Peopleofwalmart

[blas87]

Reading the hate mail on peopleofwalmart.com (well, who doesn't get hate mail?), the most common hate feedback is that the site is making fun of the poor and working class people.

I just don't see it that way. First of all....Wal-Mart is the store of choice for just about everyone who lives in my area, and second of all....how is it that poor/working class people like me can find the humor in it then?

Really, I don't own a lot of designer stuff and drive a POS car.....but I know how to dress myself appropriately and act appropriately in public. You won't see my asscrack hanging out at Wal-Mart, and you won't see me wearing a shirt 5 sizes too small either.

I don't shower and make myself and my hair all up and put on my best clothes JUST to go to Wal-Mart (rather, the opposite....I always go there after work in my jeans and tshirt and makeup all faded off and I still don't look like a big fool).

I just don't see the connection.

Thoughts?

[jackfaire]

I agree in fact I am often insulted by the thought that my income bracket has anything to do with who I am.

Dumbasses are dumbasses if they don't know how to act or dress in public it has nothing to do with their income level so yes I will mock them freely

[blas87]

One comment stuck out to me, that sounded just as ignorant and stereotypical as they were accusing POWM to be....that the poor/working class can't afford to shop elsewhere and don't always know how to dress.

That's not painting with a brush at all. Poor and working class people may not be able to afford the nicest of clothes, and may too often have to buy clothes from Wal-Mart or Family Dollar (or whatever dollar stores sell clothes), but there's a difference between wearing something that is completely stained and ripped and torn, shitting your pants and continuing to wear those pants, and wearing clothes that are way too big or too small.....and wearing "nice" clothes.

[seigus]

I've been puzzled too by the accusation that it's making fun of poor people. Most of those outfits are intentionally chosen. Bad taste is bad taste, regardless of how much it cost.

[telecom_goddess]

I agree too....I dress for comfort 100 percent of the time but my clothes are clean, mended when they need to be and are most certainly NOT too small or showing any kind of crack on me

[AdminAssistant]

There are times when PoW just gets mean. Here's an example: http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?p=9182. A t-shirt and overalls. And poor teeth. Gee, what a crime, let us mock him!

[Nyoibo]

POWM make fun of the urban freak, people with no dress sense and people who fit right into stereotypes, I see no problem with that.

[Boozy]

One comment stuck out to me, that sounded just as ignorant and stereotypical as they were accusing POWM to be....that the poor/working class can't afford to shop elsewhere and don't always know how to dress.

You're right. They're pointing out someone's alleged elitism with one of the most elitist comments I've ever heard.

Poor people don't know how to dress? Yes, the poor are just like ignorant little children. Thank heavens for enlightened people like the commenter, for now we see the error of our ways. Poor people should not be expected to know to cover their ass-cracks in public. We should expect very little of the poor, since they are clearly so stupid.

However, I also agree with AdminAssistant when she says PoW can be unnecessarily mean. There's nothing at all wrong with what many of these people are wearing. I'll admit that denim overalls and bad teeth scream "Deliverance", but neither should be considered shameful.

[PepperElf]

my favorite on POWM is Willie the Pimp.

If you don't know who I mean just type in the tag of "pimp" and he'll be the one who shows up in most of the tags.

[Dreamstalker]

One comment stuck out to me, that sounded just as ignorant and stereotypical as they were accusing POWM to be....that the poor/working class can't afford to shop elsewhere and don't always know how to dress.

The average per-piece value of my closet may be >$20, but I still know how to look put-together and generally nice (if I'm working on my props I'll wear junky clothes, but they're likely to get ruined anyway).

Yes, the site can be needlessly mean. I look at a few of the photos and don't see much wrong with them.

[smileyeagle1021]

Hell, I don't even shop at wal-mart... that is too high value for me most days... I shop at Savers for clothes and Winco for food... yet I still dress better and keep better hygiene than the people on that site. We aren't mocking poor people, we're mocking people who don't have a clue.

[Skunkle]

I agree. While a few of them are indeed a bit harsh, most of the People Of Walmart posts I see - the posts themselves (I don't read the user comments) have nothing to do with economic bracket. They are people who:
--Have absurdly awful taste
--Have no idea what is and isn't considered decent
--Are bent enough on being a smaller size that they wear clothing in that size - not "I NEED to be size 8" but rather "I already AM size 8"

Some of them, I think, just throw on whatever. They couldn't care less about going out in flip flops, filthy boxers and a ripped-up shirt.

Not to start another rant completely, but flip flops drive me nuts. In my city, it seems like at least 60% of people wear them EVERYWHERE, ALL the time... While I think many consider them fully-appropriate everyday footwear, to me they scream "I couldn't be bothered to wear shoes", "I want to feel like I'm still on vacation" or "I'd rather be barefoot". But then, in my city, of the percentage that don't wear flip-flops, at least half of them wear regular sandals...ALL the time. And a good half of THOSE wear shorts, socks and sandals...everywhere.

[Boozy]

Flip-flops are not really appropriate for anywhere but around the house and at the beach, in my opinion.

I think 90% of the world disagrees with me, given the number of them I see at stores and in restaurants during the summer.

[Nyoibo]

They're thongs damn it and I'll wear them in Miami every bloody day, seriously people, when fish can survive out of water it's too damn humid.

[Cats]

Flip-flops are not really appropriate for anywhere but around the house and at the beach, in my opinion.

I agree with that as well. I know people who admit to wearing them around the house, which is fine, I don't care. But I remember in high school when girls would wear them to school...in February...in New England weather where it barely hits 40 on a GOOD day. And to make matters worse, they all wore them either too small or too big for their feet, and most of them would SLIDE and STAMP their feet on the floor and make that annoying flop sound much louder than need be, all while probably screwing up their knees and back in the process.

Other types of sandals that strap your feet in better, IF it's weather appropriate, fine. No one likes stinky feet anyway, epecially when it's hot and they sweat even more.