People Of WalMart – An Overnight Web Sensation
The site peopleofwalmart.com, which invites users to send in embarrassing pictures of Wal-Mart customers, became an internet phenom in the past few days, rising to one of the top searches in google, so much so that the site crashed Tuesday. While we don’t think that this presents any sort of a crisis situation for Wal-Mart, we do think it provides them with the chance to defend their customers in a very public way, which will benefit their corporate image.
We would suggest a series of web ads featuring a wide variety of customers. Diversity is the key here – both ethnically and socio-economically. Unfortunately, sites that appeal to the lowest common denominator like this one are often very successful.
The site creators even have a sort of manifest:
“People of Walmart was founded in August of 2009 by three friends and roommates after an inspirational trip to WalMart. Let’s face it; we all have seen the people who obviously don’t have mirrors and/or family and friends to lock them in a basement, and they all seem to congregate at Walmart. It’s not everywhere that you can shop for milk at 10 a.m. next to a 400lb mother of 6 wearing a pink tube top, leopard tights, and hooker heels”
While we think there are probably some Wal-Mart customers who are quite deserving of being poked fun at, being from LA, we have to note that there are just as many people worthy of viral status on the web walking Rodeo drive.
This “site” is a bloody travisty! Horrific in its conception! It is just another sign that this country is spiraling downward at a fantastic rate. Mans inhumanity to man grows like a virus infecting all it sees. This recent degradation is just another method of slapping our citizens in the face. Have we all lost kindness and caring in the name of the internet?
You people must have nothing better to do with your time than to publish this rancid, decaying filth! Anyone, and I mean anyone, who visits this “site ” is in need of psychiatric assistance……..And now, its my turn! See you there…..
Oh please, the site is not hurting anyone. We’re just laughing at people’s unusual choice of clothing (and mullets). It’s meant to be humorous.