What planet are they from?
January 5, 2006 2:51 PM Subscribe
Are you a fan of the old "Planet of the Apes" tv series? If so, Wal-Mart has some recommendations for you. (Via Crooks and Liars and firedoglake).
This post was deleted for the following reason: five minutes ago, this was a mildly interesting database glitch/hack, now fixed
Hooray. Wal-Mart recognizes that Planet of the Apes is an anti-racism movie.
posted by JekPorkins at 2:54 PM on January 5, 2006
posted by JekPorkins at 2:54 PM on January 5, 2006
Yeah, I gotta say, as much as I dislike Wal-Mart, I think this juuuuuuuuuust might be seeing boogiemen where there are none to see.
posted by papakwanz at 3:00 PM on January 5, 2006
posted by papakwanz at 3:00 PM on January 5, 2006
please can someone explain what is interesting here?
posted by andrew cooke at 3:00 PM on January 5, 2006
posted by andrew cooke at 3:00 PM on January 5, 2006
WispFilter
posted by CynicalKnight at 3:01 PM on January 5, 2006
posted by CynicalKnight at 3:01 PM on January 5, 2006
It appears that someone in WalMart's webdev department *may* have created a juxtaposition equating rubber faced monkeymen and African American folks.
Pretty shit if intentional.
posted by stenseng at 3:03 PM on January 5, 2006
Pretty shit if intentional.
posted by stenseng at 3:03 PM on January 5, 2006
oh. apparently all the other videos are related to african americans (i'm not american, or african, and only recognised mlk).
posted by andrew cooke at 3:04 PM on January 5, 2006
posted by andrew cooke at 3:04 PM on January 5, 2006
Or, someone in WalMart's webdev department *may* know a little about film and know that P of the A is widely regarded to be an intentional commentary on race relations in the United States, and one of the most respected anti-racism movies of our time. Just maybe.
posted by JekPorkins at 3:05 PM on January 5, 2006
posted by JekPorkins at 3:05 PM on January 5, 2006
Stenseng, PoA has been seen critically, as an allegory against racism for quite some time. The theory definetly predates wal-mart's web editors...
American Society in the 60's (pdf)
posted by nomisxid at 3:07 PM on January 5, 2006
American Society in the 60's (pdf)
posted by nomisxid at 3:07 PM on January 5, 2006
Internet-based automated inference engine makes a strange suggestions! Film at 11!
This is mildly amusing at best. Conspiratorial? Hardly. I doubt WalMart could tweak the output of whatever piece of recommendation software they have if they tried.
We all remember 2002's most popular inference-engine news meme, "My TiVo Thinks I'm Gay!" in the Wall Street Journal.
Yawn.
posted by GuyZero at 3:11 PM on January 5, 2006
This is mildly amusing at best. Conspiratorial? Hardly. I doubt WalMart could tweak the output of whatever piece of recommendation software they have if they tried.
We all remember 2002's most popular inference-engine news meme, "My TiVo Thinks I'm Gay!" in the Wall Street Journal.
Yawn.
posted by GuyZero at 3:11 PM on January 5, 2006
one of the most respected anti-racism movies of our time.
HAhaha! Surely you can do better dhoyt.
posted by nofundy at 3:13 PM on January 5, 2006
HAhaha! Surely you can do better dhoyt.
posted by nofundy at 3:13 PM on January 5, 2006
You think that's bad, check out the recommendations from Every Which Way But Loose!!!
posted by BobFrapples at 3:14 PM on January 5, 2006
posted by BobFrapples at 3:14 PM on January 5, 2006
Most of the fans of P of the A that I know are typically more interested in old/bad sci-fi, Charlton Heston's melodrama, and the familiarity of being able to recite all the lines.
Which is why I laughed out loud reading those similar items.
I'm sure that it's more likely that Wal*Mart's being sensitive here and not racist. I still think it's funny.
posted by bigmike at 3:14 PM on January 5, 2006
Which is why I laughed out loud reading those similar items.
