Another reason to boycott Walmart
Just in time for Christmas, Junior Prostitute Wear:
I see this as meshing well with Walmart’s whole philosophy. This is the company that’s notorious for refusing to fill women’s prescriptions for contraception, the company that yanked a “Someday a Woman Will Be President” T-shirt from their shelves because it didn’t “fit in with family values,” the company that was hit with the biggest class-action suit in history because of its discrimination against female employees. It’s a Republican Jesus kind of place, where guns are cheap, the employees are paid in small increments of dirt, and books by Jon Stewart are banned. And speaking of books, have you ever checked out the book section at Walmart? It’s 90% Left Behind (the entire series, which apparently runs to about 75 volumes) and insipid “how to be a happy Christian woman” things with clouds and crucifixes on the covers. The whole goddamn store is like an audiovisual demonstration of Patriarchy At Work.
Which is why the prostitution thing fits in so well. Under patriarchy, women are the sexual property of men. Either we’re the private exclusive property of one man, in which case we’ll want to stock up on those cloud-and-crucifix books, or the publicly fuckable property of whoever’s paying, in which case we’ll need those panties.
Personally I’m waiting for Walmart to take the next step and start actually selling women. Always Low Prices!
15 Responses to “Another reason to boycott Walmart”
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SKM says:
Either we’re the private exclusive property of one man, in which case we’ll want to stock up on those cloud-and-crucifix books, or the publicly fuckable property of whoever’s paying, in which case we’ll need those panties.
This is *exactly* what I felt the other day in my local grocery store chain (I don’t shop Wal-Mart, but patriarchy’s like the only thing they haven’t monopolized, so…).
I stopped dead in the book-and-magazine aisle, with Maxim and FHM on my right and a rack of cloud-and-crucifix books about how to “submit” to your husband, etc. on my left. I felt much as Lewis Black did when he exited a Starbuck’s to find another Starbuck’s directly opposite (“I have seen the end of the Universe, and it’s in Houston, Texas!”).
That book aisle offers me two positions in society as property, and exactly none as a citizen.
December 13th, 2007 at 12:24 pm EST -
The Ghost of Violet says:
That book aisle offers me two positions in society as property, and exactly none as a citizen.
Ha! My thoughts exactly, and I mean that. I almost included a sentence in the post about there being no role for us as citizens, as autonomous human beings. But you said it better.
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Mary Tracy9 says:
Can I be really innocent and think that what does panties REALLY mean is “WHO NEEDS GOODS, MONEY, and the like. BE A HAPPY HIPPIE!”?
Please? For my sanity?
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Anji says:
Walmart has actually withdrawn the product in question, mostly due to the number of emails it received from Feministing readers. :o)
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The Ghost of Violet says:
Really? Is that in the news somewhere?
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Foilwoman says:
I will never shop at that evil store. I hate them. There’s a mature comment inside me somewhere, but I lost it.
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kiuku says:
So it’s not OK to pay women for their work, but it’s ok to pay them for sex. Got it, Walmart.
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bob c says:
Walmart is THEE sign of the end of times! Good thing some of us have the map showing the way to the Spirit Lounge. Don’t let them take away your copy.
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bob c says:
looking for checkbox
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foilwoman says:
Oh, I think we need a new religion, where those of us who are worthy get to spend the afterlife (and if we’re really good, the next year or so) drinking wine of our choice in the Spirit Lounge with Dr. Violet either in Holy Ghostly of Fleshly Incarnate form. I’d follow most commandments (except any requiring me to give up chocolate or most pleasurable things for that matter) to have that opportunity.
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Tabby Lavalamp says:
It’s almost like they’re going out of their way to give me more reasons not to shop there.
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IdentityMixed says:
I had a few things to pick up before our Thanksgiving quest. With a toddler and an infant, one stop shopping is ideal so I headed out to the Super Walmart. One thing I was looking for was a book to amuse myself for a few days. Alas, the Walmart near me has NO BOOK SECTION!
So that alone tells me something about the clientele of my local Walmart.
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Infidel says:
I am not saying you aren’t absolutely right. In fact I am saying you are probably right. But..
Don’t you know what you sound like?
They are Wall Mart!
They are Jewel Food Store!
You can’t avoid them!
They are everywhere! They are taking your children and bending their minds!
I am struck with the terror.. the shear terror of that guy who jumps on the back of the truck and sees all those pods headed for the city.
Maybe Obama can get something else going, his policies of talking to enemies is way out of line with Machiavellian politics. But Hillary is a woman, and sir Edmund did climb mount Everest.
You never had a problem with what they print on guys underwear, Violet. Have you seen the variety of mens boxer shorts out there. The market was just being tested for monys’ sake. Get a grip.
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Christina says:
This is a fake trackback since Blogger sucks.
I have linked/mentioned you. -
Liz says:
Ugh! I already hate WalMart and that just adds to my contempt.
