abortion, homosexuality or Satanism" are not appropriate. But lines like:

“I pull him deeper into my mouth so I can feel him at the back of my throat and then to the front again. My tongue swirls around the end. He’s my very own Christian Grey-flavored popsicle. I suck harder and harder … Hmm … My inner goddess is doing the merengue with some salsa moves.”

That apparently is family-friendly.

Sources for this article:

http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/01.09.97/walmart-music-9702.html

http://www.pbs.org/itvs/storewars/stores3_2.html


http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/30869645/ns/today-entertainment/t/green-day-lashes-out-wal-mart-policy/#.UAnDt5Fj6uI

http://www.theculturemom.com/women-submissives-fifty-shades-grey/