Pornographic Drinking Straws

[Fandango 1,439]

My first post, while perhaps a bit melodramatic, is very much connected to my previous one. If Americans in general weren't so uptight about sexuality, then seeing a pair of plastic drinking straws that might resemble penises wouldn't be cause for alarm. However, that's not the case, now is it? Her three year-old child wouldn't even know what a ####### is, so the very idea that she's protecting her kid is ludicrous. I could maybe buy into her argument if her child were old enough to recognize the object, but at three years of age, that'd be highly unlikely; perhaps in two or three years time.

If you'll recall, I said she had the right to complain. However, I also stated she should do so in a private manner. Something as minor as this is hardly worth calling in a news channel. I can only imagine it was a very slow day in the local news world for them to take notice. Regardless, her overall reaction seems almost laughable. She acts as if the pair of #######-shaped straws will somehow pervert and corrupt not only her three year-old daughter, but America's youth at large, all because the "evil Wal-Mart empire" decided to place the vile contraptions out on store shelves, for families to unknowlingly purchase!

Such dastardly plans, this Wal-Mart. Who might else be in on this villainous plot? Chef Boyardee, perhaps? Would they make canned phallic-shaped spaghettios? What about Chiquita's plan to slip bananas into the hands of young boys and girls? Can't have that; no sir! Those might just resemble a "man's private parts" and that wouldn't be good.

Now then... of course consumers influence what stores sell. Everyone knows this. But one individual is not the deciding factor in what does or does not get sold. If a majority of people want or don't want something, that will tell a store (or company) quite a lot about the product in question. However, should one person have a particular issue with a product, the general reply will be: "Sorry you feel that way. Would you like a refund or a store credit?" That's about it. They won't stop selling it simply because you -- and only you -- had an issue with it. If stores did that, eventually, nobody would end up selling anything, as I can assure you, someone is complaining about something daily, nearly every hour any store is open. Businesses need to make the decision about which complaints are important and which should be brushed off.

The woman said the same thing in the vid clip...she said she complained to the store because of the 'what ifs' of other parents with a little bit older kids, and not age three like her child who has no clue what it may or may not be. But make no mistake about this....WalMart did not yank this off the shelf cos of one woman's opinion. Selling phallic straws is prolly not something that WM wants to be associated with. That much I'd bet on.

Why she went to the news is unknown, but that's her right to do. Who knows? Mebbe she'll sue WM, heh. But whether she does or not is not the point...the point is, her lifestyle shouldn't be called into question simply because she saw a ####### where someone else might see a rocketship. It's not too much of a stretch, and certainly not as obscure as say, the face of Joe DiMaggio in a potato chip...

I just get so focking tired of the same bs merry go round when it comes to things like this. It's ok to call someone a prude or needing a bit of c*ck because x,y,z. Quick, everyone...the bandwagon's here!

You say she has every right to complain, yet you're poking fun at her because...erm, why, exactly? Cos her complaint was successful and WM actually yanked the product? Oh wait, it's cos this woman is going to be your springboard to make fun of how sexually repressed most Americans are...or...erm, what exactly?

Adding: my lift's here, so I'm off for the rest of the night.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

To be fair to the woman she did say the Walmart store in question laughed off her complaint, which I can well imagine. Even so, there's usually a corporate complaints department that refer to if you don't like how the store treated you.

My wife has worked in retail all of her career and the whole customer service ethic is basically to do anything you can to difuse the situation and stop the customer getting angry - which when you think about it is just common sense. I mean you'll get gift certificates to restaurants if you complain that your food wasn't served quickly enough, or the server was rude - even if there there is little actual merit to the claim. Its about the company image, first and foremost.

However - I do think that this woman going to the media seems rather hysterical and OTT. What's she after out of this - a cash payoff?

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

What a moroon.

[catknit 144]

I have a slight conspiracy theory when it comes to Walmart. I think there is a rogue buyer hunkered down in Arkansas. Last Valentine's day, in the kiddy valentine/seasonal section - right next to the Spongebob Valentines were gummy candy handcuffs in bright packaging titled "Sweet Surrender". I had to buy one, it's still hanging on my cubicle wall - S&M candy for kids? So odd.

[panamania79 2]

I have a slight conspiracy theory when it comes to Walmart. I think there is a rogue buyer hunkered down in Arkansas. Last Valentine's day, in the kiddy valentine/seasonal section - right next to the Spongebob Valentines were gummy candy handcuffs in bright packaging titled "Sweet Surrender". I had to buy one, it's still hanging on my cubicle wall - S&M candy for kids? So odd.

