Jul 25 2008
Wal-Mart Shopper No More!
Four years ago I got mad as hell and decided to boycott Wal-Mart. This was not an overnight decision—it came as the result of a long, slow burn. The point is, one day I knew it was over. I knew I had endured that torturous establishment for the very last time.
Never again would I enter their parking lot where I instantly felt my heart rate rise. Never again would I compete for a buggy with someone who seriously might knock me in the head for “being there first”. Never again would I come face to face with that smiling sad-eyed person whose job it was to welcome me to hell. I was done.
That was in 2004 and like I said, it had been a long, slow burn. The Wal-Mart experience had gone down-hill to the point of macabre. Everywhere I turned there was a smiling yellow face with eyes. The smiling yellow face possessed more animation than any of the fellow humans in the store with me. Going to Wal-Mart had become a Trip to Stepford—Generic Stepford at that. For me, it was a race with myself, “How quickly can I get in and out of this place that makes my skin crawl?”
The straw that finally broke my back was the day I realized the level of Intentionality behind the Wal-Mart experience. There is purpose behind getting worn down in the parking lot, before you enter the store. There is purpose behind that army of little yellow hypnotic smiley faces that eventually resembles The Isle of Ghouls. There is purpose in staging that grandparent type at the door— announcing to the world that at Wal-Mart, there is fair and equal manipulation of the public psyche.
Then Wal-Mart announced it would not be selling Jon Stewart’s book America the Book: a Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction (2004: Warner Books). I went to Wal-Mart, straight to the “book section” as it is…Hannity, Coulter, Limbaugh, they were all there…so was a lot of red and white. I was the one blue with rage as the reality soaked in: I had willingly supported a corporation that actually thought it had the right to practice censorship. For those of you who don’t know this story, the official company line was that Wal-Mart determined Stewart’s book to be…unsavory. It contained cartoon characterizations of Supreme Court Justices—naked. I still laugh out loud at the thought.
My boycott of Wal-Mart is not about them, it is about me. It is about how and where I choose to spend the little money I have. How I spend my life and where I invest myself. You can live without Wal-Mart; and for me, life is much saner. I should write Wal-Mart a Thank You Note for inspiring my personal rendition of “I am mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore”. Oh, but I just did…and here is the original from the movie Network (1976). Have a great weekend!
Sources:
http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2004/10/21/Arts/jonstewart041021.html
Had to read your post with that title. I’m not a huge fan of Walmart because of the long waits and uhm..unpleasant? cashiers. BUT I do kind of agree about the book (I bought my copy at BN) because their store is swarming with kiddies and there are some naked pictures in it if I remember correctly and I can see why they might not want it on the shelves. If it makes any difference they do sell it on their website http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2635211
We too avoid Wal-Mart itself, but have not broken completely from the evil empire as we still shop at Sam’s Club about twice a month. Congrats on sticking with your belief. I need to have the conviction of my beliefs enough to do that too.
Cindy
http://rainydaynews.today.com/
I believe they also sell certain music CD’s without the Explicit Lyrics which I think is helpful, I can still get the artists music the my kid heard it on the radio as opposed to the more adult version.
So I think it is more that they are a family friendly place to shop in that way…although I really don’t shop there because I enjoy internet shopping the most. LOL
I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!