Livedaily reports that Wal-Mart and Kmart have both banned Godsmack from their shelves. The ban took place after an irate parent discovered that his son had purchased the bands debut cd from Wal-Mart. 

Godsmack joins the ranks of Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne, and Marilyn Manson. Where overzealous parents think that music can actually make their children do things they wouldn't do otherwise. The overprotective father in this case claims that the lyrics could lead children to suicide... (Yeah right). He was also shocked by satanic symbols that appear on the cd's artwork.  Perhaps he should buy sonny Def Leppard's Pyromania and a book of matches, if we are at the point of judging CD's by their covers.  Yes we here at Rock n World make light of this, because simply it is silly to think that music would make a child do anything. There are more sociological factors at work.  We bring up Pyromania because during the Senate hearings on Rock censorship a PMRC panelist held up the artwork to that album and said, "No Question, Burn a Building, Burn, Burn." Well on listing to the title song, in fact the entire album, those lyrics of encouragement to pyromaniacs could not be heard. It is a parents right to question the material that their children listen to, yes, but can one parents right to decide that because he finds an album offensive, that other people should be denied the right to decide for themselves? Sounds like censorship. 

Once the outraged father complained, Wal-mart and Kmart quickly pulled the album from their shelves.  Ranked at number 23 this week on the Billboards album charts, while the single "whatever" is in the airplay top 10, Godsmack's debut is a very popular album. The actions of Wal-Mart and Kmart are understandable given their history. Kmart banned Sheryl Crowe at one time. So Music fans should decide that they do not want these stores to decide for them what they should listen to. Music fans should buy ALL of their music selections at stores that let fans think for themselves. While they are at, why not shop for other items elsewhere.

The bottom line. Music is entertainment, should we ban the new Star Wars movie because the story compares young Darth Vader to Jesus with a Virgin Birth? Should we ban Road Runner cartoons because it advocates cruelty to animals? Should we ban the movie Urban Legend out of fears that kids will try and reenact the movie? Or better yet,  lets ban Tom Clansy novels because they encourage Terrorism.  Somewhere along the line, some people lost sight of the line between entertainment and reality. If they had their way we would all live in a world where the only music was Wayne Newton, and our televisions would be tuned into reruns of Leave it to Beaver 24 hours a day. That is not a world I would want to live in. 

Managing Editor - Keavin Wiggins