Let the Political Complaints Begin...

[AnaKhouri]

Due to the upcoming election the bookstore has a table featuring titles about both candidates. Exactly half the table is covered with titles about Obama, and exactly half has titles about McCain. The table is near the front registers so people see it when they come in.

We got our first complaint about it the other day. A guy complained...because the side of the table with the Obama book was closer to the register than the McCain side. So obviously we have a liberal agenda.

I get so sick of these people. A couple times I went to straighten American Biography only to find all the biographies of Hilary Clinton turned so the back covers were facing out. If that's how mature you are, I hope you don't vote.

Once someone complained that we alway put Ann Coulter's books on the bottom shelves of New Books. My response? "Well sir, as you might have noticed, the new books are alphabetized by title. As long as she keeps writing books with titles like Slander and Treason, then she's going to be on the bottom. Maybe you should e-mail her and tell her to write a book called Abomination or something."

[AdminAssistant]

I get so sick of these people. A couple times I went to straighten American Biography only to find all the biographies of Hilary Clinton turned so the back covers were facing out. If that's how mature you are, I hope you don't vote.

Often, when I'm browsing the theatre/drama section, I'll find that someone has taken all the copies of The Vagina Monologues and has turned them around, hiding the 'scandalous' title. I always put them back.

Seriously, it's a body part, people. Sheesh.

[videodrone]

ah, I like to call these people the "social crusaders". They'll come into my video store and flip over every title that they personally do not agree with. It's typically middle-aged women and they will go up and down ever isle and flip over every movie with a "sexy" cover or a scary one. The big pain recently was when Golden Compass came out. We had people whining and hiding the movies every shift.
My boss will get really irritated with them and tell them to knock it off, but I just like to trail behind them and flip them back in front of them.

[Imogene]

Often, when I'm browsing the theatre/drama section, I'll find that someone has taken all the copies of The Vagina Monologues and has turned them around, hiding the 'scandalous' title.

Sounds vaguely like the nurse I had while in the hospital... an older lady, and when she took me for my shower (hey, I was incapacitated) she'd do most of my body, then ask me to wash my 'gee gee'.
"Lady, it's called a vagina, you're old enough to know that, I'm old enough to know that."

[Saydrah]

Once someone complained that we alway put Ann Coulter's books on the bottom shelves of New Books. My response? "Well sir, as you might have noticed, the new books are alphabetized by title. As long as she keeps writing books with titles like Slander and Treason, then she's going to be on the bottom. Maybe you should e-mail her and tell her to write a book called Abomination or something."

Oooh, or I could write to her and tell her to write one called Zeitgeist!

[Rapscallion]

We've had to invisibilise one comment in here already as the sort of thing that would fan the flames of political contention. The OP is fine. The visible posts are fine. I put up a post in Site News recently about the forthcoming political festivities in the US. Things are already heated and we don't want them to become more so.

Rapscallion

[South Texan]

We got our first complaint about it the other day. A guy complained...because the side of the table with the Obama book was closer to the register than the McCain side. So obviously we have a liberal agenda.

And you know good and well if they had been on the opposite sides of that table, he would have found some other nitpicky reason to scream about a liberal agenda. Are the books all about the same price? If not, and the McCain books are cheaper, it would mean more prestige is being given to the Obama books. If McCain books were more expensive, it would mean there was a push to make the Obama books more affordable and thereby reach a bigger audience.

That is not a "slam" against McCain supporters. It is a comment about that type of a person that looks for a conspiracy in everything. His type WANTS to be a victim - and that type can be found on both sides of the political fence.

[Evil Queen]

They're just books!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

We get those people in the store from time to time. There used to be a guy whou'd come in and complain at the service desk if any one of the various "Bush Is Teh Debbil" books from the past few years was on our best-seller endcap.

And then some lady came in and blew a gasket when we dared to have an Ann Coulter book on that same endcap.

We don't decide which books to put there. The book distributor does, and they base it on sales figures or some such thing.

Seriously, if you're so wrapped in your politics that you flip out when you see a book displayed that contrasts with your views, go home to your computer and hang out on Daily Kos or Free Republic or something and never leave.

[bloodrose]

My boss will get really irritated with them and tell them to knock it off, but I just like to trail behind them and flip them back in front of them.

Oooh. I want that job. Follow them closely and everytime they look at me, just smile and wave. When they get huffy, just smile and not respond.

Moohaha!

[simplyanother]

Makes me glad we don't sell those sorts of books at the craft store. Though, we do have a book by Rosie O'Donnell that pisses people off. And that's almost sorta completely not the same thing. But hey, I want to post in this thread, dang it.

[dithers66]

We got our first complaint about it the other day. A guy complained...because the side of the table with the Obama book was closer to the register than the McCain side. So obviously we have a liberal agenda.

Tell the guy:

"Well we had it reversed, but then we received a complaint about the McCain books being closer to the register and that we had a right wing agenda. What makes you more special that we should waste our time changing them back when the other person will just complain again and we'll have to reverse them??"

[Lingering Grin]

Anyone who gets upset over a book that contrasts their political views... does NOT understand what the political system is all about.

There's suppose to be contrast! That's the whole point!

Granted the whole "political party" thing wasn't suppose to happen, but having multiple candidates expressing their views WAS.


These people all spout "You're Un-American if you don't agree with me!'... when THEY are the ones that are being Un-American.

[AdminAssistant]

Sounds vaguely like the nurse I had while in the hospital... an older lady, and when she took me for my shower (hey, I was incapacitated) she'd do most of my body, then ask me to wash my 'gee gee'.
"Lady, it's called a vagina, you're old enough to know that, I'm old enough to know that."

I'm trying to remember this from some time ago -

A small community (re: amateur) theatre was staging a production of The Vagina Monologues. I don't think it was as part of the V-Day celebration (when theatres from all over do The Vagina Monologues to raise awareness of female issues) - don't remember.

But, some old lady was driving her grandkid around, and she saw the billboard for the play. "Granma, what's a vagina?" Well, apparently that was just the worst thing to happen ever. Grandma led a crusade to get the theatre to change the advertisement to "The Hoo-Ha Monologues". Until Eve Ensler (the playwright) and her lawyers informed the theatre that the rights to perform the play would be revoked unless they advertised it properly. And so the sign went back up.

Sheesh. Peoples are stoopid.

[Gurndigarn]

It's pretty easy. Republican propganda on the right, democratic propoganda on the left. Then explain that you coded it for easy access for everyone.