Walmart Apologizes for racism

[OTH man]

I cant find an article but basicly

on www.walmart.com its generator that makes reccommendations had "Planet of the Apes" reccommendation to DVDs about Dr. Martin Luthor King Jr., boxer Jack Johnson, Tina Turner, and others, Walmart quickly got a new generating program...

[tommygirl887]

I heard about this on the radio today. They said they also recommended "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".

[OTH man]

^^yeah thats bad

like thoes movies have NO corrilation to Plant of the Apes except the racist part... I really havenever liked Walmart except thier prices but my theory- McDonalds, Starbucks, and Walmart are guna join forces and take over the world yet somehow i goto all 3 occationly DAMN! YAY TARGET!!

that was random..

[Noah]

Wal Mart is a place I absolutely REFUSE to spend my money. That company and their corrupt business practices are the epitome of everything that is wrong with capitalism and western civilisation. My hatred for that company runs deeper than words could ever express.

[Andrew]

"Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price"

A very enlightening documentary that came out last year...

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000BTH4K4.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[Noah]

:lol: so funny... me and Emma and another dude we know where at the bookstore earlier this evening and happend to stumble upon that very same book. I believe that is a sign I must read this.

[*gwen*~*grover*]

oh, i had wanted to see that, i have to go get it

...but im still not clear, what happened?

oh, i know what you mean Noah.... im for capitalism i guess, but to an extent (which is probably rediculous, and quite idealist) but i refuse to spend money there and it just is a symbol, and partially a root for almost all internal problems i nthe country...

[tommygirl887]

...but im still not clear, what happened?

Do you mean why did they have to apologize for racism?

Racism seen in Wal-Mart Web site lists

YLAN Q. MUI; The Washington Post
Published: January 6th, 2006 02:30 AM
WASHINGTON – Wal-Mart apologized Thursday after its retail Web site directed potential buyers of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Planet of the Apes” DVDs to also consider purchasing items with African American themes.

The world’s largest retailer said in a statement that it was “heartsick” over the racially offensive grouping and that the site was linking “seemingly random combinations of titles.”

“It’s just simply not working correctly,” said Mona Williams, vice president of corporate communications for Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

The company said it was alerted to the problem early Thursday afternoon after word began spreading among bloggers.

When visitors to Walmart.com requested “Planet of the Apes: The Complete TV Series” on DVD, four other movies were recommended under the heading “Similar Items.” Those films included “Martin Luther King: I Have A Dream/Assassination of MLK” and “Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson.”

Williams said similar titles were called up when the DVD of the movie “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” was requested. There were three such combinations involving those two movies and African American films, she said.

Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart said it planned to shut down its entire cross-selling system overnight.

Like most other major retail sites, such as Amazon.com, Wal-Mart’s site directs users searching for movies to other titles that might interest them. Wal-Mart said Thursday that the system was malfunctioning but did not explain why or how.

Williams said “we have absolutely no evidence” that the problem was intentional. She said news of the problem was first posted on a blog. The company then learned about the offensive combinations when a reporter called to ask about it.

The blog Firedoglake, run by Jane Hamsher in Oregon, posted news of the combination Thursday afternoon under the heading “So Wrong.”

[Ol'blueyes]

perhaps it was just an accident?

[Noah]

edit:

not funny... not funny at all!

[Andrew]

It'll probably happen again in the near future...

Think about it: "Brokeback Mountain"? I'm sure when it's out on DVD, the "random machine" will somehow bring up an "inappropriate item" in the recommendation section.

About Amazon.com specifically: there was a point where members could manually choose recommendations and they would show on the item's main page. And you can pretty much expect those people who would pretty much make a new account, with sole reason being to recommend an inappropriate or opposing-in-stance item, just to cause conflict.

Similar stuff has happened to movies like "Vera Drake," and "Million Dollar Baby."

But recently, I think they updated the system to where that's not possible anymore. However, one glimpse of the reviews for the respective items, and you'll realize the division is still there.

Try searching for anything by Ann Coulter (bleh), Jon Stewart, Rush Limbaugh, Al Fraken, and a whole bunch of others.

Seguing into another subject that's sort of OT, but affiliated in some ways, but still has nothing to do with anything, especially on this thread, but i'll mention it anyway: anybody saw Bill O'Reily on David Letterman? Hilarrrrrrrrrious.

