Accountability

This week on the Larry Elder Show, the following story was featured:


"After buying an Evanescence CD from Wal-Mart for their teen daughter, Trevin and Melanie say they were appalled to discover profane lyrics despite the lack of a warning label on the packaging. The situation was especially disturbing to their family because they shop at Wal-Mart based on its claim of selling only “clean” music. Despite complaining to the company, Trevin and Melanie felt they weren’t taken seriously and that a lawsuit was the only way to make their voices heard. The family is now suing Wal-Mart to ensure that warning labels will be placed on questionable music products in the future."

I have a problem with this story because Larry Elder implies that Wal-Mart is the only party that should take accountability here. There was no mention of the parents taking accountability for purchasing the CD. Despite all the research they did afterwards to find out how to sue Walmart and Evanescence's record label, where was all the research before they bought the CD. Why didn't they look up the lyrics of the songs on the CD? Why didn't they go on the Evanescence website for a real sample of the song? I have the CD in question and where they do use one particular profanity about four times, I choose not to listen to that song. It's not even an Evanescence song, it's a cover of someone's song.

I am in no way condoning Evanescence's use of this word... I like my music profanity free as well. But as a person who worked in music retail for 10 years, all too often retailers have to answer to parents who have neglected their parental responsibilities. When I was a girl, I knew what kind of music my mother would approve and not approve. She set a standard for appropriateness and I, as her child, never even thought to listen to music that I couldn't listen to with her.

Now this is no attack on Evanescence at all. I love their music, albeit, dark music. My issue is parents who go into stores and demand that underpaid sales people be the moral compass for their children. I can't tell you how many times I've heard parents say "You shouldn't sell music that has a parental advisory to teenagers". The fact of the matter is that as a parent, your child should know that music with a parental advisory sticker isn't acceptable in your house. If you child knew that, maybe they wouldn't try to buy that music. But hey, what do I know? I'm just a stupid mall employee...