WTF?

A class action lawsuit has been filed against Wal-Mart for allowing thirteen-year-olds across Maryland to hear a dirty word. Turns out that the Evanescence CD has a cover of Korn’s “Thoughtless,” which contains the lyric “Why are you trying to make fun of me? You think it’s funny? What the fuck do you think it’s doing to me?”

The problem was not the “f-bomb,” but the fact that the album lacked a parental advisory label. If it had such a sticker, of course, Wal-Mart would not have stocked the item.

If thine ears were offended, the suit contends, you and your spawn ought to receive $75,000 in compensation. That works out to just over $16,000 a letter.

Almost as absurd as the idea of a thirteen-year-old anywhere inside of Pluto having been untouched by the second most vile word in American English, is watching American newspapers’ and magazines’ fetishistic attempt circumscribe (so to speak) the word. The Rolling Stone seems to be the only mainstream outlet to actually make use of the word. This at the same time that the Guardian argues that “fuck” isn’t really a “bad word” any more. Burnside would agree:

Looked at solely as a lexical unit, “fuck” is a very good, sturdy, versatile, and descriptive word. If our social masters could reconcile themselves to the idea that sex is a legitimate part of human existence and is here to stay, it may be that “fuck” will eventually be accepted in polite use.

I doubt Wal-Mart is likely to agree. And since they are increasingly the only place that young Americans are exposed to ideas (you know, besides TV), it looks like it’s going to stay that way for a while.

Update (12/15): And since I’ve already put myself on the blacklist of every piece of Nannyware out there, I highly suggest you watch this promo for Channel 4 (which I must have blogged at some point with everyone else) with the volume up nice and loud. This was originally meant to be played in theaters before the movie Kill Bill, but the theater association nixed it–so it showed up on TV after 10pm.