Whirl-Mart
Encyclopedia
Whirl-Mart is a culture jamming
ritual aimed at retail superstores and described by participants as "art and action."
An event consists of a group of supposed shoppers who congregate at a large superstore (usually a Wal-Mart
, Toys "R" Us, Asda
, or Sainsbury's
) and slowly push empty shopping carts silently through store aisles. Participants will not purchase anything and seek to form a lengthy chain of non-shoppers, continually weaving and "whirling" through a maze of store aisles for up to an hour at a time. Participants describe their actions as "a collective reclamation of space that is otherwise only used for buying and selling". Whirl-Marters seek to mimic and mock what they perceive as the absurdity of the shopping
process.
, USA on April 1, 2001. The group was seeking to respond to an article from AdBusters
magazine that called for foolish activities in conjunction with April Fool's Day. Since that time, Whirl-Mart activities have spread to many other communities around the world, including Texas
, Iowa
, Arizona
, and Pennsylvania
in the USA, Canada
, and the United Kingdom
. It is often "celebrated" at noon on the first Saturday or Sunday of the month. Whirl-Marters are often very loosely organized, describing themselves as open to anyone wishing to show up and participate.
In addition to being "just darned fun," the activity provides a legal outlet for would-be protesters to address "cathedral(s) of consumption" like Wal-Mart. Consequently, experienced Whirl-Marters (when confronted by security or store management) do not admit to being protestors and instead maintain that they are engaged in a peaceful "consumption awareness ritual." Whirl-Marters do not aim to block store aisles or interfere with legitimate shoppers, and typically will not speak unless addressed. Their aim is to create a non-disruptive, peaceful demonstration of how ridiculous they see Western consumerism
to be. Participants are non-confrontational in seeking to make themselves silent examples rather than active propagandists. Some variations of the whirl-mart protest involve filling carts but then simply abandoning them or, when checking out, claiming to have forgotten the money to purchase the items in the overflowing cart, leaving said cart for the employees to clean up.
officials in forcibly removing Whirl-Marters is not unheard of). When employees approach, Whirl-Mart participants generally scatter to various store aisles, forcing management or security to confront them individually. Participants will very rarely admit to or even address the topic of non-violent protest of commercialism
or materialism
, preferring to present themselves as would-be shoppers who are "still looking for something to buy" after spending up to an hour wandering aimlessly through a warehouse-sized superstore. Whirl-Marters often wear a shirt or smock, identifying themselves and their message. In most jurisdictions it is not legally considered soliciting to wear a garment advertising a product, service, or cause.
Some participants have attempted to document their activities with cameras or video recorders. The film or tape from these are often seized by store authorities. A few websites have video documenting Whirl-Mart events; however, in general, superstores do not permit cameras or video recorders on their premises — excluding security cameras used by the corporation
itself.
Culture jamming
Culture jamming, coined in 1984, denotes a tactic used by many anti-consumerist social movements to disrupt or subvert mainstream cultural institutions, including corporate advertising. Guerrilla semiotics and night discourse are sometimes used synonymously with the term culture jamming.Culture...
ritual aimed at retail superstores and described by participants as "art and action."
An event consists of a group of supposed shoppers who congregate at a large superstore (usually a Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, Toys "R" Us, Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
, or Sainsbury's
J Sainsbury
J. Sainsbury plc is the parent company of Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd, commonly known as Sainsbury's, the third largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom with a share of the UK supermarket sector of 16.5%....
) and slowly push empty shopping carts silently through store aisles. Participants will not purchase anything and seek to form a lengthy chain of non-shoppers, continually weaving and "whirling" through a maze of store aisles for up to an hour at a time. Participants describe their actions as "a collective reclamation of space that is otherwise only used for buying and selling". Whirl-Marters seek to mimic and mock what they perceive as the absurdity of the shopping
Shopping
Shopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with the intent to purchase at that time. Shopping is an activity of selection and/or purchase. In some contexts it is considered a leisure activity as well as an economic one....
process.
Origins
The activity was founded by the group "Breathing Planet Troupe" at a Wal-Mart store in Troy, New YorkTroy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
, USA on April 1, 2001. The group was seeking to respond to an article from AdBusters
AdBusters
The Adbusters Media Foundation is a Canadian-based not-for-profit, anti-consumerist, pro-environment organization founded in 1989 by Kalle Lasn and Bill Schmalz in Vancouver, British Columbia...
magazine that called for foolish activities in conjunction with April Fool's Day. Since that time, Whirl-Mart activities have spread to many other communities around the world, including Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the USA, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is often "celebrated" at noon on the first Saturday or Sunday of the month. Whirl-Marters are often very loosely organized, describing themselves as open to anyone wishing to show up and participate.
