Walmart Kicks Cosmo Out of Its Checkout Lines

No longer will you see headlines like "Best. Sex. Ever." in the Walmart checkout line. The retail giant partnered with the National Center on Sexual Exploitation to announce Tuesday that it will remove women's magazine Cosmopolitan from checkout lines at more than 5,000 stores across the US. In a press release, the NCOSE said the magazine—which covers sex, relationships, fashion, health, and more—would be removed "from each and every checkout aisle" at "all Walmart stores." However, it will still be found in the magazine racks, a Walmart rep tells USA Today. "While this was primarily a business decision, the concerns raised were heard," the rep adds. According to the NCOSE, girls and boys complained the magazine's "normalization of sexual objectification and pornography" made them feel pressure "to engage in more risky sex."

Now, shoppers "will no longer be automatically exposed to Cosmo's hypersexualized and degrading article titles that regularly promote pornography, sexting, BDSM, group sex, anal sex, and more, all while marketing toward young teens with Disney star cover models," the conservative nonprofit says. "We really want a culture that will respect women and ensure their dignity is understood," adds the group's VP of Advocacy and Outreach, citing the #MeToo movement. But Kristen King, who's written for Cosmo, says the move shows "another double standard for women" since magazines like Men's Fitness aren't affected. "Saying it's inappropriate for children to see women's bodies teaches children that women's bodies are inappropriate," King tells the BBC. "The more conversations we have about women's health and sexuality the better." (More Walmart stories.)