I'm sure that it's more likely that Wal*Mart's being sensitive here and not racist. I still think it's funny.
posted by bigmike at 3:14 PM on January 5, 2006
Damn you all the hell.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 3:15 PM on January 5, 2006
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 3:15 PM on January 5, 2006
r, someone in WalMart's webdev department *may* know a little about film...
try clicking on the link and seeing what's there.
the item in question is a collection of 14 episodes of the television show, not the movie. i seriously doubt the tv series explored the issue of racism to the extent that the movies did: in fact, the description makes it sound more like action/adventure than anything else.
also, if you check out the links for other planet of the apes items, you'll see that no others link to any book or dvd that theoretically explores themes of racism featuring african-americans (note that some of their "similar items make absolutely no sense at all). in fact, even the book "planet of the apes as american myth: race, politics and culture in the films and television series" doesn't link to any similar books featuring african-americans.
i think this is deliberate. someone's idea of a sick joke. fuck whoever did this and anybody who says this is a non-issue. i'm not amused even the tiniest bit.
posted by lord_wolf at 3:17 PM on January 5, 2006
try clicking on the link and seeing what's there.
the item in question is a collection of 14 episodes of the television show, not the movie. i seriously doubt the tv series explored the issue of racism to the extent that the movies did: in fact, the description makes it sound more like action/adventure than anything else.
also, if you check out the links for other planet of the apes items, you'll see that no others link to any book or dvd that theoretically explores themes of racism featuring african-americans (note that some of their "similar items make absolutely no sense at all). in fact, even the book "planet of the apes as american myth: race, politics and culture in the films and television series" doesn't link to any similar books featuring african-americans.
i think this is deliberate. someone's idea of a sick joke. fuck whoever did this and anybody who says this is a non-issue. i'm not amused even the tiniest bit.
posted by lord_wolf at 3:17 PM on January 5, 2006
Well, they resolved it. Friends and Raymond. Quit yer gripin'
posted by santiagogo at 3:21 PM on January 5, 2006
posted by santiagogo at 3:21 PM on January 5, 2006
And now it's "Friends" and "Everybody Loves Raymond." A subtle reference to Ross's profession as an archaeologist, no doubt.
posted by Gator at 3:21 PM on January 5, 2006
posted by Gator at 3:21 PM on January 5, 2006
You know, I clicked the WalMart link, and the "similar items" were a season of Friends and a season of Everybody Loves Raymond, and I was a bit confused at the comments.
posted by Godbert at 3:23 PM on January 5, 2006
posted by Godbert at 3:23 PM on January 5, 2006
Well, they already changed it-- all I got was DVD sets for Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends, and Star Wars.
posted by InfidelZombie at 3:23 PM on January 5, 2006
posted by InfidelZombie at 3:23 PM on January 5, 2006
nofundy: Why are you calling me dhoyt, ass?
posted by JekPorkins at 3:23 PM on January 5, 2006
posted by JekPorkins at 3:23 PM on January 5, 2006
Doh!
posted by InfidelZombie at 3:23 PM on January 5, 2006
posted by InfidelZombie at 3:23 PM on January 5, 2006
Have there been more shitty posts than usual this year, or is it just me because Iwantagoddamncigaretterightnow?!
posted by marxchivist at 3:27 PM on January 5, 2006
posted by marxchivist at 3:27 PM on January 5, 2006
tryin' to quit
posted by marxchivist at 3:27 PM on January 5, 2006
posted by marxchivist at 3:27 PM on January 5, 2006
i think this is deliberate. someone's idea of a sick joke. fuck whoever did this and anybody who says this is a non-issue. i'm not amused even the tiniest bit.
More importantly, Google hates Jesus!
Anyway, I'm going to doubt that it's even possible to go in and rig the recommendation system of a site the size of Walmat, especially since it's all probably generating the recommendations with some fuzzy logic algorithm.
But I wont stop that from letting myself get self righteous about it on the internet, and talk out of my ass. I say we burn them.
posted by SweetJesus at 3:28 PM on January 5, 2006
More importantly, Google hates Jesus!
Anyway, I'm going to doubt that it's even possible to go in and rig the recommendation system of a site the size of Walmat, especially since it's all probably generating the recommendations with some fuzzy logic algorithm.
But I wont stop that from letting myself get self righteous about it on the internet, and talk out of my ass. I say we burn them.
posted by SweetJesus at 3:28 PM on January 5, 2006
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posted by xmutex at 2:54 PM on January 5, 2006