People of WalMart

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

The Fugly website mocks people on a daily basis and we "all" laugh. Why is the Walmart site any different?

Well, for one, those are generally people who are putting themselves out there to be judged on their physical looks and trying to be fashion leaders. They are willing participants in what is happening even if they aren't pleased by the "reviews." When they do the same thing to a candid photo of Celeb X caught at 6am in line at Starbucks getting a coffee while walking the dog then I no longer think it is appropriate to put it on public display and mock them for it. (Though I've also never found the Fugly site all that funny per se, just a spot to go to see some of the more interesting fashion attempts from our pop culture elite, I very rarely read the accompany commentary except to figure out who the person is.)

Look, I agree completely that how we dress says a lot, intentionally or not; accurately or not. I'm just not clear on how it is not the act of an asshole to take an anonymous photo of a person, put it on the internet completely out of context and say "hey, isn't this person hilarious?!" And then to not be secondary assholery to join in pointing and laughing.

That's different than a "conversation" about how people perceive different looks or how a group of people came to dress a certain way. That's an interesting conversation, but I agree that isn't particularly funny.

If you had a picture of me, would you contribute to a "Ha Ha Look at the Ugly Fat People" site? Regarldess if it is true that I am humorously obese? Or that it is largely a product of choices that I am? Even if, when I'm not around and my name comes up that is the topic of conversation?

I'm assuming not. And if not, why would do it to a stranger? And if you went to such a site and unexpectedly found a picture of me there would you still find it so funny as you had the previous picture? Again, I would assume not. So why is it funny with a stranger? And if I found the site and complained about it to you all would you express sympathy and (at least manufactured) outrage at my humiliation or tell me to stop be a humorless party pooper?

Originally Posted by Euro

so to the extent photos of people going to WalMart were portrayed as a class of subhumans that should be removed from society

They did refer to the people in the pictures as Walcreatures. At least when asking you to submit your pictures of Walcreatures. No calls for removing from society, just a hint that perhaps these people weren't worthy for inclusion.