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Older Naked People Censored Again Wal-Mart Cancels
Book Order
 Oct.
21, 2004 Nudity of older Americans strikes out again. Earlier this
month, the city of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, turned down proceeds
from a risquι calendar featuring local women as old as 84. Now, Wal-Mart
is refusing to sell a book by Jon Stewart of
The Daily Show, because it has a photo of naked older bodies with
the faces of the U.S. Supreme Court judges pasted on them. Is it just
older naked people causing this censorship?
America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy
Inaction, is currently the best selling book in the country, but
Wal-Mart canceled its order after learning of the nude photo on page 99.
The book also contains robes that can be cut out, and tells readers to
"restore their dignity by matching each justice with his or her
respective robe."
But Wal-Mart execs felt that the shock of full
frontal nudity might be too much for the unsuspecting shopper's eyes.
"We felt a majority of our customers would not be
comfortable with the image in our stores," Wal-Mart spokeswomen Karen
Burk told the New York Daily News. The book is still available at
Walmart.com at 45 percent off the $24.95 list price. We still wanted to
give the option of buying it from Walmart.com," Burk explained.
Jamie Raab, a publisher for Warner Books, producer
of America, said she was "disappointed" in the store's choice not
to stock the tome.
"They're within their rights, but I think it's best
to let the customer decide," Raab told USA Today.
Co-author and Daily Show executive producer
Ben Karlin was also miffed by Wal-Mart's decision.
"We even have an American flag on the cover,"
Karlin griped to the Daily News.
The chain has a history of doing away with products
it deems offensive. Blacklisted items include Maxim magazine and
any albums with sexually explicit or violent lyrics. A pregnant doll was
yanked from the shelves in 2002; Sheryl Crow's self-titled album got the
boot in 1996 because of a song that suggested Wal-Mart sells guns to
children.
Raab said she didn't think that Wal-Mart's decision
would hurt America's sales. The book, which is promoted on The
Daily Show is "selling itself," she told USA Today.
More at Eonline
Copyright: SeniorJournal.com |
