If you think there are too many rules in the world,
and the Nanny State we have created is suffocating the life out
of society...you'd be wrong!

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26202828-421,00.html

A MOTHER outraged by clothing shop music peppered with the F-word could not find a single agency to deal with her complaint.

Victorian Consumer Affairs had referred her to ARIA (the Australian Recording Industry Association), which sent Ms Sorensen to AMRA (the Australian Music Retailers Association), which suggested the Australian Retail Association, which passed her on to the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission), which suggested ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission).

Ms Sorensen also contacted her local MP and Melbourne City Council. While most were sympathetic, no one could help.

A spokesman for the State Government later said offensive behaviour was covered by the Summary Offences Act, enforced by police and amenity laws administered by local government.

But a city council spokeswoman said it was not responsible, leaving only the police.

"There is obviously a gap in legislation, and authorities seem confused about who is responsible," the mother of seven said.

Perhaps NOT. What we really need is a new agency to deal with complainers.
People who have so much time on their hands, and are so sadistic they
would happily ring eight different authorities because they didn't
like the music in a shop.

I'm sure in a time long past, a mother might have a quite word to the manager, who would change the music and apologise. Then possibly the mother might consider not going to shops where this kind of music is likely to be played. She might think, 'I find it offensive, but others may not. I don't have a right to impose my principles on the rest of the world, and I have the choice not to enter this shop again. There is no need for more rules and people being employed to deal with my complaints on every little thing.'

No need for any government agencies to be involved at all. Taxes saved, people taking responsibility for themselves, and a happier life all-round for everyone.

Houellebecq “No need for any government agencies to be involved at all. Taxes saved, people taking responsibility for themselves, and a happier life all-round for everyone.”

We will make a libertarian of you yet H…

As you rightly point out, what is the point of paying blood-sucking bureaucrats if all they can do is hand-ball the problem to someone else….

Better we retrenched the whole lot of them, saved the taxes and left real people to make their own mind up how to spend the extra, than pretend a bunch of parasites did anything for anyone, except themselves.

It is called "Value-adding" and despite these government agencies costing alot, all you see, in this instance, is they add nothing.

H,
So who's the villain here the woman for being so hyper, the media or the shop.?
I favour following the pecuniary interest.
Yet another commercial organisation seeking to sensationalise a non story (for the reasons you made)for profit.

Solution: don't read the rubbish or if you do simply treat it with the contempt it deserves, I would!

"Value-added," simply another buzz word like
"Client-Focused," "Best Practice,"
"Benchmarking," "Mission Statement."
et cetera. The reality of which actually
amounts to very little, as Col pointed out.

Houellie, I agree with you. The matter could
have been handled differently.
The woman obviously had too much time on her hands.

Talking about objections to music in shops...
With Christmas just around the corner - give a few
thoughts to the poor staff in Department Stores
who have to listen to "Jingle Bells," et cetera -
being played every few minutes, all day, every day,
including in the staff rooms and lifts.

Egg nog anyone?

Too funny, Howler - and incisively so. At last you've posted something worth responding to!

You're quite right, of course. Mind you, all she needs to do is get some branch of the God Squad on to the case and I'm sure it'll become a major issue. Indeed, it has the potential to eclipse the Black/Red Faces brouhaha!

I'm even quite close to Col's position, on this issue at least. What's happening?

It must be time for my quarterly checkup.

The solution is simple.
You tell the shop that you find the song offensive.
Either turn it off or i'm leaving. And do.
The last thing we need is beaurocrats censoring songs.
How many f words how many s words, it would be a nightmare.
Be your own censor.
Similarly with offensive TV just turn it off.

"Store manager Hussein Kaiser dumped the music, which he said was chosen by young sales staff. But Ms Sorensen said there was nothing to stop others playing it."

I wouldn't waste time complaining over the issue and besides I give stores like this a wide berth anyway, but really why should shoppers be subjected to crass and mindless lyrics on the say-so of some flippity young shop assistant?

Bronwyn,

'why should shoppers be subjected to crass and mindless lyrics on the say-so of some flippity young shop assistant?'

'subjected'?
They can leave.

'crass and mindless'
In your opinion.

'flippity young'
Now we're getting to the source of the grievance. The young have just as much right to have a space for their culture in society.

I remind you of the more respectable 'elevator music' of Tom Jones' Delilah...

'I saw the light on the night that I passed by her window
I saw the flickering shadows of love on her blind
She was my woman
As she deceived me I watched and went out of my mind
My, my, my, delilah
Why, why, why, delilah
I could see that girl was no good for me
But I was lost like a slave that no man could free
At break of day when that man drove away, I was waiting
I cross the street to her house and she opened the door
She stood there laughing
I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more
My, my, my delilah
Why, why, why delilah
So before they come to break down the door
Forgive me delilah I just couldnt take any more'

Such a tale of sexual violence and misogyny....

Foxy,

'ive a few
thoughts to the poor staff in Department Stores
who have to listen to "Jingle Bells," et cetera -
being played every few minutes, all day, every day,
including in the staff rooms and lifts.'

Such a tortue was used in Abu Ghraib I believe. Actually I'd rather the heavy metal on constant repeat than those Christmas Carols.

That the outrage industry put out bait of this kind is neither here nor there. My point is about the phrase 'Gap in Legislation'. Ooooh we must fill all these 'gaps'. Every tiny aspect of everyone's lives must be filled by legislation. We cant just have any aspect of society that isn't legislated with a government department to handle every possible complaint. So lost and outraged this woman is, all at sea because there is nobody to address her complaint.

It's the right of every citizen to be able to have an agency to complain about over every little thing! We must fill these gaps! No matter the cost!

BTW: Did anyone see that TV show Hungry Beast last night. They had this cool description of the 'Masters of Outrage'.

The initial 'outrage', followed then by the comments on the 'outrage' then the comments on the comments about the outrage, and then blogs like OLO.

But then they were talking about the 'outrage bubble' when there isn't enough outrage to keep the whole thing going. Then the bubble bursts and mum and dad investors who put in so much investment into this outrage are left with a tiny dividend of self righteousness. It was a classic.

Dear Houellie,

As one staffer in Myers told me last year
after listening to, "We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a
Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year,"
being played over and over and over again,

"I'm beginning to hate Christmas!"

Heavy Metal?

It would at least keep you awake!

I suggest that we outsource all the complaints departments to India, where they can cheaply and politely listen to all our whinges, promise immediate action and then delete and move on to the next call.

The whinger has now vented and feels better, and the government saves money on its people being able to do real work.

Surely the government has a few million to spend on a department for telling people to fix their own problems. Consultants could be hired. Benchmarks could be set. Advertising campaigns, fancy offices, public servants.....