Wal-Mart’s Shades of Grey

By: American Decency Staff

In last Thursday’s email alert, Shining Light on “Fifty Shades of Grey,”  we reported how Meijer Supermarkets has taken the commendable position of not stocking the pornographic book series “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Then on Friday we discovered that unlike Meijer, Wal-Mart stores are not only selling these disturbing books in their stores in a Valentine’s display, but have an extensive line of “Fifty Shades of Grey” merchandise on their website!

Yes, Wal-Mart, who has positioned themselves as a corporation that caters to American families and promotes family values, is peddling pornographic materials to the families they serve. 

Somehow this doesn’t mesh with this quote prominently displayed on the Wal-Mart corporate website:  “Personal and moral corporate integrity is one of our basic fundamentals and it has to start with each of us.”  – Sam Walton

Wal-Mart has enjoyed the image of being family friendly and has even taken steps to promote many family friendly films.  However now they find themselves at an impasse; are they really family friendly or just a company that desires to take a bite from every part of the pie? 

You shouldn’t expect to find a health food store which offers sugary junk foods; it just doesn’t seem right.  Neither should you accept a store which claims to be family friendly yet offers products which are harmful to the very families they claim to be friends with.  Yet this is exactly what we find as Wal-Mart is distributing and promoting the book Fifty Shades of Grey. 

On Wal-Mart’s website they are selling a “Fifty Shades of Grey Gourmet Gift Basket” that, along with specialty chocolates, includes chrome-plated metal handcuffs and rope.  Wal-Mart’s lengthy “Fifty Shades” product list also includes a so-called “adult” Fifty Shades of Grey Party Game and a disturbing book entitled “Fifty Shades in Alice in Wonderland – a fairy tale for adults.”   Imagine children coming across a book with Alice in Wonderland in the title, only to find an explicit description of bondage and sex.   While Wal-Mart labels these items for “adults” what is to prevent minors from purchasing them?

But an even greater question is, why in the world is a family supermarket stocking the type of merchandise typically found in seedy sex shops?

That is a question Wal-Mart will have to answer. 

Wal-Mart’s slogan is “Save Money.  Live Better.” Many studies show how pornography is dangerous to the American culture, to marriages, men, women, and children.  Pornography is dangerous to the family which is the building block of any society and now “family friendly” Wal-Mart is distributing this pornographic book and promoting this movie which will soon be released.  “Live Better” and read porn are opposite to one another. Wal-Mart must decide which they desire most.  Their decision will show what they really believe.

Please help us hold Wal-Mart accountable.  Click here to send a message to Wal-Mart.

We also urge you to call Wal-Mart today at 479-273-4000.   Let them know we expect better from a trusted family marketplace and urge them to immediately remove all “Fifty Shades of Grey” merchandise from their stores and website.

In addition, please share this concern with family and friends on Facebook or by forwarding this article to others.

You, dear reader, also have a choice to make.  Now that you’re informed, you must wrestle with this issue.  You need to decide if you really believe that pornography, particularly pornography blatantly displayed for all to see, is wrong or if you believe it is acceptable.  You must choose to take a stand and let Wal-Mart know you expect them to sweep their shelves of this smut, dismantle their deplorable displays, and lose their online pornographic products, or you must choose to do nothing.  Your action or lack thereof betrays the belief of your heart.

The great King David told the Lord, “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes…” (Ps 101:3)  Help us encourage Wal-Mart to not set wicked things before the eyes of children and families.  Help us protect others from this evil.

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To support our efforts please click here or mail your gift to American Decency Association (ADA), PO Box 202, Fremont, MI 49412.   

American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

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photo credit: JeepersMedia via photopin cc

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