Standin on the corner not doin no harm
September 15, 2009 5:26 PM Subscribe
People of Wal-Mart: a photo blog. It's been called classist and anti-rural -- but just try to stop rubbernecking once you start.
(By way of Fezboy! in the last Walmart thread. Personally, I have lived in a smallish town where Wal-mart was the only stop for what I needed, and I probably dressed pretty badly while going there. Possibly even in camouflage. These folks could be my folks, some of them, which is hard to forget.)
(By way of Fezboy! in the last Walmart thread. Personally, I have lived in a smallish town where Wal-mart was the only stop for what I needed, and I probably dressed pretty badly while going there. Possibly even in camouflage. These folks could be my folks, some of them, which is hard to forget.)
This post was deleted for the following reason: no offense but ths is really, again, not going to go well here. -- jessamyn
It was already deleted once, but good luck anyway.
posted by fixedgear at 5:28 PM on September 15, 2009
posted by fixedgear at 5:28 PM on September 15, 2009
If that dinosaur van was parked in San Francisco it would be called an "art car" and people would love it.
posted by padraigin at 5:28 PM on September 15, 2009
posted by padraigin at 5:28 PM on September 15, 2009
Oh jeez, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to bring up a sore subject; will take deletion in stride if so.
posted by Countess Elena at 5:29 PM on September 15, 2009
posted by Countess Elena at 5:29 PM on September 15, 2009
I enjoy pointing and laughing at white trash with derision as much as the next guy.. but I still find this classless.. and an invasion of privacy..
posted by mediocre at 5:30 PM on September 15, 2009
posted by mediocre at 5:30 PM on September 15, 2009
I wouldn't have favored deletion....but you forgot to get rid of the hyphen!! Grrrrr!
posted by cashman at 5:34 PM on September 15, 2009
posted by cashman at 5:34 PM on September 15, 2009
yeah...this is a lot of , they aren't like me, let's laugh...
posted by HuronBob at 5:34 PM on September 15, 2009
posted by HuronBob at 5:34 PM on September 15, 2009
from cashman's link: Wal-Mart Drops Hyphen, Targets Latinos
I just spent an awkwardly long moment wondering out why Latinos are repelled by hyphens.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 5:36 PM on September 15, 2009 [8 favorites]
I just spent an awkwardly long moment wondering out why Latinos are repelled by hyphens.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 5:36 PM on September 15, 2009 [8 favorites]
but just try to stop rubbernecking once you start
*click*
*glance*
*CMD-W*
OK, what do I win?
posted by dersins at 5:36 PM on September 15, 2009
*click*
*glance*
*CMD-W*
OK, what do I win?
posted by dersins at 5:36 PM on September 15, 2009
In the four or five times I have shopped at Wal-mart, every single time without fail I have encountered a family conducting a full-on-shouting domestic dispute in the parking lot. As bad as People of Wal-mart is, I think there's a richer vein to mine: the people who don't even make it into the store.
posted by Ryvar at 5:36 PM on September 15, 2009
posted by Ryvar at 5:36 PM on September 15, 2009
The dinosaur van is an art car, and it's awesome, no matter where it is.
posted by vibrotronica at 5:38 PM on September 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by vibrotronica at 5:38 PM on September 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
I love this website, but it completely misses the family at the check out in front of me trying to pay for 7 gallons of milk with cash and lawn chairs with EBT.
posted by crataegus at 5:40 PM on September 15, 2009
posted by crataegus at 5:40 PM on September 15, 2009
I'm no fan of Wal-Mart, but this just has a creepy let's point and laugh at people vibe about it.
posted by never used baby shoes at 5:40 PM on September 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by never used baby shoes at 5:40 PM on September 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
The older woman with the "go fuck yourself" hat and little colored skulls on her jacket belongs in Vice's "dos".
posted by fleetmouse at 5:41 PM on September 15, 2009
posted by fleetmouse at 5:41 PM on September 15, 2009
So now it's all "in befoar LOCK', etc?
It's a typical ha-ha photoblog.
posted by GuyZero at 5:43 PM on September 15, 2009
It's a typical ha-ha photoblog.
posted by GuyZero at 5:43 PM on September 15, 2009
I'm no fan of Wal-Mart, but this just has a creepy let's point and laugh at people vibe about it.
So?
posted by BrotherCaine at 5:45 PM on September 15, 2009 [2 favorites]
So?
posted by BrotherCaine at 5:45 PM on September 15, 2009 [2 favorites]
You know, it may be classist and anti-rural, but now that I've started, I really can't stop rubbernecking.
posted by Joey Michaels at 5:45 PM on September 15, 2009
posted by Joey Michaels at 5:45 PM on September 15, 2009
A couple of my friends love this shit, and frankly I'd been avoiding it for weeks. But the content is a curious 70/30 mix of LOLMULLETS and people (and vehicles) who are fascinating wherever they are.
For serious: what's up with that "I HATE QUEERS" t-shirt?
