Take Action Against Explicit Magazines in Family Stores

In May 2003, Wal-Mart stores in the United States have stopped carrying several young men's magazines (Maxim, Salon and FHM) after criticism from local consumers and family organizations.
Read the TFN about this decision here.

You can play a role in encouraging stores in Canada to limit or drop offensive magazines.
The next time you visit your local grocery store, you may want to peruse the magazines sold in the check-out line and magazine aisle to see if sexually explicit publications are available. In the magazine aisle, look for magazines marketed to men featuring scantily clad women. In the check-out line, look for magazine covers featuring topics of a sexual nature. If you identify such products, here are some suggested talking points for expressing your concerns to the store manager.
ACTION STEPS
1. Take copies of the magazine(s) you have located with you as you ask to speak to the store manager. Use the magazine(s) as an example of your concern.
2. Ask who decides what magazines are sold. Is it a local decision or a corporate one?
3. If the decision is local, ask that the store stop selling the magazine(s) in question.
4. If the decision is made at a corporate office, ask how to contact corporate officials to complain.
5. Ask the store manager if the store sells these magazines to minors. Some of the magazines may be shrink-wrapped. Does store policy set an age requirement for purchasing shrink-wrapped magazines?
When contacting a corporate office, give specific information about the particular magazine(s) you found (tell them you found magazine X at Y store in Z city). Ask them the following questions:
1. What is your corporate policy regarding the sale of sexually suggestive or explicit magazines?
2. If you sell such items, do you have restrictions on how they are marketed? (Shrink-wrapped? Above the eye level? With binder covers to block out the images?)
3. Do you sell these magazines to minors?
4. What discretion does the corporation give to local managers to stop selling such magazines?
5. How lucrative are the sales of such magazines?
6. Finally, ask the corporate office to record your information as a complaint again the magazine(s).
You can also contact the city bylaw department to ask about existing laws on displaying suggestive magazines.