Green Day Vs. Wal-Mart

NEW YORK — Green Day has the most popular CD in the country, but you won't be able to find it at your local Wal-Mart.

The band says the giant superstore chain refused to stock its latest CD, "21st Century Breakdown," because Wal-Mart wanted the album edited for language and content, and they refused.

"Wal-Mart's become the biggest retail outlet in the country, but they won't carry our record because they wanted us to censor it," frontman Billie Joe Armstrong said in a recent interview.

While Wal-Mart sells CDs from acts known for raunchy content, including Eminem's latest, they offer customers the "clean" version of those CDs, which are edited for content that may be objectionable. But in Armstrong's view, "There's nothing dirty about our record."

"They want artists to censor their records in order to be carried in there," he said. "We just said no. We've never done it before. You feel like you're in 1953 or something."

"21st Century Breakdown" contains curses and some references considered adult.

Wal-Mart said that it's the company's long-standing policy not to stock any CD with a parental advisory sticker.

"As with all music, it is up to the artist or label to decide if they want to market different variations of an album to sell, including a version that would remove a PA rating," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Melissa O'Brien said. "The label and artist in this case have decided not to do so, so we unfortunately can not offer the CD."

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But bassist Mike Dirnt said: "As the biggest record store in the America, they should probably have an obligation to sell people the correct art."

Not being sold at Wal-Mart didn't stop the band _ which kicks off a U.S. tour summer tour in Seattle on July 3 _ from landing at the top of the album charts this week. "21st Century Breakdown" sold about 215,000 copies since it's debut on Friday.

The album is the follow-up to their multiplatinum, Grammy-winning CD "American Idiot," and like that album, deals with weighty topics. While "American Idiot" spoke to the frustration over the presidency of George W. Bush and the Iraq War, this CD speaks to the loss of innocence and confusion in today's society.

While Armstrong, Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool are still top-sellers without Wal-Mart, Armstrong said the store's policy is disappointing, considering it has become the dominant seller of CDs with the decline of traditional music stores.

"If you think about bands that are struggling or smaller than Green Day ... to think that to get your record out in places like that, but they won't carry it because of the content and you have to censor yourself," he said. "I mean, what does that say to a young kid who's trying to speak his mind making a record for the first time? It's like a game that you have to play. You have to refuse to play it."

____

On the Net:

http://www.greenday.com

Comments

[GetACluepeople]

By banning Green Day 's new album, you have just placed yourself amongst the other poor decision makers of American Industry! On this Memorial day weekend, you have just kicked soldiers,s­ailors,air­men and marines squarely in the face and marginalized their great sacrifice! How? they fight AND die so you have the right to choose Is Walmart saying that Americans cannot decide on their own what is safe for their consumption, and that Mighty Walmart must carry the Moral Torch and make that decision for all American consumers?How dare (Walmart) decide for me and an entire nation what to buy and what to purchase! If I deem the lyrics of their album offensive then I as a parent should make that decision NOT YOU! Those soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines are working somewhere in the world today to keep YOU safe or have they too lost that right? I served in the military and was able to visit the old East Germany before the wall came down, it was similar to what's going on here now, on the surface some freedoms but when something, book, album, TV show, newpaper article came out the Kremlin did not agree with they simply MADE THE DECISION TO REMOVE OR RESTRICT IT, kinda like what Walmart just did!

[HelloooCanada]

...and yet, a quick check of walwart's website confirms that they sell all of the torture-tainment "saw" movies in glorious blueray high definition (in their "horror > slasher" section, no less).

if there's one thing i hate worse than a fascist, it's a fascist hypocrite.

good for green day. best rock band in the world today.

[Doubleneck]

Here's a simple way to protest this kind of censorship. Go to Walmart and load your basket with goods that will equal a nice sale for them. After the cashier checks the items through and asks for your payment, ask him or her if they have the newest Green Day CD. They will probably not know if the store carries it or not. The next step is to ask for the manager. Ask him or her the same question. They will probably be aware of the situation and tell you "No, we are not carrying it" to which you reply "then I'm not doing business with you". You then walk out of the store leaving the unpaid goods sitting on the counter.

[learntofly]

Only problem is that you'll wait in line to check out for half a day, with their crack store security team checking out the pores on your skin the whole time, with no customer service or no manager coming to the cashier area - period, and when you've had enough & go out to your car - you find it has been gang smashed by 100 shopping carts.

You know it's true.

[probo]

Get a bunch of your friends to do the same thing , sounds like a nice peaceful protest to me.

[Doubleneck]

Spread the word! Lets make a news story out of it.

[ibivi]

To do as you advise is harassment of the workers at WalMart. They have enough to do without wasting their time with your gesture. If you want to do something about their policy write to their corporate headquarters.

[Catfish1968]

I agree with ibivi. Being mean to the workers proves nothing. And, I hate wal-mart.

[Pseudocide]

What is this concept of ..buying..music? You realize you're all posting on the internet and it's readily available for free all over the place if you cared to look? I'm not advocating pirating Greenday's CD but in the case of other CD's you might've bought at Walmart, by all means download them instead of giving Walmart more of your money, they don't deserve it for the horrible way they treat their employees. Can't work there if you are in any need of health insurance or benefits, because a company that mainly buys from China instead of the US to make an extra buck, sure as hell isn't looking after their slaves--I mean employees.

