People of WalMart

[Not Afraid]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

Regarding making judgmental assumptions about underlying character and value - again, this happens anyway. If people will write it down, people will think it while walking around.

I think what's happened is that those people who would never think such things, or at least try to suppress the urge to think such things, are surprised at what's written about these people. I guess I'm outing myself as someone who does think "what the hell are they wearing". The idea that you can think that and not make assumptions about that person seems silly to me. I dressed like a freak myself at times, and I was fully aware of the reaction people might have, which is part of the reason for doing it, of course.

I think that, whether it is stated out loud or not, EVERYONE makes assumptions about a person based on the way they are dressed. Clothing is a choice and it tell you a lot about a person - maybe as much as the way a person holds his body, makes eye contact, has facial expressions, etc.

We, as a culture, spend a LOT of time focused on what people are wearing and how they come across. Why should we feel any different about what Joe is Peoria is wearing at Walmart than what Angelia Jolie was wearing to the grocery store?

Although I had no desire to see the movie "Borat", from what I understand there was a lot of mocking going on in that film - mocking disguised as comedy. The Fugly website mocks people on a daily basis and we "all" laugh. Why is the Walmart site any different?

An AWFUL lot of assumptions were made about the Walmart people, especially their economic status. How do we know these people are poor? Maybe they are wealthy misers who just dress badly, any maybe they dressed badly on that one particular day and got caught. But, that's what clothing does for a person - good or bad, it is a way to make an impression on others.