[Noah]

yes! I heard clips of it and it was friggin' hilarious. Dave was lettin' him have it. and I was unaware that people were able to manipulate the recommendations like that. but, since you mentioned it, a couple of years ago on amazon when you would do a search for either a Neil Boortz, or a Sean Hannity book, I don't remember which one, one of the items that came up as a recomendation was some kind of 'Gay Guide to Anal Sex' book. That was pretty funny.

and as it turns out.. that elementary school or whatever it was that changed the words to 'Silent Night' - which Bill O'Reilly was making an example of - actually only changed the words so that they would correspond with a play they were putting on. so the school wasn't declaring war on baby Jesus and Christmas like O'Reilly suggested.

I just love how O'Reilly pulls facts straight out of thin air and makes up his own stories to try and advance whatever agenda he's trying to push. but, hey, if Fox News viewers want to get their "news" from him, then they can have him.. at least he's not on my side. As long as people like Ann Coulter, O'Reilly, Rush and Hannity are the representatives of the right, that's coool with me.

[Heather]

Noah, thats like saying that liberals get their news from Chris Matthews. There is a difference between commentary and news.

[Noah]

well, ok... the people who get off on the crap that O'Reilly spews can have him.

[Quinton]

I cant find an article but basicly

on www.walmart.com its generator that makes reccommendations had "Planet of the Apes" reccommendation to DVDs about Dr. Martin Luthor King Jr., boxer Jack Johnson, Tina Turner, and others, Walmart quickly got a new generating program...That's actually kinda funny when you think about it. Dunno what Walmart is but sounds like an honest mistake.

[*gwen*~*grover*]

oh, ok thanks for the explanation :lol: im sorry, that shouldnt be funny... oh well, im not going to get all worked up about it...

ok, this is almost completely OT, but it made me think of the walmart hate today...
in us history, we were talking about the great plains, expansion west, buffalo herding, cowboys, small farmers and whatnot, and we got to talking about the corn industries that grew out of this time, and how especially after the world wars, the midwest became the "bread basket" for the world, and the amount of production there hasnt slowed down... only around 70% of the grain is used... but anyway, the farmers didnt want to slow down corn production, didnt want to have to move, and that eventually lead to the inclusion of corn products in almost everything bad that we eat...
and it got me thinking about the solution to this crisis period dissolving into an industry that wouldnt slow down, and it really is the fuel behind companies like walmart... and i knew that the problem was deep rooted, but i was thinking about (especially bc the fronteir time period is like "the national identity", the american way, you know) the national identity being the root of this... i dont know, i obviously havent thought about it that much, its half baked things, and i just thought it was interesting :lol:

[Noah]

the root of it being corruption and greed? yep.

[Andrew]

BTW, there was a "Frontline" rerun about WalMart that aired on the night before yesterday on PBS. Actually, it on as I was signing off the computer and getting ready for bed. It was ironic because it was just being discussed here on the board and then the minute I turn on my TV, there it was.

I checked if they had plans on reairing the episode sometime in the next few days. They don't... But they do have it online:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/

[*gwen*~*grover*]

oh, ill have to watch that... (but i have to go write an english paper now, eeww psh...)

yeah the root of it being corruption and greed :lol:.
and the endurance... i think the only reason the industry has been able to prosper so much because its located mostly in swing states, and of course the government supplies them with whatever they want in order to get the votes...

[Andrew]

Oh... and just for fun; Bill O'Reily on David Letterman:

http://www.youtube.com/w/Bill-O%27Reilly-on-David-Letterman?v=Ch70CMszvLk&search=Bill%20O%27Reily%20%20David%20Letterman

:bgrin:

[*gwen*~*grover*]

is it supposed to stop in the middle of him talking? :lol:

thats pretty funny though "i had a good winter solstice"
ugh, i dont like him :bgrin: thanks for that, it made my night :lol:

[Andrew]

You have to wait for it to fully load :lol:

[*gwen*~*grover*]

yeah... waiting, thats good :lol: damn, it should just fully load and then start playing. this way when the thing pops up that says "do you want to play this over" people like me can figure it out... *oy*

[*gwen*~*grover*]

hmnph... theres something wrong with my computer, it still wont let me watch the whole thing...

however... he is such an ass... the erosions. ugh... people like him really are trying to make a big deal out of this
theres a f*cking separation of church and state, thats why they cant show that while the "duck hunting club" can... get over it
its not a cultural movemet against you...

[oclover24]

I hate Walmart too after I saw this documentry a couple of years ago on MSNBC or something like that. My dad used to shop there, but recently, he saw another Walmart documentry and said, "I really have to stop shopping there." So that's good. :)