Tuesday, April 18, 2006

ANOTHER REASON TO BOYCOTT WALMART!!!

Kudos to Wal-Mart (barf alert!)

Mega-retailer stands up to religious right, stocks ‘Brokeback’

It’s not often that Wal-Mart, the ubiquitous destroyer of small businesses everywhere, earns high praise for a corporate decision. But this week, the mega-retailer stood its ground and resisted calls from the American Family Association to refuse to sell the “Brokeback Mountain” DVD.

Wal-Mart even promoted the DVD in displays featuring the gay characters portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger.

“It wasn't even a blockbuster movie, so if Wal-Mart isn't trying to push an agenda, why would they put it at the front door?" Randy Sharp, director of special projects for the association, told the L.A. Times.

Actually, Randy, “Brokeback” has made more than $165 million worldwide on a production budget of just $14 million. If that ain’t a blockbuster, I don’t know what is. And that number doesn’t include DVD sales, which will no doubt be tremendous.

Some will say that Wal-Mart is just greedy and knows a hot-selling product when it sees it. But the behemoth is uber-popular in the red states where the American Family Association and other so-called Christian groups hold lots of influence.

So, just this once, kudos to Wal-Mart.

Posted by Kevin Naff, Washington Blade Managing Editor | Apr. 5 at 7:48 PM | knaff@washblade.com

CHECK OUT www.walmartno.org