Recently, I returned a copy of "The Woodsman", a stark, uncomfortable but well delivered drama about a child abuser who is released to a small town and struggles to pick up his life and not to fall further victim to his demons. The movie stars Kevin Bacon in a role many actors would shun. While there is nothing graphic in the film, it is difficult to watch this story of both internal and external struggle.

So, I'm discussing this movie with a clerk, when he shows me a label they're about to attach to the several copies of the movie on the shelf. It says: "This movie portrays scenes relating to child molestation which may be disturbing to some viewers. Please see a service representative for more information.".

I stare at the label for a while, waiting for my incredulity quotient to drop back to the point that I can actually speak, since the fact is that there IS no portrayal of such like in the movie. Some things are discussed, but NOTHING is shown. Moreover the subject matter was clearly expressed on the box, not to mention in most of the reviews of the film.

I ask what possesses them to label this particular movie and not others. It seems that some customer rented the movie and was offended that it was about pedophilia, despite the fact that the story outline is expressed clearly in the outside of the box.

Could this be? Is it actually possible that a member of the great unwashed spies a movie it knows nothing about and rents it without so much as reading the box? Could the human stain of irresponsibility extend so far as to allow that self-same peasant to blame the store for the content of said rental?

Yep. This close relative of a potted plant had called the store AND the corporate offices to whine that it had been exposed to this icky stuff. You'd get the impression that armed rental agents pistol-whipped innocent customers into taking home edgy flicks about child molesters instead of nice, tasteful, inoffensive fare like "Saw", or "South Park".

I think the video store shouldn't suffer these fools gladly. I heartily suggest hanging a nice sign on the wall that states the obvious: "Read the box BEFORE you rent, you blithering gerbil."

But, the Buster of Block, spineless corporate wimp that it is, kowtows to the lowest common denominator of dumbass, irresponsible "somebody else is to blame for my IQ being the same as my shoe-size" stupidity, which, like ca-ca, flows downhill, so now every customer who considers this film has to contend with this inaccurate, idiotic and judgemental warning label.