Even I am guilty of rushing to Walmart in the middle of the night in paint-stained sweat pants and tennis shoes because I am knee-deep in a project and have depleted my supplies. Most of us are guilty of an occasional visit where we quietly whisper, I hope I don't see anyone I know, as we slip out of the car. But now, we have a new fear.
What is the People of Walmart
The People of Walmart was born in August of 2009 in the imaginations of three friends "after an inspirational trip to Walmart." The friends call the website a "satirical social commentary of the extraordinary sights found at America's favorite store." The website is filled with pictures of wildly dressed people, outlandishly decorated vehicles, and sometimes inventive commentary on the social mores ignored by the people in the photograph.
The People of Walmart accepts contributions from Walmart shoppers. Hoards of shoppers, armed with camera phones, have descended on Walmart to photograph their fellow shoppers. The People of Walmart currently has hundreds of user submitted photographs, more than 600,000 Facebook likes, and a new book, People of Walmart.com: Shop & Awe, which includes pictures and stories that were never released on the website.
Criticism of the People of Walmart
Walmart is an American icon, growing from humble beginnings into a household name, and Walmart attracts a wide variety of shoppers. The People of Walmart seeks to highlight the most outrageous of these shoppers, but some critics claim this practice is unethical. Inevitably, the arguments often lead back to the tiered arguments and criticisms of the Walmart Corporation instead of focusing on the photographs of the People of Walmart.
The simple fact is that the people photographed and posted on the People of Walmart website have chosen to leave the privacy of their home to face the public. Once on the street, photographers are free to take pictures. The People of Walmart is not about rich versus poor, Walmart versus Neiman Marcus, or even about Walmart Corporation versus Walmart employees. If anything, the People of Walmart is about conformity versus non-conformity.
Ethical or not, the People of Walmart is immensely popular and growing. When you step out of the house for a quick trip to Walmart for a forgotten item, be aware that a fellow shopper may make you famous.
Source:
People of Walmart: About (accessed September 28, 2010).
Further Reading:
The Ethics of People of Walmart: Blurring Lines of Funny and Mean
Walmart Family Mobile: Cheap Phone Service from T-Mobile
Chasity Goddard - Chasity Goddard holds a BA degree from the University of TN. Her wide-ranging interests and research skills pull her in various ...
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