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 5:46 PM on September 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
For serious: what's up with that "I HATE QUEERS" t-shirt?
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 5:46 PM on September 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
this just has a creepy let's point and laugh at people vibe
I did not get that impression at all. The same thing could be said about the work of Martin Parr, or lots of photographers. To me it's just a slice of life from the everyday tackiness of ordinary modern life. People seem to be forgetting that these are snapshots; they have value in documenting the way people dress. Is it condescending just to look at people?
posted by HP LaserJet P10006 at 5:48 PM on September 15, 2009
I did not get that impression at all. The same thing could be said about the work of Martin Parr, or lots of photographers. To me it's just a slice of life from the everyday tackiness of ordinary modern life. People seem to be forgetting that these are snapshots; they have value in documenting the way people dress. Is it condescending just to look at people?
posted by HP LaserJet P10006 at 5:48 PM on September 15, 2009
For serious: what's up with that "I HATE QUEERS" t-shirt?
Welcome to Americuh.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:52 PM on September 15, 2009
Welcome to Americuh.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:52 PM on September 15, 2009
I think the rule of thumb is that if you could read 100 of the captions without the context of the pictures and not be put off by the negativity than you have something that's no different than any other photographer's gallery.
I remember seeing a man in some kind of strange yachting uniform roll up to a gas station with his beehive hairdo wife, and my buddy John referred to it as "a little slice of Americana". I'd definitely like to see a photoblog with that kind of focus..
posted by BrotherCaine at 5:53 PM on September 15, 2009
I remember seeing a man in some kind of strange yachting uniform roll up to a gas station with his beehive hairdo wife, and my buddy John referred to it as "a little slice of Americana". I'd definitely like to see a photoblog with that kind of focus..
posted by BrotherCaine at 5:53 PM on September 15, 2009
I prefer to make fun of the rich people that run Wal-Mart, not the poor people that shop there.
posted by Roman Graves at 5:55 PM on September 15, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by Roman Graves at 5:55 PM on September 15, 2009 [3 favorites]
I still find this classless..
Yes.
and an invasion of privacy..
No. There can be no expectation of privacy in a public place.
posted by Slithy_Tove at 5:57 PM on September 15, 2009
Yes.
and an invasion of privacy..
No. There can be no expectation of privacy in a public place.
posted by Slithy_Tove at 5:57 PM on September 15, 2009
I'm no fan of Wal-Mart, but this just has a creepy let's point and laugh at people vibe about it.
Hp LaserJet: ...they have value in documenting the way people dress. Is it condescending just to look at people?
Hmm...well, let's look a little deeper shall we - visitors to the blog are encouraged to submit their "Wal-Creature" and This is purely for entertainment purposes and strictly limited to the outrageously bad / ugly / creepy / crazy shoppers. This would argue that this site isn't about documenting a moment in our collective history as much as it is about the lulz. I think the intent of the photographs/site happens to matter.
Brother Caine: So?
So I'd like to think that posts to the Blue are about a bit more than that. But I could be wrong; it happens enough.
posted by never used baby shoes at 5:59 PM on September 15, 2009
Hp LaserJet: ...they have value in documenting the way people dress. Is it condescending just to look at people?
Hmm...well, let's look a little deeper shall we - visitors to the blog are encouraged to submit their "Wal-Creature" and This is purely for entertainment purposes and strictly limited to the outrageously bad / ugly / creepy / crazy shoppers. This would argue that this site isn't about documenting a moment in our collective history as much as it is about the lulz. I think the intent of the photographs/site happens to matter.
Brother Caine: So?
So I'd like to think that posts to the Blue are about a bit more than that. But I could be wrong; it happens enough.
posted by never used baby shoes at 5:59 PM on September 15, 2009
Fortunately, at my local grocery, they enforce a dress code: morning coat and tie before 5:30 PM, and dinner jackets after. The organic section is only open from 7-9 pm and requires white tie and spats, and a printed invitation from the store manager.
Violators are set in the stocks, to be pelted with free-range eggs and certified organic bean sprouts.
posted by Commander Rachek at 6:00 PM on September 15, 2009 [2 favorites]
Violators are set in the stocks, to be pelted with free-range eggs and certified organic bean sprouts.
posted by Commander Rachek at 6:00 PM on September 15, 2009 [2 favorites]
I must be maturing. I really don't see the humor in small-minded insults lobbied anonymously at people who do not resemble me.
posted by oddman at 6:01 PM on September 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by oddman at 6:01 PM on September 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
HA HA PEOPLE ARE POOR AND MAKE BAD DECISIONS
posted by porn in the woods at 6:02 PM on September 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by porn in the woods at 6:02 PM on September 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
No. There can be no expectation of privacy in a public place.
What are you, papparazzi?
posted by mediocre at 6:02 PM on September 15, 2009
What are you, papparazzi?
posted by mediocre at 6:02 PM on September 15, 2009
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posted by box at 5:27 PM on September 15, 2009