Attention Shoppers

This article uses personal quotes from a variety of sources to explain how people of different demographics and employments are affected by the Wal-Mart, particularly women. Quotes from celebrities made for a fun, yet still informative read, while quotes from Wal-Mart CEOs, retail workers, and shoppers provided first hand information on how their lives are affected by Wal-Mart super stores. This article gets to the heart of the atmosphere of sexism, not only in the workplace, but in the system of specific companies (i.e. Wal-Mart) under capitalism. It does, however, assume that the reader has some pre-existing knowledge of the Wal-Mart situation (perhaps described in earlier chapters of the book?), as it never outlines exactly what this discrimination consists of. Most importantly, "Attention Shoppers" aimed to outline several viewpoints on the matter, consisting of women, famous and not, both for and against Wal-Mart. The author's standpoint still shines out as being against Wal-Mart and its discrimination towards women. - K.D.

The article "Attention Shoppers" attempts to explain some of the difficulties of lower- income working women, especially in the retail industry, but fails to do so in a compelling manner. While it an entirely appropriate topic to be considered, especially since many start out with their first job or two in retail, this particular selection does not do the subject justice. The author also attempts to make the connection between low wages and harassment on the job, but does not support their claim with any hard data. Its near complete reliance on personal testimony from Wal-mart shoppers and employees does not allow for widespread application. The article would be a good find if one is particularly interested in investigating the problems of this field, but not for a class reading. - L.P.