1. To me, your web page is like a cross between
"The Diary of Anne Frank" (because of the
inexplicable sense of impending doom) and "One Flew
Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (for the obvious reasons).
Could you give a little summary of your page and
what itīs about for readers who are unfamiliar with www.wallyworldlife.com
?
The webpage was started as an outlet for me channel
my hostilities for my job. It is pretty much one big
web blog, but it was started before the whole blog
phenomenon kicked in. It just basically covers the
day to day events that one person can encounter at
Wally World, and gives you an idea of how sick and sad
our society can operate sometimes. I just try to find
the most humor in it as possible.
2. On your web page, you do a nice job of dividing
up your antagonists into easily recognizable groups
and then giving them hilarious nick-names. Among
the managers there is "The Enforcer" and "The
Demon;" among the evil food bar ladies there is
"Hitler;" and among the cashiers there is "Band Camp
Girl." Is it a comfort to know that the types you
identify are not just anomalies put there to
irritate you, but members of groups that exist at
every level of society?
It's definately good to know that I am not alone.
At first I didn't realize that people like that
existed everywhere you go, but as time goes on I have
encounters with more people like them. I also get a
lot of e-mails from people that swear I work at the
Wally World in their town. It's scary to know every
Wally World has a Band Camp Girl of their own.
3. Could you give a little further description of
the Mullet you mentioned in one of your early
entries which you claimed had been blessed by God
himself?
I wish I could. It's been so long, that I can't
visualize it in my mind. Plus I see at least a dozen
mullets everyday I work and it's hard to remember a
specific one.
4. Tell me more about the "Wall-Mart Chant." I
assume this falls into that ridiculous "We are a
family" line that big corporations think they can
fool their exploited workers into believing. Does
it seem hypocritical and immoral to you that these
corporations would use these tactics and demand
employee loyalty even though they would never return
the sentiment if the situations were reversed?
The "Cheer" as they call it, is something else all
together. It definately is part of the brain washing
experience to make you think it is a big family. In
their defense however, the company does do a lot for
associates in need and the community. Anytime there
is a death, or someone is in trouble they always raise
a bunch of money for the associate which is admirable.
As sad as it is, to some of the shoppers and even a
few of the customers, that place is everything to
them.
5. Does your "Wall-Mart Family" have plans to
someday turn the family business over to you? Or is
it more the case that they wouldnīt hesitate to
crush you like a bug if you ever tried to compete
with them?
Hahaha. I think they'd crush me like a bug in a
second.
6. Are you ever envious of co-workers such as ?Band
Camp Girl? who seem content to let their life be
orchestrated by Wall-Mart products? I mean,
certainly, such an ambition is pathetic and
non-ambitious, but if you were happy to work at
Wall-Mart all day and then spend all your money on
Wall-Mart products at the end of your shift, you?d
be living in a kind of paradise, discount-shopping
fantasy-land wouldn't you?
I have considered this idea. The way I look at it
is this...I see mentally handicapped people a lot
while I'm at work and most of them actually look
really happy. Sure, they drool on themselves and have
no idea what's going on, but there is usually a big
smile on their face. Does that make me want to be
like them? Sometimes, but usually the answer to that
is no.
7. In modern American society, young children are
often pressured into finding some kind of department
store or fast-food job. The argument is that
children need to learn the discipline of having a
job and that it will help them develop a work ethic.
However, as recently as fifty years ago, getting a
job, even for a very young person, meant that you
would be learning a set of useful skills. Whether
it be a tailor or mechanic or baker, the job
actually required the employee to use his/her brain.
In your opinion, does working at Wall-Mart
actually help develop any useful skills or is it
just an exercise in taking shit from morons? What
effects do you think this has on society?
It definately teaches how to deal with the morons.
You don't learn to many useful skills though, other
then customer service. If you want to work in the
retail world as a career, then Wally World is
definately the place to be. It has a lot of
opportunities to move up for the people willing to
work hard. As for someone that has other plans, no,
you don't learn much there that you can't learn
anywhere else.
8. Do you feel that preservation of human dignity
is sacrificed for the sake of profit in regards to
the employees and policies of Wall-Mart?
Absolutely. An associate has to take a lot of shit
from the customers, even when the customer is clearly
in the wrong. At the end of the day, it comes down to
making the customer happy so they'll come back and
spend.
9. How long do you think it is safe for a person
to work at a place like Wall-Mart before the
oppressiveness of the situation actually starts to
damage their psyche?
Sadly, I have worked their for five years now. For
most people, I'd say a year. Since I have the website
I'm at an advantage because I feel like I have a good
understanding as to what is going on. Some people
that e-mail me or post on my message board irritate me
because of how much they hate their job and will go on
and on about it. I mean, if you hate your pay that
much and hate your job that much, find another job.
It's not that hard.
10. Would you say that the way Wall-Mart functions
is a microcosm for all of modern America?
Definately. I've always said that by working at
Wally World it's like seeing the window to the world.
That's pretty scary when you consider the implications.
The End