Music retailer's protest helps charity groups

By SCOTT KARA


Eminem is supporting Women's Refuge and youth suicide - and the world's biggest rapper doesn't even know it.

The CD and DVD Store, which has 25 outlets nationwide, is using a poster campaign in shop windows to discourage people from buying the new Eminem album, Encore.

If people do choose to buy it from the store then it will donate $6 to Women's Refuge and youth suicide prevention charities.

Eminem is known for his sexually explicit, violent, and homophobic lyrics yet that has not stopped him from becoming one of the biggest names in world music.

Encore came out yesterday and is picked to be one of the biggest selling albums of the year.

At the end of the album Eminem acts out a scene where he shoots the audience in mass-murder fashion, then, after a silence, he puts the gun in his mouth and shoots himself.

The posters claim Encore is more "verbal porn" from Eminem and his "annual pile of refuse" that he releases on record.

It goes on to say: "We'd rather not make money selling you this stuff but if you do want this album, buy it here and we will donate $6 for every copy we sell."

Roger Harper, managing director of the CD and DVD Store, says he has heard the album, read the lyric sheet and respects people's rights to freedom of speech and expression.

"But we don't like the negative messages this particular product gives so we thought, 'How could we turn a negative into a positive?'

"We thought, 'Why don't we make a significant donation to Women's Refuge and youth suicide [prevention] because these organisations help the victims that suffer from Eminem's world view'."

The new album does not have a rating but carries a parental advisory sticker warning of its explicit content and coarse language. Only the "dirty" version of the album is on sale in New Zealand at present because the shipment of "clean" versions is not due here until Thursday.

The CD and DVD Store does not have any copies of Encore on display. It is kept behind the counter and customers have to ask for it.

However, the album was hot property on its first day and Mr Harper said stores in Wellington and Mt Maunganui had sold out.

Steve Richards, general manager of Real Groovy, expected it to be a strong seller for Christmas.

"And what's the use in selling the clean version of an Eminem album?" he said.

Sounds Music Stores finance director Kevin Senior said he had advised staff to be vigilant and not to "sell it to 10-year-olds" but did not have a problem with the album.

Adam Holt, managing director of Eminem's record label in New Zealand, Universal Music, says the CD and DVD Store was free to do as it chose.

The chain has boycotted albums by rock act Marilyn Manson in the past.