[coastalcarla]

Not only don't they hire people that need insurance, but none of the cashiers or stockers are technically "full time", so they don't have to offer hardly any of them insurance to begin with. I know three people that work at our local WalMart, and they keep them at 36 hours a week, and then force them to restock after they punch out if it takes them longer than their allotted hours in a shift to finish the job. And if they don't do the restock off the clock, they get fired, because our town has such a high unemployment rate that there is a long line of people waiting to take their job. That's if you can get past the rah-rah cheer they make you do before a shift. Bunch of whackos.

[Khirad]

Does anyone have a list of all the artists they've done this to? F--- fascists. Some funny family values they practice anyway.

Seeing Green Day back reminds me of my (very) early teen years. Remember when Green Day was totally lame -- and how now they're like the edgiest thing out there? A testament to the sad state the music industry finds itself. On the plus side, was it just me or was Billie lookin' a little Robert Smith minus the makeup on Colbert? ...probably just me. ;)

[tokenconservative]

I hate Greenday and love Wal-Mart. This is music to my ears.

[kitten645]

If you love walmart, try working there...talk about an American Idiot!

[Khirad]

I'm willfully interpreting that comment as sarcastic.

[YellowDogInRedCounty]

figures...

[Catfish1968]

token must be tokin'.

[yourmotherwasahamster]

I've been boycotting the evil empire for the past 6 years. Viva la Target! I'll gladly pay the $1.50 extra or whatever it is. My principles are worth something to me.

[learntofly]

You sound exactly like me. I've been boycotting them for about as long (should have started earlier). While I'd rather not spend money, it does give me great pride in knowing that Wal-Mart has not gotten thousands of my dollars. Target all the way!

[Ross Taylor]

I will not spend a single penny with this vile organization. They are determined to impose their values on me and others and they are bad for local economies in general.

[probo]

Never would I ever step foot in that place, they will ruin every other business if we continue to support them. I dont need anything they sell, and Im not just talking merchandise.

[SaintZak]

Good for Green Day! I hope others follow their lead and not-sold-at-Walmart become the cool badge of honor.

I've never spent a dime at Walmart, and don't intend to.

[Madmac]

Do you know the enemy?
Do you know your enemy?
Well, gotta know the enemy wah hey

[Angelus2007]

If that is their policy, who cares. I agree with Wal-Mart on this. They use the fact that parents, grandparents can walk into their store buy their kids, any CD and it won't be parental advisory. If a band chooses not to change their CD, good for them, but they can't complain, they knew the deal going in.

I personally think that censoring music is silly, we don't have PG versions of R movies for sale (not counting cable TV) so we should only have one version of a CD, but that Green Day knew Wal-Mart wouldn't sell it, Eminem (who had a CD come out on the 19th) knew, and he made a clean version, he chose to, they didn't. They had a choice, Wal-Mart had a policy, live with it.

[coastalcarla]

That was the whole purpose on putting the stupid PA stickers on them in the first place. So i diotic parents and grandparents that don't know any better could tell if there was objectionable content in them, when buying their precious little closeted children CDs for Christmas. WalMart just wants to censor music. It was bad enough when bands were forced to put the PA sticker on in the first place. Now a Chinese rip-off retail chain is demanding that they change their music in order for it to go on their shelves? I guess WalMart doesn't just get it's stock from China - it THINKS it IS China, and that it is OK to censor art.

I don't see them taking all the "F" words out of their R rated movies. Or the sex. Where does WalMart get off thinking that censoring music is fine?

[Rebekah Hall]

Here's what I don't understand about the policy: They don't want to sell anything with a PA sticker, so instead they insist on "clean" versions. (Safe to assume I wouldn't be able to pick up Lily Allen's song "F*** You" there, hm? GREAT song, btw! Check it out.) Now, knowing that anyone who would willingly shop at Wal-Mart must be an idiot, let's imagine this scenario:

Grandma goes to Wal-Mart and buys little Jimmy Eminem's latest CD for Christmas. Jimmy really likes it, so the next time Eminem puts out a CD, he bugs his mom to get it for him. But Mom goes to Target, Amazon.com, anywhere other than Wal-Mart, to buy that CD. She's heard the CD Grandma bought, so figures the artist must be okay.

And suddenly Jimmy learns exactly what a potty-mouth Eminem is.

Possible?

[american-dolt]

I'm rooting for Walmart

[drumz]

Why? To be funny I hope...

[YellowDogInRedCounty]

Seems like your name is accurate.

[Catfish1968]

yup -doltish.

[todoestabien]

This just reinforces my decision to move away from the bright shiny lights of Wal-Mart/Sam's Club to those who are more deserving of my money. Glad I left you.

[rmonroe]

Screw Walmart. I think I will stop shopping there. They act like they are the moral authority on everything and that they rule the world. When are people going to wake up and boycott those idiots. Everyone just make sure when you buy the new Greenday CD you do it while doing ALL your shopping somewhere else but WALMART!

[drumz]

I have only walked into a walmart just to see what the fuss was about. I took about 10 steps in and made a U-turn. That smell of plastic and popcorn and the tons of obese men, women and children was disgusting.

I will never step in one again.

[ChiGuy]

Had Green Day titled the CD "Made In China", Wally World would have jumped on it.

[older2wiser]

Say it loud!!! Say it clear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Proud Bay Man]

Cheers! Anyone who shops at that place is a wrong in so many ways. They have no respect for their workers rights whatsoever. They sell crap from China that is constantly putting US workers out of jobs and they are raking it in from the poor and middle class who could care less about where their stretch jeans and tube tops come from. These people wonder why the country is going down. Every purchase you make from this place sells our country out. I am truly glad they are not in the city I live in.