People of WalMart

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Agreed that "white trash" exists at all tax brackets.

Originally Posted by Strangler Lewis

As a practical matter, whether it's in our social relationships or our legal ones, there is only so much room for case specific understanding before bright lines get drawn, and we say, "I'm sorry, that's f*cked up."

Complete agreement on this one. Everyone has a line.

Originally Posted by katiesue

I'll throw on a wrinkled pair of sweats and a old t-shirt to go to the store etc. And I fully expect other shoppers to have a what the hell thought bubble over their heads, like in cartoons, if they glance my way. And that doesn't bother me.

I can dig this, though it got me thinking.

Now that everyone is carrying a camera in their pocket, and everyone has access to the internet, we're all basically on camera, all the time. And yet we dress and act much less "proper" in public than we ever have. Perhaps, over time, this will actually affect how people act in public? Maybe one day we'll be back to wearing high heels and makeup and double breasted suits and hats everywhere we go, like it's 1945? Ok, maybe not. But it does make me think twice about how I leave the house.

Originally Posted by Alex

But, to me, there is a leap between elbowing your friend while walking down the street and saying "doesn't sheek look quite the skank?" or "isn't that the stupidest haircut you've ever seen" and much hilarity ensuing and creating a web site where you post the pictures for the world to ridicule based on your criteria.

I have to say that I don't see much difference here at all. We actually do have a few photos of the freaks we've seen around, shots we secretly took of people (yes, at Disneyland), and there have been many instances when we were annoyed we couldn't get the shot (we aren't craven enough to walk up and stick a camera in someone's face). I believe there was at least one instance where we got a shot of a strange looking person (dinner after the shorts, one year, I believe) and posted it for the board to see.

Seriously - you're in the public arena, you may get photographed, you may get made fun of. Everyone in the world needs to grow a thicker skin, because this is for real, and it is not going away. You never know, you may be the next Star Wars Kid or David After Dentist. Be prepared.

A friend of mine just posted some back-in-the-day photos of me and my friends to Facebook and I wouldn't be surprised if they resurfaced with snide comments much as €'s photos have. I can't wait!

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

I have to say that I don't see much difference here at all.

I see such a huge difference that it is amazing to me that anybody else wouldn't see it. So I guess we'll just have to disagree.

Seriously - you're in the public arena, you may get photographed, you may get made fun of.

Yes, that's true. But just because rudeness is inevitable I don't see the need to gleefully participate.

"If you don't like people making fun of you publicly, don't be ugly in public," seems to shift the burden of politesse in a direction I'd rather not see it go.

Plus, as has been discussed a lot of the commentary sparked by these pictures was not simply "don't these people deviate fro the accepted norm of physical and sartorial appearance in an amusing way, ha ha" but also went on to make judgmental assumptions about those people's underlying character and value. Big difference between "ha ha, we sure dressed funny in high school" and "ha ha, you're a skank\uneducated\inbred\mentally ill\not worthy of human respect\morally deficient because you wear those clothes."