Walmart says it was “primarily a business decision” but “concerns raised were heard.”
One of the world’s most prominent lifestyle magazines, Cosmopolitan, is being removed from the checkout-aisles of Walmart[/tweetit] across the United States. This decision has been praised by Christians all over the country. One of the major Christian voices, Victoria Hearst, the heiress to the Hearst foundation has thanked Lord Jesus Christ for this change. Hearst has been battling the magazine for years now as the born-again Christian expressed her concerns about children coming across its sexualized covers at the store. “Thank you Walmart Corporation, as a company that honors family values for moving Cosmopolitan magazine from the cashier racks in your stores to the magazine section,” expressed the heiress and founder of Praise Him Ministries.
Christians Applaud Walmart for Banning Cosmopolitan Magazine at Checkout Lines[/tweetthis]
Walmart has begun shifting the magazines from the checkout line to the less exclusive magazine section in 5,000 stores. The move has been applauded by Christians all over the country due to its problematic “hyper-sexualized” content. The magazine has also faced serious backlash from the non-profit conservative groups like the NCOSE (National Center on Sexual Exploitation). In a recent release by Walmart, they have clarified that although the move was from a business perspective, they did pay attention to the concerns that were raised.
Cosmopolitan has been in print since the late 19th century and has been defining the culture for sexual content, fashion trends and entertainment gossip. They have continued to maintain their reputation over the years with over a dozen international editions, which cater to the “fun, fearless female.”
Walmart has chosen to package this new decision along with the #MeToo movement, a decision that has both been praised and criticized. The executive director of NCOSE, Dawn Dawkins, highlighted some of the problematic issues with the magazine saying “It's filled with articles that are extremely sexually graphic, encouraging its young readership to engage in everything from sexting, to watching pornography. It's also promoting things such as group acts and other forms of risky sex." One of the main problematic areas with this magazine as mentioned by Dawkins is that it talks about sex from the perspective of satisfying a man, which in turn plays into the whole culture of men treating women as sex objects. Further, by placing former Disney stars on the cover, the magazine has been blamed for targeting young females.
6 Ways to Get Rid of a Hickey Fast https://t.co/TI3Rk4BNuv pic.twitter.com/tjMlGgYWOJ
— Cosmopolitan (@Cosmopolitan) March 28, 2018
The argument that hiding Cosmo from Walmart shoppers will foster a “culture that will respect women and ensure their dignity is understood” is absolutely infuriating. Sexuality ≠ exploitation https://t.co/3kUG9czzUL
— Ashley Spencer (@AshleyySpencer) March 27, 2018
Confusing. Walmart is going to remove @Cosmopolitan Magazine from its checkout lines, in part as a response to the #MeToo movement, says @USAToday . But Me Too is about harassment, not sex, and certainly not women enjoying sex. Everything is being thrown into the panic blender.
— Lenore Skenazy (@FreeRangeKids) March 28, 2018