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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that songs containing offensive language are not suitable to be played in shops?

57 replies

Steinerino · 21/02/2014 13:02

I was in York on Tuesday and I went into Urban Outfitters to buy a bag I had seen on the website. I was with my 2 children aged 6 & 8.

I noticed that the music being played in the shop contained the words mother fr, nr, bitch & f*k. Repeatedly.

In my opinion these words are offensive, racist and misogynistic and unsuitable for public airing particularly when there a may be children around. I felt strongly enough about this and so complained to a member of staff that I felt this was unsuitable music to be played in a public place. Her attitude I felt was not apologetic and she said it wasn't their fault because they have no control over the music played in store and anyway there was a parental advisory notice on the door. I had a good look after leaving and couldn't see any warning notice. I left without making a purchase.

I know I am too old to fall within their target market but surely this is shortsighted to possibly alienate a group of potential shoppers? Prior to this I was a regular shopper there.

Is this a sign that I'm extremely old and out of touch with what's acceptable or would others have found this offensive?

OP posts:
QueenofLouisiana · 21/02/2014 18:04

Yanbu. My pet hate is films on in Currys etc which are 15s or even 12s. I have dragged DS away from screens because the film isn't suitable, yet sometimes the TVs are so big you can't hide from the content.

mrscumberbatch · 21/02/2014 19:01

I think that this is less annoying than Debenhams who play the music without the lead vocals-but still with the background vocals.

Everyone and then you get blasted with what would have been a harmony but instead just sounds weird.

thepurplepenguin · 21/02/2014 19:06

I complained about this in Tesco where they had the full range of four letter words blaring from the beauty counter bit. I didn't even have kids with me at the time Blush

Tesco were mortified though...

LetZygonsbeZygons · 21/02/2014 19:14

so Im not getting old then and they really are playing music too loud in shops?

and the tannoy that suddenly blasts out with customer info too!

carlywurly · 21/02/2014 21:53

We have been on holiday and heard cee lo green blasting "fuck you" at full volume. I didn't realise that was the uncensored version of forget you.

And on another holiday, in a peaceful well to do Thai department store - the uncensored version of jay z "n**z in Paris" - good god. Dp and I were looking at each other like this Shock

60sname · 21/02/2014 22:07

Steinerino I emailed Urban Outfitter once over this and received an apology the same day. They said the stores are issued with cds of radio versions of songs and that they had spoken to the store in question (Oxford Circus) for playing the wrong version

60sname · 21/02/2014 22:08

I was 27 at the time so likely still within their target market

Lunaballoon · 21/02/2014 22:28

60sname The Oxford St branch is where I heard the offensive lyrics too. If they're supposed to play the radio version, you have to wonder why they had the wrong version Hmm.

winkbingo · 21/02/2014 23:09

Our trendy Urban Outfitters shop has a whole lot of graffiti, sorry, wall art extolling the virtues of the drug ketamin. e.g. drawings of a 'keta-pillar' and so forth.

Cool eh? except it was done by a load of 40 somethings on a trip up to the Midlands to try and appeal to the kids today...

BinkieWoo · 21/02/2014 23:20

When we were on honeymoon DH and I heard loads of songs with f you and nas etc...on a Royal Caribbean cruise. When we said something to a member of staff we were told it was because we'd accidentally strayed to a part of a deck meant for teenagers. Oh right, that's ok then... Hmm

DH did his best teacher face and they soon turned it off!

ComposHat · 21/02/2014 23:45

Shrugs shoulders. It was in urban outfitters, not mothercare or littlewoods. Their reputation for trying a bit too hard edginess proceeds them.

It shouldn't come as too much of a shock when the music they play might have the odd eff and jeff in it.

60sname · 21/02/2014 23:55

It's not the cussing I had a problem with, it was the misogynistic lyrics: "Bitch, you're breakfast ' repeated ad nauseum

ComposHat · 22/02/2014 00:38

Again, shrugs shoulders.

If you are looking for lessons in gender politics, I wouldn't be looking to a wannabe plastic gangsta with a microphone being pumped over a tanoy system in a shop.

lastnightIwenttoManderley · 22/02/2014 07:39

Ah...the bliss of music free John Lewis...!

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 22/02/2014 08:04

MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic that's interesting, when I worked in Woolworths (97-99) we didn't get music from head office I don't think. We were allowed to play anything that was in stock as long as it wasn't offensive.

Orangeisthenewbanana · 22/02/2014 08:10

YANBU at all. Write to their head office or even better, post on their FB page - that normally gets companies jumping through hoops. It's not that difficult to compile a CD of any kind of music that's "radio-friendly" as it were.

MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 22/02/2014 09:01

I worked there from '92 to '00 - there was supposed to be a HO sanctioned playlist that was sent down with all the other store paperwork, for the Entertainment Specialist (or equivalent) each week. I worked in a quite a few stores in my region and I don't anyone who actually stuck with it, unless the city stores did. The edited albums came in the mail with those. When I worked in that area I generally played what I wanted to listen to, or what the people I liked wanted to hear Grin

Tex111 · 22/02/2014 09:13

Can't stand Urban Outfitters. The Chairman is a prominent conservative in the US. He makes money selling to liberal hipsters then uses their money to support conservative policies like the campaign against gay marriage. He owns Anthropologie too.

JohnnyBarthes · 22/02/2014 09:32

That's interesting, Tex.

I can't say I notice this stuff when I'm out and about. I can't decide if YANBU or not, OP.

Took me a moment to work out why Ed was so damning about Croatian music Grin

EduCated · 22/02/2014 10:32

Oh god, was wondering why people were blathering on about Croatian music. Hadn't realised that was me Blush

I'm sure Croatian music is just lovely. Christmas music, on the other hand... Grin

Catsize · 22/02/2014 10:42

YAnBU. Please do complain.

Original poster
Steinerino · 22/02/2014 11:28

JohnnyBarthes I don't normally notice this kind of thing either and believe me I don't go around finding things to be offended by!

I think a lot of people have hit the nail, it was probably because the music was so loud that it was impossible to ignore!

Tex that has put me right off uo. I imagine the chairman as a male Sarah Palin, yuk.

OP posts:
JohnnyBarthes · 22/02/2014 13:25

Ed it made me chortle like Mutley Grin

Stein - it's totally put me off UO too. I really like some of the stuff they do (for ds really rather than me) - most of it is available elsewhere though I think.

Robfordscrack · 22/02/2014 13:43

I can't stand the use of the n word. I can't even say it, I can't understand how it is acceptable to be used by anyone - yes kanye west, even you!

daisychain01 · 22/02/2014 13:57

I think it calls for an online campaign against Urban Outfitters, plus letter to head office telling them how their online reputation is being severely harmed due to their choice of music.

Some bloody 25yo marketing type in a sharp suit has managed to convince their management that it will really enhance their image to use "edgy music" in their shops. Um no, I will now avoid them like the plague.

Nowadays, online reputation is the most important commercial tool to retailers, there are companies who even charge good money to clean up salvage co's OR after it has been trashed

They need to get the messaging hitting where it hurts!