Why we don't have Walmart at the NoisyMall

Regular readers may recall our over-populated NoisyMall.com, where we feature dozens of retailers that empower our readers to keep this blog going by starting their shopping through that page.

Despite the many big and small retailers there, one that is shining by their absence is Walmart. There are a few reasons why we don't have Walmart there, but the main reason is not what you may think.

It is a matter of free speech when it comes to the world of Arts. Walmart will not allow music-CDs to be sold there unless they are edited (read: censored) to remove "offensive" language. At the same time, they have no problem selling movies and video games filled with violence, death, vulgar crimes, and all sorts of "sins" a whole lot worse than someone uttering a swear word. That puts a capital "H" in Hypocrisy!

That was the case with the latest album from Green Day (website). The musicians stood their ground and refused to have their music censored to Walmart's pleasure. And it sure did hurt their sales. But they had a choice, and they said NO.

And this is the type of mentality some photography-as-art exhibits face when a certain picture or a certain theme is deemed "offensive" by the restrictionist mob, who once again, is illogically "selective" on what they find offensive. As if a single photograph will destroy the world as we know it, while desensitizing millions to violence and bloody carnage is a relative non-issue.