In addition to being "just darned fun," the activity provides a legal outlet for would-be protesters to address "cathedral(s) of consumption" like Wal-Mart. Consequently, experienced Whirl-Marters (when confronted by security or store management) do not admit to being protestors and instead maintain that they are engaged in a peaceful "consumption awareness ritual." Whirl-Marters do not aim to block store aisles or interfere with legitimate shoppers, and typically will not speak unless addressed. Their aim is to create a non-disruptive, peaceful demonstration of how ridiculous they see Western consumerism
Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts. The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Thorstein Veblen...
to be. Participants are non-confrontational in seeking to make themselves silent examples rather than active propagandists. Some variations of the whirl-mart protest involve filling carts but then simply abandoning them or, when checking out, claiming to have forgotten the money to purchase the items in the overflowing cart, leaving said cart for the employees to clean up.
Confrontations
Participants claim they can generally talk their way out of being evicted from the store's corporate property (though the involvement of law enforcementPolice
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
officials in forcibly removing Whirl-Marters is not unheard of). When employees approach, Whirl-Mart participants generally scatter to various store aisles, forcing management or security to confront them individually. Participants will very rarely admit to or even address the topic of non-violent protest of commercialism
Commercialism
Commercialism, in its original meaning, is the practices, methods, aims, and spirit of commerce or business. Today, however, it primarily refers to the tendency within open-market capitalism to turn everything into objects, images, and services sold for the purpose of generating profit...
or materialism
Economic materialism
Materialism is a mindset that views the consumption and acquisition of material goods as positive and desirable. It is often bound up with a value system which regards social status as being intrinsically linked to affluence as well as the perception that happiness can be increased through...
, preferring to present themselves as would-be shoppers who are "still looking for something to buy" after spending up to an hour wandering aimlessly through a warehouse-sized superstore. Whirl-Marters often wear a shirt or smock, identifying themselves and their message. In most jurisdictions it is not legally considered soliciting to wear a garment advertising a product, service, or cause.
Some participants have attempted to document their activities with cameras or video recorders. The film or tape from these are often seized by store authorities. A few websites have video documenting Whirl-Mart events; however, in general, superstores do not permit cameras or video recorders on their premises — excluding security cameras used by the corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
itself.
See also
- Anti-globalizationAnti-globalizationCriticism of globalization is skepticism of the claimed benefits of the globalization of capitalism. Many of these views are held by the anti-globalization movement however other groups also are critical of the policies of globalization....
- Simple livingSimple livingSimple living encompasses a number of different voluntary practices to simplify one's lifestyle. These may include reducing one's possessions or increasing self-sufficiency, for example. Simple living may be characterized by individuals being satisfied with what they need rather than want...
- WesternizationWesternizationWesternization or Westernisation , also occidentalization or occidentalisation , is a process whereby societies come under or adopt Western culture in such matters as industry, technology, law, politics, economics, lifestyle, diet, language, alphabet,...
- Over-consumptionOver-consumptionOver-consumption is a situation where resource-use has outpaced the sustainable capacity of the ecosystem. A prolonged pattern of overconsumption leads to inevitable environmental degradation and the eventual loss of resource bases...
- SheepleSheepleSheeple is a term of disparagement, in which people are likened to the herd animals sheep. The term is often used to denote persons who voluntarily acquiesce to a perceived authority figure's suggestion without critical analysis or sufficient research to understand the ramifications of that decision...
- List of things which are neither production nor consumption
- Post-materialismPost-materialismThe concept of post-materialism is a tool in developing an understanding of modern culture. It can be considered in reference of three distinct concepts of materialism...
- Supermarkets
- Herd instinct
- Herd behaviour
- Crowd psychologyCrowd psychologyCrowd psychology is a branch of social psychology. Ordinary people can typically gain direct power by acting collectively. Historically, because large groups of people have been able to bring about dramatic and sudden social change in a manner that bypasses established due process, they have also...
- Group behaviourGroup behaviourGroup behaviour in sociology refers to the situations where people interact in large or small groups. The field of group dynamics deals with small groups that may reach consensus and act in a coordinated way...
- Big box store
- Category killerCategory killerCategory killer is a term used in marketing and strategic management to describe a product, service, brand, or company that has such a distinct sustainable competitive advantage that competing firms find it almost impossible to operate profitably in that industry...