[Mags 112]

But make no mistake about this....WalMart did not yank this off the shelf cos of one woman's opinion. Selling phallic straws is prolly not something that WM wants to be associated with.

Actually, I reckon that Wal-Mart yanked it off the shelves because of the bad publicity, NOT because it thinks the woman is right. It would look far worse if it was seen to ignore her, hence it removed the items from the shelves.

And I'm sorry, someone who refers to a man's ####### as "a man's private area" IS repressed. Has she a right to be repressed? Of course, but she isn't doing her child any favours by example. This isn't the 1900s.

The average child will NOT think anything of that straw; what it boils down to is that it offended HER delicate sensibilities, not a childs.

This is MY opinion and I'm entitled to it. Just as you are entitled to yours.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Two bloody straws. Any reasonable person would have justtossed them, if they were that bothered by them. At most if you were really bothered by it surely you'd take them back to the store and let that be an end to it.

Going to the media and making a stink about it is just ridiculous.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

So I went down to Wal-Mart today and asked where they keep their ####### shaped straws. They looked at me strangely and suggested I might be in the wrong store. Suppose Wal-Mart doesn't carry this kind of stuff down here in FL. I feel better now knowing that we're morally superior to KY. Or maybe they just flew off the shelves once the news broke.

Edited April 13, 2008 by Mr. Big Dog

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

Me likes it when we agree.

But make no mistake about this....WalMart did not yank this off the shelf cos of one woman's opinion. Selling phallic straws is prolly not something that WM wants to be associated with.

Actually, I reckon that Wal-Mart yanked it off the shelves because of the bad publicity, NOT because it thinks the woman is right. It would look far worse if it was seen to ignore her, hence it removed the items from the shelves.

And I'm sorry, someone who refers to a man's ####### as "a man's private area" IS repressed. Has she a right to be repressed? Of course, but she isn't doing her child any favours by example. This isn't the 1900s.

The average child will NOT think anything of that straw; what it boils down to is that it offended HER delicate sensibilities, not a childs.

This is MY opinion and I'm entitled to it. Just as you are entitled to yours.

[amiquechu 0]

[panamania79 2]

[Fandango 1,439]

But make no mistake about this....WalMart did not yank this off the shelf cos of one woman's opinion. Selling phallic straws is prolly not something that WM wants to be associated with.

Actually, I reckon that Wal-Mart yanked it off the shelves because of the bad publicity, NOT because it thinks the woman is right. It would look far worse if it was seen to ignore her, hence it removed the items from the shelves.

And I'm sorry, someone who refers to a man's ####### as "a man's private area" IS repressed. Has she a right to be repressed? Of course, but she isn't doing her child any favours by example. This isn't the 1900s.

The average child will NOT think anything of that straw; what it boils down to is that it offended HER delicate sensibilities, not a childs.

This is MY opinion and I'm entitled to it. Just as you are entitled to yours.

I never said you or anyone here wasn't entitled to your opinion. My only complaint is that there seems to be no respect for this woman's views...

I think it's short sighted to say that WM doesn't think she's right....I was also referring to the publicity of it all. However, as WM doesn't stock other phallic things marketed towards kids, I would hazard a guess that it's not a product they want to be associated with.

If the avg child wouldn't think anything of it, why not let every 3 year old sip out of those 'dicky sippers' that EH posted? They wouldn't know what the shape was all about, so why not? Cos it is the sensibilities of the parent that governs the child. Isn't that what parents do? No, I'm not a mother, but I was a step mother of sorts for years... and yeah, my sensibilities governed what the kids were and weren't exposed to.

Who knows what prompted this mother to go to the news...but the news themselves said that they get tons of complaints that they disregard, yet they chose to air this story.

At the end of the day, I know everyone's going to have a diff opin, and that's cool...but it lends itself to a bigger piccie on vj...and that is you will always be mocked for being uptight/puritanical/prude/etc if you don't wanna talk about which position is yer fave/if ya don't think posting piccies of genitalia is appropriate/if you don't wanna talk about the benefits of rubbing cum on your face/etc. That's what my issue really is. Maybe this woman IS repressed, maybe she's just an overprotective mother, maybe she's building a case to sue WM...who fricken knows? But I'm a bit sick of the closemindedness and the responses to people who aren't as 'vocal' and 'open' as others. I find it to be a bit of an ignorant response.

With that said, I gotta get ready for work! Grrrrrrrrrrrr.

Edited April 13, 2008 by LisaD

[Jenn! 918]

I think it looks more like a butternut squash. Or a guitar.

[Krikit 1,164]

I think it looks more like a butternut squash. Or a guitar.

Yeah, I thought butternut squash too. lol