Why Green Day took a stand against Wal-Mart, and why you should, too
If you wanted to pick up Green Day’s latest release, 21st Century Breakdown, there’s a good chance that you have already; with over 200,000 copies sold, the album is at the top of the charts, beating out Hannah Montana. Take that for whatever you think it’s worth.
But, if you did pick it up, you didn’t buy it from Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart has announced that it will not be carrying 21st Century Breakdown, because Green Day refused to release a censored version.
Apparently, Wal-Mart has a policy of refusing to carry albums with a parental advisory, instead forcing bands that want to be on their shelves to record a “cleaned up” record.
This is a ridiculous policy; it’s deceptive to the public and derides the meaning of the advisory label.
Back in 1990, the PMRC created the distinct black and white label as a means for the music industry to police itself; bands wouldn’t be censored, but they had to be upfront about the content of their albums. It’s a system that works, and because it works, Wal-Mart’s policy only hurts the album buyer.
When you see an album with an advisory sticker, the band is being honest about the album’s content. You then make the decision as to whether or not to purchase the album. When you see an album with no sticker, you also know what to expect. It’s up to you what you want to buy.
However, if you purchase an album from Wal-Mart, you are being misled, and robbed of your choice. You have no way of knowing if the album you are picking up is as the artist intended, or if it’s one of Wal-Mart’s albums that have been subjected to their personal standards. You have no way of knowing at all.
It’s great that Green Day opted to take a stand and refuse. An album is an artistic endeavor, and when a band produces it, they have produced their idea of their art (and wouldn’t changing up a concept album even be changing its concept?). What right does Wal-Mart have to come along and tell them differently? Currently, Wal-Mart is the biggest music retailer in the nation, and many smaller bands cave into the corporation’s demands in order to get on the shelves, but if more big bands like Green Day took this stand, perhaps people will simply vote with their dollars, and let Wal-Mart know their feelings on this as well.
In my opinion, your best bet is to simply not buy music from Wal-Mart. Whether you buy your music online, through a chain store or through the local independent shop, get them anywhere else. You’ll be avoiding practices that presume to be protecting you, when instead they are censoring and demeaning art, and taking away your right to choose.
Photo courtesy of Total Assault
Comments
BRAVO! BRAVO to Green Day for telling Wal Mart to go take a hike. I hope sales for this new album go off the charts! It’s about time someone stood up to them. WE will decide what we want to hear…NOT WAL MART! This is Green Day’s album and music. NO ONE should be able to tell them what to do with it. This is 100% pure freedom of speech and with so much of the Constitution being raped, I’m glad to see them stand up for what is right. I may very well play this full blast in Wal Mart parking lots! Because I CAN.
For once walmart has decided not to cave
In to popular demands! Now that I know that
Walmart will not sell the music industries vulgar
garbage and requires the bands to actually have use
words and creativity instead of resorting to profanity
Might entice me to actually shop there.
Ryan, I liked your blog post about Green Day’s new disk. There are a couple of facts I wanted to point out that you may not be aware of:
1. The record companies decide which discs to put the PMRC stickers on, and they all have different rules. For instance, there’s no sticker on Alanis Moriessette’s “Jagged Little Pill,” which does contain some adult content (even MTV bleeped a bit of “You Oughta Know.”). Meanwhile, several Prince albums have the sticker and yet I’ve not heard anything on them as blatant as Alanis’ records. (These are just examples, and I’m sure others could come up with additional examples.)
2. Walmart does have the word “EDITED” on the price sticker for those recordings that have been altered to escape the PMRC sticker. It’s not as big as the PMRC sticker, but it is there and easily seen.
You’re completely right in that each individual choses where they shop, whether for physical media or downloads. You should be aware that the same policy that WM uses for CDs is also used online for their music downloads – so yes, Green Day’s latest most likely will not be found there either.
As far as art goes, I wouldn’t be too hard on the artists that do comply and edit their music for WM or any other retailer; it’s called the music business for a reason – people wanna get paid for their music.
Again, I enjoyed the column and look forward to reading more of your work.
Hell yeah I totally agree! I am so happy that Green Day doesn’t change their stuff around and edit it just because of Walmart. Walmart sucks! Everyone should buy music from another store.
Who is lost in this game? I don’t think its Walmart.
Tom,
Thanks for your comment. I just want to clarify my point.
You’re right; the labels themselves choose what they will sticker. This part of them taking responsibility and policing themselves. Some labels, especially independent ones, don’t sticker at all. It’s up to them.
That these stickers exist at all was a concession to the government, who should have little to no power when it comes to regulating art. What was a pet crusade for Tipper Gore nearly crippled freedom of expression in this country, and they shouldn’t be allowed another attempt.
On the same token, what gives Wal-Mart, a corporation, the right to regulate art? They have none, and Green Day pointed it out by walking away. Music fans, whether or not they agree with any particular lyrics or bands, have a duty to show their support for freedom of expression by taking their dollars elsewhere as well.
that’s BS walmart should sell any CD
that must be why i couldn’t find the first Slipknot album DOWN WITH WALMART!!!!
im never shopping at walmart again they can go to hell…tower records baby thats where i get my album from
Thank you Green Day. I think its cool to have a edited version, but no one should be forced to alter his/her own work, as opposed to his/her vision being denied/vandalized/raped. And no I am not trying to be vulgar. That is seriously the closest analogy i can think of. I Applaud you for this work, and appreciate your music and lyrics as some of the best rock in the last 20-30 years. You guys make any top ten list of great rebellious artwork, and are certainly a candidate for the top twenty rock bands of both the 90s and, i assume even though technically its not over yet, our decade of Y2k-2009. I salute you, and wish you well.
One problem. GREEN DAY ISNT PUNK!!! they are the biggest sellouts in rock since metallica, they suck now, and will never be the same